Dracula Untold - Analysis and Review

The untold story... but you already know the ending

When I was little, I had an obsession with the Universal Movie monsters. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. I knew them all, I watched them all, but I didn't stop there. I would look for books that had more information about them, while also searching for other movies dealing with these monsters. But probably my favorite among them was always Dracula.

The Plot

After years of serving the Turkish Army, the notorious warrior Vlad the Impaler (Luke Evans) has taken a life of peace and away from the violent life he once had. But after 10 years of peace, The Sultan, Mehmed the Conqueror (Dominic Cooper) demands that Vlad gives 1000 boys from his kingdom to serve in his army. Including his son. Not wanting to put his son through the ordeal that he went through as  child, Vlad seeks out an ancient evil (Charles Dance) to grant him the power to save his people and battle his former friend. But with great cost.

Analysis

As I've stated before, one of my primary obsessions as a child was Dracula. I know the character inside and out. I've read the classic books. I've watched the Universal films starring Bela Lugosi, the far superior Hammer films starring Christopher Lee and the supreme adaptation of the navel by Francis Ford Coppola with Gary Oldman. I even read every biography and almost every documentary I could get my hands on about his real life counterpart, Vlad The Impaler. Needless to say, I consider myself not just a vampire expert, but a Dracula expert. Whether this knowledge will come in handy in the future, I don't know, but I know everything there is to know about him.

Which also puts me in this strange position the exact same way I was with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Hercules. I know so much about the character that one would probably expect me to be very critical about how he is portrayed onscreen. The thing about Dracula though is that unlike Hercules who has been portrayed as sort of one note through the decades, Dracula has evolved and changed in so many directions. This is mainly because, besides Sherlock Holmes, Dracula is the most adapted literary character in over a century. Because there are so many portrayals, it is hard to lock down which one is the definitive one. And it is this reason that I'm usually open to new takes and renditions because it has become a tradition to always reinvent the character for the past century.

However if there is one aspect that I gotta point out about this film, that is not really a valid criticism, but rather a geeky one. Since this film is suppose to be about how Vlad The Impaler, the historical figure, becomes Dracula, the fictional figure, there was one opportunity that the filmmakers missed out on. That would be Vlad The Impaler's brother, Radu, who along with him was given to the Turks. But unlike Vlad who would be returned to his Romanian kingdom, Radu remained to become a supreme Muslim commander of the Turk army. This would've presented a really great opportunity of having a brother versus brother story. I state this as a complaint mainly because Dominic Cooper's character, Mehmed The Conqueror, is notorious as the man who kills Vlad the Impaler. So from a story point of view, it would be more interesting to have Vlad battle his brother Radu and would leave it in a position that would set things up. But I'm not the writer, and again, this isn't really a valid criticism because the average movie goer would not be thinking that Radu should be the villain, or that Radu is Vlad's brother. Only a select few know this part of history. I wished that was in this movie.

Review

If you have an idea of how this story will play out, it will play out exactly as you think it will. Believe me, the movie is extremely predictable. Cliches are everywhere, and not in the subtle sense but in the in your face sense. Which is a real shame because there are a lot of interesting ideas in here while at the same time a little bit of history thrown in as well.

The best way to describe it is it is a remake of the prologue in Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, but what was only a few minutes in that movie has been extended into an entire 90 minute movie. Now for a cliche movie like this, 90 minutes actually is more of a favor to it than a derision. This keeps the plot tight and has things moving quickly in hopes that the audience will look past all the plot holes and obvious problems in the film. And it will mostly succeed for the general audience, but for a movie buff or Dracula aficionado, it won't work. 

If you have read a previous entry in my blog, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Luke Evans. And honestly, he is an amazing Dracula. The guy fits the bill of being both the sexy monster that girls love while at the same time appearing to be the savage beast that guys wish vampires would be. This role specifically seems perfect for him, and honestly he was the only well written part in the movie. Which is a shame because everyone else is poorly written and not given enough.

Sarah Gadon plays his wife Mirena, whose sole purpose is to be one of his motivations for remaining a good man. However, her dialogue is overtly cheesy and it really is a shame because she was amazing in Cosmopolis. Then of course there is Dominic Cooper playing Mehmed the Conqueror. I strongly believe that Cooper, along with Evans, is a highly underrated actor. The guy can morph into different roles and is extremely versatile. However his performance as Mehmed is pretty one note and cliche villain territory. There was an attempt to make Mehmed and Vlad have this almost brother like relationship, but it was only for one scene and quickly dissolves due to Mehmed being a dick.  And if one wants the very definition of cliche evil, then there is Charles Dance as the First Vampire. He is everything people remember about classic vampires as monsters, not sex symbols. And he plays it perfectly. So much so that one would wish he was the main villain instead of just a catalyst for Dracula's change.

The rest of the supporting cast falls into the same category of not well written and cliche. Character motivations seem to change in a heartbeat. One moment the people love Vlad, the next moment they want to kill him for being a vampire despite just saving their lives, then immediately go back to loving him again. There is even one character who is obsessed with wanting to be Vlad's servant, who appears three times and in those three times there was nothing that establishes why he wants to be Vlad's servant. 

But with cliche story and mediocre character aside, the cinematography and action sequences in this film are incredible. However, because this is a Dracula movie, one would think that this should be Rated R in order to get the full effect of how dangerous Dracula is. The action is very PG-13 with being incredible yet also filmed in a way to hide how gory Dracula's kills really are. But then again, this film is more like a superhero movie set in ancient times than the horror movie Dracula fans would probably want.

Final Thoughts

Despite all of its problems, and there are a lot, I walked away enjoying the picture. I would never recommend it as a must watch, but I do believe the average person can watch it and find it entertaining for a short while. For movie buffs though, it will definitely not be for them. This movie is not good yet at the same time it is not terrible. It is just an entertaining picture that would've benefited more had it embraced a more violent portrayal of Dracula's attacks with an R Rating. What concerns me though is how this film is suppose to be the first step in reviving the Universal Monster Universe. If you want to jump start your universe, this is not the film to do it. But Luke Evans is perfect as Dracula, so who knows, maybe the other ones might work.

SCORE: 6.5/10 - A fairly predictable yet entertaining look at a really cool Dracula

The Strain - 1x13 The Master - Review

The final showdown!....or not

The moment has come...again. Eph, Abraham, Nora, Fet, Dutch and Zach arm themselves for the final battle that will determine the fate of New York city and possibly the whole world. But lurking in the shadows is another strain of vampire, and it has Gust in their clutches. What does this all mean?

It all means that I don't care anymore. I really don't. Let me just break things down.

While this is one of the better episode of The Strain, it is not the best way to end a first season. This is not the way one should end the finale. Especially from the way the show ended. Don't get me wrong, there are some things that I do enjoy about this episode. But that all happens in the third act. The first two acts mainly consist of Eph and Fet locating where the Master is hiding now. And with sheer intuition, or as I like to call it smart writing that appears lazy because it is the last episode, they find out where the Master is hiding. And so they go off to fight The Master and his legion of vampires. Yes, even Eph's son, Zach, gets in on the action. There was a nice scene of Abraham giving Zach a Roman sword and explaining that it a time honored tradition of sons hunting with their fathers. Vampire hunting does not really seem like the best thing to do with your son, but okay. The battle is actually a lot more interesting than the episode before the previous one. However, Dutch being a skilled shot and Nora being a badass with a sword kind of seemed a little off. You know, given that they had no prior training. Everyone was just being cool in this final battle. No, isn't Martrix or Blade action. But everyone just seems to be really proficient.

Then while this is going on, Gus is being held hostage by someone the fans refer to as Mr. Quinlan. Who is Mr. Quinlan? He is that vampire who hunts vampires. He's the guy in charge of the operation to kill his own kind. Why? Because apparently there are three elder vampires who feel betrayed by another elder vampire who we know is The Master. And so Mr. Quinlan tells Gus that he has been chosen to be the vampires' human weapon against the rogue vampires. Why? Gus is not sure. And oh Gus. But as I've stated that the series has given him more character development than all the other characters in this show, the last episode and this episode devolves his character to a common thug again. He decides to work for Mr. Quinlan and his vampire lords only under the condition that they pay him a crap ton of money to do so. Not under the fact that he initially wants revenge for the death of his family and friends. It really isn't a good way to end his arc. And it really isn't a good way of finally explaining the Vampires who kill other vampires. It was just poor.

This was a poor way to end the first season. It really just isn't. This feels more like another episode rather than the big bang finale that this show needs. And given the structure of this show and what has happened, this show could've been condensed into a movie. Yeah, this show would've worked better as a movie. Because that way we could skip all the bull shit and get straight to the point. This show doesn't know how to properly pace out its horror and drama. And the problem is, the drama is not even that interesting. It becomes clear that the only thing that kept me watching this show was the promise of vampire horror and action. The characters? I don't care. I just don't care. I thought I cared about Gus and maybe Nora because she's played by the alluring Mia Maestro. But I don't care anymore. I really wish this show was good. But overall, it is not. Even if you average out all the scores for the episodes of this series, it may seem above average, but in reality when you look back it is not good.

SCORE: 5/10 - Would've been 8/10 if it wasn't the season finale

STATUS: DROPPED - Not going to bother with season 2

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The Strain - 1x12 Last Rites - Review

They do know they have one more episode after this, right?

In a rather unclimactic turn of events given what happened in the previous episode, this episode focuses on getting the word out to the general public. Also Gus gets to do something. And then there's flashbacks pertaining to the death of Setrakian's wife in the 60s.

If you read that synopsis with a flair of sarcasm, it is mainly because it should have been read with sarcasm. That does not mean this is a bad episode... well in some cases it can be seen as one. Eph, Nora, Fet, and Abraham return from their failed attempt at slaying the Master. It is clear that Abraham is emotionally disturbed and needs some time to calm down. So in order to do that he talks to his wife's still beating heart in a jar. Which leads us to unnecessary flashbacks of his hunt for The Master in the 60s. I say unnecessary because these flashbacks would've been better served in earlier episodes than the second to last one. Although it does tie in thematically with a decision that he makes at the end of the episode, it ultimately feels more like it is trying to kill time than progress the story. The audience already knows how it ends. He's going to fail killing The Master, but winds up having to kill his wife and rip her heart out. We know. The actor who plays the younger Abraham is definitely good at bridging the midpoint between his youthful days in the Holocaust to the stubborn man he is now. So there is that. But really it just felt like killing time when it should be about progressing the plan to kill The Master.

While that's going on, Eph, Nora, and Fet are trying to come up with a new plan while at the same time question Abraham's sanity. However that gets cut short when Dutch, aka that hacker chick, returns to rejoin the group. In a movie, this would be one of those moments when one of the group leaves but comes back with a heroic intro. But this isn't a movie and you're left wondering why did Dutch leave in the first place? Apparently it was to get a computer and tinker with a few things to come up with an elaborate plan to get Eph on the air to broadcast a message about the vampires. Now, if you look back on the previous episodes of the show. That was something Eph wanted to do for a long time. But he was never able to. So it seems a little bit convenient that Dutch would have a change of heart (again). Anyway, she's able to highjack the broadcast system for 30 seconds. Which isn't enough time to tell the world that vampires are real and the proper way of disposing of them. That is pretty much their story for this episode for the most part.

Then of course there is Gus, who while showing a lot of promise in the previous episodes as well as showing more legitimate character development than all the other cast members, fall flat in this episode. His story is to extort one of his fellow criminals into giving him more weapons in order to survive the apocalypse. The thing is when he discovers that his fellow criminal has been earning a ridiculous amount of money to move shipping containers, he thinks he may have struck gold on something valuable. That something valuable turned out to be vampires. Lots and lots of vampires. But Gus winds up getting out of the situation okay because he gets saved by an efficient and highly trained team of vampire hunters...who also happen to be vampires. So really the only thing interesting that happens to Gus in this episode is that he gets captured by this vampire hunting team of vampires. His character doesn't grow. In fact it seems to devolve in this one episode. Which is sad because he's the only one who really developed in this show. It's still interesting to see when he will join Team Vampire Hunter, but for now he's with Team Vampire that Hunts Vampires.

The episode reaches its end when Eph gets his message broadcasted only to have their main base invaded by Eichorst and his band of evil vampires. We even see the return of that Gothic Rock Vampire we were suppose to care about from earlier episodes. He comes back! And what does he do? Infect Nora's mother. Which forces Nora to have to kill her mother. It was bound to happen eventually. Mia Maestro does deliver a really powerful performance as Nora screams as she beheads her own mother. The problem is her powerful performance is only barely felt emotionally, mostly because it was predictable that her mother had to die. But with that act, it does inform Abraham that he has to let go of his past. Therefore while they are all escaping through the tunnels and away from becoming a vampire buffet, Abraham leaves his wife's heart behind. That was the main point of this episode: letting go of your loved ones. Which really shouldn't be the second to last episode. It really shouldn't.

SCORE: 7/10 - Not terrible, but should not be the build before the season finale
STATUS: Might Drop - If the season finale doesn't deliver, I won't watch Season 2

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The Strain - 1x11 The Third Rail - Review

The Hunt is On

Finally. Eph, Nora, Setrakian and Fet gather the tools they need and head to the bottom of The World Trade Center. Their mission: kill The Master, kill the strain. Meanwhile Gus discovers that his family is gone and goes full vampire hunter. Also there's a plot about getting cigarettes involving Zach and Nora's Mom but that's not really important.

I'll just get this out of the way because I don't really want to linger on it. Eph's son Zach is charged with looking after Nora's mother while they are on the hunt for the big bad. Unfortunately because of Mrs. Martinez's condition, Zach really has to step up as the adult in the situation. So in order to keep her in check and not a nuisance in the fortress, Zach promises to get her cigarettes. And that's when he briefly encounters Gus.

Gus is not having a good day. Just the other night he had to kill his best friend after he turned into a vampire. Then he comes home to discover that his dick brother has been turned into a vampire. The way he kills him is filled with a lot of pent up rage that he had against his brother immediately followed by extreme remorse when he finally silences his brother. It was a strong performance from Miguel Gomez as we see the rage and the anxiety he's feeling right now. That anxiety grows as he tries to hold out hope that his mother might still be alive. That hope is quickly dashed away when he finds her hibernating in their closet, already turned into a vampire. The emotions that flood through him can be felt. It was probably the most emotional scene we've seen from someone reacting to a loved one becoming a vampire. Gomez has really stepped up his acting game, and it is probably because his character didn't really have much to do. But now he gets to show that he's an actor, and Gus is a character we definitely need to be looking out for. Especially after he picks up an axe and really lets his rage go.

The primary focus of the story, however, is on the hunt for the Master by Team Vampire Hunter. These guys journey to tunnels beneath The World Trade Center in order to find the hulking Nosferatu. It is played with a little tension, but not as enough tension as the episode Creatures of the Night. It would've better served them had this entire episode just have been dedicated to this part of the story, but with the cutting back and forth between Gus and Zach's story to this one, the tension disappears. However it leads to Eph making a near fatal mistake in hearing his wife's voice in the catacombs. That mistake leads him face to face with The Master himself, resulting into their elaborate plan falling apart in order to save Eph's life. That plan kills a lot of vampires, but The Master is able to flee, leaving Setrakian enraged at their failure as he goes nearly mad in pursuit of his nemesis. It takes Eph, Nora, and even Fet to hold back Setrakian's mad death wish. 

And that is where the episode ends. I wouldn't necessarily call it a cliff hanger, as there were better places during Setrakian's nervous breakdown to end the episode. However this was a decent episode as we see the characters doing things instead of reacting to things. But like I said, this episode would've been stronger had the focus been on the hunt for The Master. But the development of Gus was welcomed while Zach's was not really necessary.

SCORE: 8/10 - A good hunt distracted by other sub plots

STATUS: See through to the end - Two more episodes, better be worth it

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The Strain - 1x10 Loved Ones - Review

Sadness and emotions sink in

Eph goes looking for his wife as we learn what happens to her.

That is pretty much what happens in this episode. There really isn't much to it other than seeing Eph's wife, Kelly Goodweather played by Natalie Brown, succumb to the vampiric virus thanks to her boyfriend. It really was a slow and tense episode as it shows her slow transformation from loving mother to blood driven monster. This is actually the first episode that focuses entirely on Brown's character, but unfortunately for her she doesn't get to shine. If you want to consider being a walking corpse and acting like a bloodhound counts as a performance, then yes she does deliver on that front. However for the time before she succumbs to her affliction, just a small moment in the car when she examines her eye to see the worms have already multiplied in her body was enough to tell the audience what she was feeling. Regret. It was a single moment that unfortunately is not expanded on and doesn't even have the time to be expanded on because she has become a monster now. 

Through her monstrous turn we see the dispatching of her friend Diane and Diane's son. It was definitely a strong moment in the development of showing her becoming a monster, but again that was mainly attributed to the terror factor and doesn't really develop her character. We already knew she was far gone to be saved, and although we hoped that maybe Diane and her child would be okay, we knew since they're not the main cast they were going to die. Her descent to the dark side would've probably been portrayed stronger had we not seen the transformation occur with Bolivar the Rock Star at the beginning of the series. It would've amplified this episode much more, but since we've seen this transformation happen with a character no one really likes or is given enough time to develop, this episode dedicated to her fall is weakened. We do get the strong parallel between this show and Dracula as she telepathically gets drawn to The Master, the same exact way Mina Harker gets drawn to Dracula. It is a nice parallel, but given everything that has happened before, it really doesn't come off special.

Instead the one who has a real emotional arc and standout for this episode was Stoll's Eph as he searches for Kelly. His discovery of her transformation, and dread knowing that he has to give the news to his son. It really does add a lot of weight to him, but that standout moment gets quickly dissolved simply because of the presence of Maestro's Nora. Had she not exist or had sex with Eph in the previous episode, it would've made Eph's reaction much stronger instead of having someone there to comfort him.

I should add that there is a bit involving Fet and Dutch trying to bring the internet back that fails miserably and ultimately leads to Dutch leaving. This pretty much renders her presence useless. Which seems to be a recurring theme I'm having with this article.

I guess what I'm saying is that this episode would've worked if there weren't anything that was done previously to render it meaningless. The emotional power we're suppose to feel isn't exactly there, but we still feel it. However it should've been stronger, especially the scene involving Eph and his son played by Ben Hyland. However I can blame Hyland's acting for not making that scene work. There should be more, but there isn't. We feel, but not really.

Score: 7/10 - An emotional episode that is bogged down by what came before

Status: Losing patience and may drop the series if next episode does not pick up

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The Strain - 1x09 The Disappeared - Review

And once again things sloooooowwww doooooowwwwwn

Yet again after an amazing episode comes a really slow episode. In here, Eph gets reunited with his son only to discover that his ex-wife is missing and that he finally gets to do what he always wanted to do to her boyfriend. Dutch, the Hacker Woman, confesses her involvement to Abraham as they watch over Eph's son. Nora and Eph have sex. Fet goes somewhere and says he'll be right back. And Gus's fat friend finally becomes a monster. And... That's it. 

Due to the high quality and horror throwback of the last episode, this episode just seems to be a total let down. It doesn't really offer anything new that we don't already know. And if something should be considered new, it doesn't really offer anything to make the episode noteworthy. But let's see how much of this episode I can talk about.

First of all, this is the first time we get to see Ben Hyland show off his acting chops a little bit as Eph's son, Zachary. Unfortunately I have to say this, but he's not very good. I know it is too much to condemn a child for being unable to act, but I have to say that this was really bad. Let me explain by saying that the pivotal scene that changes Zach's world is when he sees his mother's new boyfriend has become a vampire. He exclaims, "Oh my God," but it was almost like he just said it rather than a exclamation of fear. It was just so dull, and his acting was so one dimensional that it really killed the whole tension. Again, I'll emphasize that I know it's hard to get child actors to act. But given that the Lawyer Lady's children were able to show genuine fear, I assumed Hyland would be able to do the same. And if you haven't noticed I'm really drawing this out, because it was the one thing that stood out to me in this episode.

There was the bit about Eph and Nora dealing with having to burn jerk boyfriend's body as well as mourn the loss of Jim at the same time. Which ultimately led to them having sex. Though it is kind of weird that Eph gets to keep his clothes on while Nora strips down to her underwear while having sex. I know that FX shows don't show nudity, but for a f#$k of the moment scenario, Nora could've just kept her top on. Though it was probably because the showrunners want to show off Nora's Mia Maestro's covered assets. Really, the fact that I'm being critical of how they decide to film a sex scene kind of shows you how much I cared for this episode.

Of course while that is going on, Abraham has taken charge over Zach until Eph and Nora took care of what needed to be done. By taking care of what needed to be done, I don't think he meant them having sex. But in here we see Abraham pulling back his usually gruff demeanor, yet being blunt enough to gently educate Zach on vampire hunting. It is definitely a nice new face to see on Abraham, but in the end it really doesn't seem to mean anything. Other than he's nice with kids and that's about it. There is a moment with Abraham where he becomes the Setrakian we all remember when Dutch, hacker lady, confesses about her involvement. But again, it doesn't really add anything we don't already know.

If there is one big thing that happens in this episode, it is some extra details about The Master. The demonic vampire who has been haunting this entire series as well as Setrakian in his flashbacks. Oh yeah, there are flashbacks in this episode of Setrakian in the concentration camps and how he escaped. But the most important thing about those flashbacks were Setrakian and Eichorst's interactions with The Master. First, he spares Setrakian after he tries to kill him in the concentration camps. Second, and the most important one is we see The Master turning Eichorst into a vampire. And during that scene, we see The Master's face. And it is.... a let down. The other vampires in this show are a lot more scarier than The Master. Which is sad, as he is definitely a take on Nosferatu but just plain... goofy.

So no, this episode could've been important if the reveal of The Master's face was something memorable and terrifying. Instead it is something memorable and funny.

SCORE: 6/10 - This was definitely the weakest episode and a let down by revealing The Master

STATUS: Continue to Watch to see if Gus will run into the Vampire Hunting team

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The Strain - 1x08 Creatures of the Night - Review

Vampire Hunters Assemble!

After wounding the second in command vampire, Eichorst, the CDC turned vampire hunting group led by Abraham Setrakian decides to get more tools for the upcoming battle. One of those being UV lights, a tool that is currently in the possession of our lovable rat exterminator, Vasily Fet. The exterminator proves himself to be an effective hunter, to the benefit of the group and Setrakian's relief that somebody is just as competent as him. The group decides to get supplies at a gas station, where conveniently the hacker lady hired to shut down the internet and cell phone toward is there too. However their gathering of supplies turns into a typical horror movie, as the hunters find themselves trapped in the gas station as hundred of newlyborn vampires gather around them.

It is quite a relief when Fet finally encounters Eph, Nora, Jim and Setrakian. Two separate threads are finally coming together, in what will probably be the core vampire hunting group of the story for next season. But it is good that at this point in the series they finally meet, and already they seem to be at odds with each other. Mainly Eph and Fet, with Eph's nature as a healer clashing with Fet's nature as a hunter. It is also obvious that these two would probably be fighting for the right to be the ones who would lead the group, but as far as Setrakian is concerned Fet is the obvious candidate. The hunter and the exterminator immediately show themselves to be an effective pairing. What took Setrakian several episodes to explain to Eph and Nora, took only a few minutes in this episode to explain to Fet and he completely gets it. I know from the start that these two would most likely be the badasses of the story, that would only be amplified by their pairing. And the timing couldn't be more perfect enough.

As I stated earlier, this episode plays out like a standard horror movie that takes place in a singular location with the odds of survival stacked against the survivors. Seeing as how this show likes to follow multiple narratives, it was nice for a change to have the focus be entirely on one singular storyline that plays out the entire episode. Every single trope of these types of horror movies are there: the survivors, the moralists, and the idiots. The idiots being the store owner, Hassan, who despite seeing vampires attack people, he still wants to accuse his customers of stealing. Then of course there is Hack Girl's friend who runs away from the horde of vampires at the first chance she gets. However in a small twist, she actually escapes. As it becomes clear that the vampires are not there to kill her, they're there to kill team vampire hunter. In other words, Eichorst and the Masters's form of payback. 

It could also be possible that they want to kill Hacker Girl too, as when she and the bread driver tried to escape, it failed miserably for them. Luckily for her, Eph brings her back to the store before she turns into a vampire buffet, not so lucky for the bread truck driver. I'm pretty sure the main intention was just to kill the vampire hunting team, but seeing as how they want Hacker Girl dead too would've just been a bonus for Eichorst. She of course is feeling a lot of guilt, because luckily for us the viewers, she was smart enough to put two and two together that she may have been an accomplice to this getting out of hand. It must also be a rule that there can only be one person on team vampire hunter who is connected to the Stoneheart company, as Sean Astin's Jim becomes infected in this episode and has to be put down. It makes Hacker Girl's presence and joining their team a little bit even more convenient after losing Jim. What kept him around was being the man connected to evil and feeling guilty about it. Now we have a woman connected to evil and feeling guilty about it. When she will reveal this information to the team, as she almost does in this episode, will probably be at an important plot point later on.

Of course, Jim's death by Fet's hands shouldn't be taken lightly as it is the turning point of Eph and Nora's character as well as makes Fet a star pupil in Setrakian's eyes. It presents them with the idea that no matter how good their medical training is, they cannot save anyone from this disease. This puts Eph and Fet at odds even more, but even when the escape plan goes into effect, Eph accepts that no one can be saved and kills the newly turned bread truck driver. This episode was not just about finally giving fans a full blown horror action hour, but as a way of building the team into what they need to be to fight this. With Fet as a welcoming addition to the team, especially in the mind of Setrakian, and the addition of Hacker Girl, it is becoming apparent that the force of good in this series is finally coming together. The only missing piece of this team appears to be Gus, who will most likely be the middle ground between Fet and Eph in terms of what kind of hunter he'll be. Only time will tell, and we only have TWO EPISODES LEFT this season.

SCORE: 9/10 - The horror is starting to take over the show, and that's a good thing

STATUS: Continue to Watch to see Gus's assimilation into the team

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The Strain - 1x07 For Services Rendered - Review

In the end... HOLY SHIT!

If you have been watching this show and made it to this point... remember that Lawyer Lady everyone just wants to die already? Well she finally becomes a vampire in this episode as she kills her husband who has just returned home. Her nanny has luckily already taken her kids away from the house, but at the insistence of the nanny's daughter, she takes them back. Meanwhile Eph, Nora and Abraham hatch a plan with Jim to draw out Eichorst in order to get close to The Master. And hopefully they can kill him. As for Gus, he's sitting in jail with his friend who is obviously slowly turning into a vampire.

While a lot of things happen in this episode I feel like the most interesting that happens for a majority of it, other than the ending, is the flashbacks concerning Abraham and Eichorst. Here we get a much deeper understanding of how these two are destined to become true archenemies for decades. We learn that during Abraham's time in the concentration camp, it was Eichorst who commissioned him to build the ominous gigantic coffin that the Master uses. It is through these interactions between a pre-vampire Eichorst and a pre-vampire hunter Abraham that we see their ideologies and how the times have caused them to evolve into what they are now. While it does come off as a bit cliche to have a villain temping the reluctant hero into action or spitting out his master plan, the acting between Eichorst and the actor playing a Young Abraham was definitely nice to watch.

Back to the present. Eph, Nora and Abraham are convinced that if they get Jim's help they'll be able to find The Master and destroy him. Of course they catch Jim trying to leave the city with his cancer stricken wife. The very wife that he was willing to let the world end in order for her to receive the proper therapy for her cancer. However when Jim tells her the truth about not just the bribes but the fact that there are vampires, she completely disregards everything that he says and leaves him. I hope this serves as a point for viewers who say, "Why not just tell people there are vampires instead of beating around the bush?" Well Jim did, and the reaction was exactly the same. Disbelief. No one wants to believe vampires are real, even if your love one tells you. That's reality. Of course this gives Jim nothing left to lose as he helps out with the plan to draw out Eichorst. And hopefully, draw out the Master as well.

However those plans don't exactly work. What could've easily have been a bloodbath for Abraham and his Vampire Hunting crew, becomes instead a game of cat and mouse. A really bad game of cat and mouse. The biggest problem about it is the fact that it was very obvious from the start that this wasn't going to work. It is a poorly conceived plan and only serves as a way of bringing those flashback interactions of Abraham and Eichorst full circle for the narrative of this episode. Nothing really gets solved other than more taunting from the villains.

There is a small bit with Gus, but it isn't really much to talk about. Other than the fact that cops don't care what convicts think. Even if the convicts are telling the truth that there are vampires out there. That's really all there is to his bit. There isn't even any scenes involving Vesily Fet or Bolivar the Rock Star Vampire. Which is kind of becoming a negative of this show. The characters are so numerous, so early into the game that it can get confusing. Game of Thrones had multiple characters and multiple stories, but in the first season it at least kept focus on all of them for each episode. Then later on we can start missing people in later seasons for the sake of focusing on one group over the other. This show hasn't exactly earned the right to not show other characters for a whole episode. But at least it isn't a total loss.

While it may sound like I'm complaining, the big ending of this episode was a real shocker. Having not read the books, I did not know what happens at the end of this episode was going to happen. It was a genuine surprise that has me saying: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!?!?! I will not spoil it here, because I'd rather you as a viewer witness it for yourself.

SCORE: 9/10 - For the origins of Abraham and that HOLY SHIT ENDING

STATUS: CONTINUE TO WATCH BECAUSE OF THAT CLIFFHANGER ENDING

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The Strain - 1x06 Occultation - Review

Apocalypse, now... please?

After the previous episode ramped up the urgency, one would think that this episode would keep building on that moment... well it doesn't.

In this episode we find Eph trying to save his family only to be arrested by the FBI because his ex-wife's dick boyfriend calls them to do so. Nora has accepted that she can't hide from the danger. Gus and his cousin encounter the monsters Gus has been working for in their true form. Setrakian has come to terms with the fact that he can't act alone. And Vesily Fet discovers one of the weaknesses in dispatching the blood sucking menace. That my sound interesting, but in fact it really is slow.

This episode starts off creepy with our villainous German Nazi Business Vampire bringing a victim closer to him with a chain mechanism. It was a great way to start off after the opening title sequence and definitely makes us wish that the whole episode possesses this level of creepiness. Unfortunately it doesn't. And the main problem for that? Eph going back to his family.

You see, I think all viewers of this show would agree that we don't care about Eph's family. We really don't. We honestly just want them to die at this point. Or we pretty much want everyone to die at this point due to last episode being intense and this one being very slow. Hell, the last episode makes one believe that this show will finally kick into high gear, but with Eph going back to his family in order to warn them of the coming vampire apocalypse it just puts the break on a powerful momentum. The abrupt stop of this moment can be felt the minute he sneaks into his old house to tell his ex-wife and son to leave only to get arrested by the FBI because the show needs to tell you that the ex-wife's boyfriend is a dick. He's never been a dick before, but in this episode he does a very dick move. In fact in this episode, it kind of really shows the stupidity of the main characters in the show. Eph doesn't spell out the danger that is going on and his ex-wife doesn't listen to his warning about leaving the city before the "contagion" spreads.

And then of course there is the Dick FBI Agents. I'm saying Dick FBI Agents, because they're dick FBI Agents. I really did not like the Dick FBI Agents. They're just dicks. They were written to be Dicks. Just like the people they're working for are suppose to be dicks. It pretty much just shows that anyone in a position of authority in this show is a Dick. It was evident from the beginning that the government are a bunch of dicks, but this episode just solidifies the cliche. And I don't like that it does that. This scene involving the Dick FBI Agents just made the cliche glaringly obvious. Whatever suspension of disbelief I had on the incompetence of everyone professional in this show just went away the minute this scene came one. It was just bad writing and horrible direction for acting. I was not glad that they died, because it was obvious that Dick FBI agents were going to die.

Probably the only true touching moment in this episode involved Vesily played by Kevin Durand. He was shaken by seeing the vampires in the sewer for the first time in the previous episode. When he returns to work, he is shaken that he discovers his co-workers have all been turned into monsters. There is even a touching moment when he discovers the secretary he's been flirting with has just turned into a monster, but knows he has to put her out of her misery. Then comes the part when he goes to his family he hasn't seen in years and straight up tells them to leave because evil is coming. Vesily is literally the only smart person in this show. He does everything we keep hoping the other characters would do. In fact, this episode has given him character development that too several episodes for the main cast to go through. But for him, when it was his time to shine, he definitely shows that his development is one of sadness and survival. His road to becoming a vampire hunter is solidified, and I can't wait to see it happen.

Now of course I mentioned that Setrakian has accepted that he needs help after almost suffering a heart attack in the middle of a vampire nest. That's his only development in the episode. Nora accepts that she has to be a hunter. That's her development. Gus finally encounters the monsters in the city. That's his only development. It is a real shame because I've been a fan of Nora's earnest nature in the first four episodes, but this episode and last episode didn't really convince me that she's ready to accept what she has to become. And Gus has grown for me as a character to watch out for as the series progressed, but in here he just encounters the monsters from below. And that's a good thing considering how much waiting it took for him to finally see a vampire.

Still, I have hope that this series will ramp up the speed again. This was just an awkward stop to what was otherwise a magnificent previous episode. Only time will tell if I'll be tuning in for next season. With only four more episodes left, Del Toro and Cuse have to convince me soon that this show deserves that Second Season renewal.

SCORE: 7/10 - An abrupt stop to the momentum from the last episode

STATUS: Continue to watch till the finale, in hopes that something will happen 

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The Strain - 1x05 Runaways - Review

Wonderful

Lines are drawn, at least temporarily, as Eph and Abraham go on the hunt for the other vampires. Nora, still shaken by the moral dilemma she faced last episode, decides to visit her institutionalized mother for some comfort. The exterminator Vesily (Kevin Durand) discovers why the rat problem has been escalating. The Rock Star has gone full vampire and the annoying lawyer is next. Things are starting to get good...for the audience, not the characters in the show.

Of course this is a good thing for us that bad things are finally making themselves known. All the slow burn build has finally reached a point of combustion. This episode marks the collision course and turning point of the series as it becomes clear that this is the one that will secure viewers.

The episode starts off with Bolivar, the Rock Star Survivor from the plane incident, going full vampire and draining the life out of two victims while his manager does what any sane person would do: nothing. If that didn't read as sarcasm, it was suppose to. Bolivar's manager played by Regina King is more concerned about not being connected to the murder of two people than reporting to the authorities that she just saw her client suck the blood out of someone. It seems a little too convenient that the revelation to the world that Bolivar is a vampire will be kept secret for a little while longer, but at least it shows that the monsters are becoming more active.

After having a nice breakfast with Abraham along with some flashbacks dealing with Abraham's first encounter of the vampire menace during the Holocaust, Eph has fully committed to the cause of killing off the creatures but requires evidence to get the CDC on his side. Abraham agrees to let Eph film their next target, yet there is an air of skepticism from Abraham that anyone would believe Eph even if he did film it. Their target, Ansel, one of the four survivors from the plane incident. In the house they discover that his wife (who fed him their neighbor in the last episode) has commit suicide after being unable to cope with what is happening to her family. I'm partially glad that this happened simply because it would've been annoying to see the story of someone trying to keep their monstrous loved one alive because they can't bare to kill their significant other. There are many films and TV shows that have already played with that storyline, and I'm glad this show isn't one of them. Eph and Abraham dispatch Ansel and his neighbor with silver weapons as Eph films his proof.

We learn a little bit about Nora in this episode as it is revealed that she had her mother institutionalized. I don't know if it is ever explained why she was, but I believe it has something to do with memory loss. Nora does continue to struggle with the dilemma of wanting to eradicate the disease but not by killing. While the backstory of her mentally ill mother doesn't really add much to her character that we don't already know, it does give her someone to voice her opinions to without getting harsh criticism.

Vesily, our lovable exterminator, finally encounters the monsters that have been causing the migration of rats in the city. This just adds him to the list of people who will probably join Abraham's cause in hunting the vampires. And speaking of vampires, that annoying Lawyer Lady who survived the plane incident seems to be a late bloomer in becoming a monster. Her housekeeper is smart to take her kids away the minute she started sniffing their necks when she was hungry. I'm really hoping she turns full vampire soon so that she can die already.

But this episode all about Eph and how he fully commits to his job. There was no interactions with his family, and it is interesting to note that while doing "the right thing" he keeps calling Nora to asks is she's okay instead of his family. In a state of fear and full dedication, it has become clear where Eph's priorities lie. And it shows here that he is definitely in this fight to save mankind. Even if the very government he works for does not believe him. And yes, even after showing them a video, they still don't believe him. But that doesn't matter, because Eph is on the hunt now.

And with a strong affirmation of where people stand in this episode along with the horror elements, one would think nothing terrible can happen in this episode. Unfortunately the worse part of this episode was the cliffhanger ending. It didn't feel like a cliffhanger as much as the previous episodes and could've easily been a really lame season finale. But it does what it does. Set you up for wanting more. And after this episode, you'll definitely be wanting more.

SCORE: 8.9/10 - This is the episode we've been waiting for!
STATUS: DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO WATCH

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The Strain - 1x04 It's Not for Everyone Review

The title sums up this show

All I can say is... It's about damn time that Eph, Nora and Jim's part of the story gets interesting. After having their first encounter with a fully developed vampire, the CDC trio dissect the creature to understand what is already in plain sight. Gus enters the picture once again as a man struggling between being a good person and being a criminal. The villains of the evil corporation continue to be evil. A wife of one of the four survivors makes a drastic decision concerning her now vampire husband. And Abraham Setrakian shows off his vampire hunting skills.

This really is the episode people have been waiting for. Where the action begins to ramp up and the horror begins to stack up. By action I don't mean action action, I mean the pace of the show has finally reached the point we want. And this episode was all about the horror, instead of trying to discover what is already known.

But for the sake of still wanting to discover what is already known to the audience has to be fully realized by the main characters in this episode. The beginning picks up right where the other left off and serves as a Vampire Anatomy 101 class. We learn that the virus completely rewrite the human body into an entirely new creature that only resembles human. It also explains why the genitalia falls off. The design and the science of this vampire is fascinating. It takes cues from how viruses acts and blows it up into a true predatory scale. This thing was designed for one singular purpose: to drink blood. It is not trying to have sex with you, it doesn't have the means to do so. It just wants to kill. Kill and drink blood. And maybe if it gets lucky, spreads the worm parasites to other hosts. This creature may have more in common with the modern zombie of spreading a disease, but with this the results are more terrifying and gives a plausible reason for the spread. While not an entirely original take on how a vampire spreads its disease, the anatomy change is refreshing in not having them turn into beautiful creatures. I welcome these menacing beasts over sparkling vampires any day.

Of course it is at this point that Eph (Corey Stoll) has made up his mind about what to do with the problem: Find them and kill them. This motive becomes amplified once Jim (Sean Astin) confesses that he was responsible for letting the "coffin" through the blockade and into the city. This puts a strain (see what I did there) on Eph and Jim's friendship with Nora even calculating if she wants to forgive Jim for what he did. But when there are monsters out there, it is not easy to make excuses for someone who let them in. And it is only getting worse

Ansel, one of the four original survivors from the plane incident, has mustered enough strength to keep himself chained in the shed to protect his family from what he's becoming. His religious wife is definitely in shock and does the smart thing by taking their kids to her sister in law. After seeing the monster her husband has become, she can't help but still want to care for him even though he is a monster. This brings back the recurring theme that was mentioned in The Pilot episode. Love. Love is what keeps people together, but it could also be what destroys us. This is shown here as Ansel's wife sees an opportunity to leave him or kill him but decides not to. Instead she leaves him locked in their shed and decides to keep him alive by doing whatever it takes.

That phrase "whatever it takes" also seems to be another recurring theme as we see Gus does whatever it takes to keep up a living. Even if that means stealing SUVs. But Gus' little character development in this episode was merely just meant for him to cross paths with vampire hunter Setrakian (David Bradley). This meeting obviously will signify a future between the two of them, as it seems anyone Setrakian has encountered becomes entangled with doing, "whatever it takes."

It becomes almost a relief once Eph and Nora investigate another possible vampire metamorphosis only to walk into Setrakian's hunt. It is the moment that this show has been building up to and the pay off is not as strong as one might hope. But it doesn't stop the fact that we now see just how efficient and ruthless Setrakian is when dealing with Vampires. Eph has fully accepted the facts that these people can't be saved, while Nora tries to cling on the human need to help people. She believes there can be a cure, even in the face of monsters, she still believes there is hope. Which is admirable but in the scheme of things, it is completely logical why Eph has fully committed himself to the hunt. It is completely in Nora's character to act this way, though it does reveal the obsessive nature Eph has towards his work. If his work means he has to kill monsters, he will kill monsters. Like I said, even though it seems quick for him to change at first, his motive for doing so is in character.

One might notice that I haven't really talked much about the villains in this episode. That's mainly because all of a sudden I find them the least interesting part of the episode. A complete reversal of my way of thinking from The Pilot to the last episode. They did something, one of them talked to someone, but I did not care for what it is. I'm sure whatever it is will be explained next episode. But for now, I did not care. Mainly because the horror element dominated this episode, and it dominated beautifully.

SCORE: 8/10 - FINALLY!

STATUS: Continue to Watch - It has reached the point we've been waiting for

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The Strain - 1x03 Gone Smooth - Review

The title of this episode is clever, once you get it

The bodies from the incident have disappeared! Jim (Sean Astin) discovers he's entangled with the wrong crowd! Eph (Corey Stoll) loses his custody battle! Nora (Mia Maestro) finally asks the man with all the answers, Abraham (David Bradley), what the hell is going on? Vasily (Kevin Durand) is really good at capturing rats! And Eichorst (Richard Sammel) is his own make up artist!

To say that a lot happened in this episode is.... actually not quite true. But there is a lot of key moments here that should be touched upon. 

From the opening scene of this episode we see Eichorst's true form: a very noseless Nosferatu. The image definitely will remind people of Voldemort from Harry Potter, but fans of the vampire mythos will know that this is what vampires are suppose to look like. I've always wondered how is it that the vampires in this show turn into hideous monsters yet are capable of walking around like normal human beings. The answer: prosthetic makeup. However, given that Eichorst is an older vampire it is possible that this is showing us what the species could be. Mainly because besides from him and The Master, none of the other vampires in the show seem to have intelligence other than the need to feed. However given that The Master and Eichorst are older, it can be assumed that an older a vampire gets the less animalistic one becomes.

I am very pleased to report that this time it actually seems like Eph, Nora, and Jim are now worth watching. This is mainly due to their interactions with the other key players in this slow game for the world. Well, maybe not so much so for Eph. As I stated before, he loses custody of his kid. But this can be seen as a weird blessing for the plot as it freed him from that drama and forces him to focus on the real problem that is going on. Because of that, it leads Nora to hunt down the crazy man they sent to prison for answers. Abraham is definitely one of the two best characters in this series, and he is not pleased with Nora and Eph sending him to prison for telling the truth. He's even less pleased that when Nora asks him for answers, she's still in disbelief of him. You feel the frustration that Abraham is going through in order to try and lay out what has to be done, but he doesn't linger on it as he sees it as his responsibility in the end. With Jim's side, we see that he's been secretly working for the Stoneheart Company (aka bad guys incorporated) where he starts to fear his actions of wanting to help his sick wife may be the cause for the coming apocalypse. It is good to see our main characters actually becoming essential to what is going on, though that doesn't prevent them from still not being too interesting. Only time will tell.

But back to the characters who are interesting. Abraham is definitely a man on a mission. If you do not believe him within his own personal time limit, he views you as non-essential to his cause. It just goes to show the amount of determination he has in wanting to eradicate the problem before it progresses. This determination shows in how he was able to bribe a young hacker to find out all the names of the people on board the flight so that he can "pay his respects." He is so far the only character in the series who has a very personal and powerful drive that keeps him going that is essential to the plot. But then there is Kevin Durand's exterminator Vasily Fet. This episode showcases not only that he's an efficient trapper but also completely dedicated to what he does. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I will not be surprised if he turns out to be the vampire hunter that Abraham used to be when he was younger. One can almost tell that it is going to happen with just how skilled he is with capturing a rat, as well as knowing the backstory of the building his clients live in to inform them why the problem keeps happening. I look forward to the moment these two come together, because we all know that these two will definitely be the vampire wrecking crew.

Of course we can't get through this show without talking about the survivors. This time the primary focus out of the four survivors is on Ansel, the most normal guy of the group. He's not a lawyer, a pilot, or a rock star. He's just an ordinary guy. And seeing his transformation effect his family life is a disturbing one as he is clearly losing it. This goes so far as him drinking blood from a raw steak using his new vampire leech tongue that his wife didn't seem to notice. Rock star Bolivar on the other hand has been getting nothing but fan fervor for both his survival and biting a girl in the neck during a foursome. Unfortunately for him, his transformation has progressed even further to the point where not only does he loses his hair...but his penis and testicles. What's left? Well...now you know where the title comes from. It is unknown if he's fully embraced what he is, as he felt nothing watching his penis fall off and into the toilet. It does leave for a disturbing image. And while there was no signs of that bitchy lawyer survivor, we do spend a lot of time with the pilot survivor in this episode. He knows he's about to die from the number of vampire worms swimming through his body, and it is a heartbreaking scene to see that he knows it. However he appears to have transformed the fastest out of the four survivors. In the final scene of this episode, Eph, Nora, and Jim finally come face to face with the monsters that they are dealing with. And Nora learns what Abraham meant by doing what has to be done.

SCORE: 7.5 - The slow burn is about to erupt in flames

STATUS: Continue to watch - Shits about to get real

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