Warning: full episode spoilers follow.
The Strain has all the ingredients for a great horror TV series - a solid cast, good source material, and the involvement of both Carlton Cuse and Guillermo del Toro. Sadly, the show never quite lived up to its potential after the memorable series premiere. As with a lot of shows that suffer from a sluggish pace and setup-heavy focus in their first season, the hope was that Season 2 would give The Strain the shot of adrenaline it needs. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen. The Season 2 premiere showcases a lot of what makes this show great, but also some of its recurring flaws.
"BK, NY" opened strong with a flashback that served as a sort of origin story for both Professor Setrakian and The Master (in one form, at least). Perhaps this show is too reliant on flashbacks to pad out episodes, but often the flashbacks offer a nice change of pace from all the hemming and hawing the characters go through in the present. This particular flashback added a lot of color to the episode. With Setrakian's grandmother narrating the tale, it started out like a charming fairy tale before quickly degenerating into a story of horror and bloodshed. It encapsulated the show's approach to horror in a nutshell - grotesque and unsettling with a healthy dose of camp to achieve that B-movie feel.
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The Strain has all the ingredients for a great horror TV series - a solid cast, good source material, and the involvement of both Carlton Cuse and Guillermo del Toro. Sadly, the show never quite lived up to its potential after the memorable series premiere. As with a lot of shows that suffer from a sluggish pace and setup-heavy focus in their first season, the hope was that Season 2 would give The Strain the shot of adrenaline it needs. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen. The Season 2 premiere showcases a lot of what makes this show great, but also some of its recurring flaws.
"BK, NY" opened strong with a flashback that served as a sort of origin story for both Professor Setrakian and The Master (in one form, at least). Perhaps this show is too reliant on flashbacks to pad out episodes, but often the flashbacks offer a nice change of pace from all the hemming and hawing the characters go through in the present. This particular flashback added a lot of color to the episode. With Setrakian's grandmother narrating the tale, it started out like a charming fairy tale before quickly degenerating into a story of horror and bloodshed. It encapsulated the show's approach to horror in a nutshell - grotesque and unsettling with a healthy dose of camp to achieve that B-movie feel.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...