The Strain: How Last Week's Shocker Has Changed The Show's Dynamic

The Strain Corey Stoll Ruta Gedmintas

Last week on The Strain, Quinlan decapitated The Master, and it looked like the great game was over between vampires and humans. Unfortunately, nothing could have been further from the truth, as the hordes of the undead didn't die as planned. If anything, the supposed death of The Master has made the vampiric underworld a bit more dangerous. So where exactly does this seem to leave the rest of the third season of FX's horror-drama?

Well, since The Master's "death", the Strigoi out in the world haven't died as they were foretold to. Rather they've lost their hive mind, which was always controlled by the lord of darkness himself. Under traditional vampire lore, all vampires created during The Strain's run should die, along with Quinlan himself. Scratch another rumor off the list, as the Strigoi are not only still alive, they're now feral! Without a network of control, the creatures of the night are now as aggressive as they are disorganized, leading the turned to attack without thought of consequence.

Apparently, to truly "kill" The Master, you need to take out a special crimson worm. Should that worm survive, The Master survives along with it. So the quest to take back New York is going to be rather interesting, considering we're practically waiting for The Master to take his new form. And if this week's events are any indication, it looks like Eichorst could be the new person to take over, considering his latest gambit in the name of vampire supremacy.

Inspired by the leadership crisis in his ranks, Herr Eichorst summoned up some of that trademark Nazi charm, and formed a small team of Strigoi suicide bombers. Hitting several checkpoints throughout New York, about 60 people were killed or injured, and an undisclosed number infected. One such victim was Justine Feraldo, the leader of the Safe Streets Initiative herself. Lucky for her, Fet zapped the worm that was about to infect her, and Eph gave her a clean bill of health.

Still, the damage was done, and morale may weaken the human side of the war to the point The Master's full resurgence could deliver a strong blow against humanity. While he's down right now, he's certainly not out for the count, as he shows up at the end to taunt Eph. Humanity continues to be on the edge of extinction, and our heroes on the brink of sanity.

We'll see what happens next as The Strain will return to our TV screens once more, next Sunday at 10 PM EST on FX. In the meantime, feel free to enjoy the show's companion web series, Under Siege, at the link included.

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.