The Strain Recap: "Last Rites"

Written by Scotty

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

When returning to the pawn shop after seeing how far the virus’ spread has reached, Eph, Nora and Fet are trying to formulate a new plan of attack.  Knowing that the UV ball that was designed will hurt and kill some of the infected, it will not be enough to battle thousands of the blood suckers.  With Abraham’s blow up however, Eph is starting to question why the group should be following the old man since he was willing to put the entire group into harm’s way.

Eldritch Palmer is still lying in his bed without any improvement.  Wanting to have his deal fulfilled by the Master, he is demanding that something be done since none of this would have been possible without his help.  After talking to Thomas Eichorst, Palmer is not expecting anything to happen, but hearing that the Master will not be pressured into doing anything that he does not want to do, he will have to wait patiently for his savior to come forth.

While out looking for supplies, Gus turns to an old acquaintance to get ready for the war that is about to take place.  Arriving at the ship yard to pick up the arsenal, Gus is shocked to find out what is really going on in the import/export business.   When a bag of money is dropped off with his prisoner, Gus takes it upon himself to find out what is worth that much cash to smuggle onto a ship.  Opening the storage container and seeing it packed full of the infected, Gus opens fire, but is picked up by a band of vampire hunters before he could dispose of all the undead inside.

Dutch has returned to the pawn shop and is ready to help out with her own plan.  Not being able to bring back the internet, along with the cell phone service she was able to shut down in the city, she has formulated a way to get Eph on the air to deliver his message to whomever is watching.  Although it would only be a short message using the emergency broadcast system, it should be enough time to raise the awareness of what is really happening to New York City.  Although the group does not fully trust her yet, she is making a case to become part of the group and with her technical knowhow, it may be more beneficial to keep her around. 

---

Abraham Setrakian is angry at himself for not being able to kill his old nemesis when he had the chance. Knowing that it was wrong to take it out on the group, he lies back and lets his mind ponder everything he has done over the years.  In a flashback, twenty years after he escaped the death camp, Abraham was hunting the Master.  With a good lead at an abandoned castle, he took his newly purchased horse and went to investigate.  Knowing that there is no way for the vampires to live in the daylight, he located the darkest hole on the property, an old dried up well.  As he explored the depths of the underground, he was greeted by a female vampire that warned him that the sun was going down and his wife is the Master’s next target.  Trying to get back home as quickly as possible, Abraham has found that Thomas Eichorst is working for the Master and will do everything in his ability to delay his arrival home.

Waking up, Abraham comes clean to the group a little bit more about his tainted past with the Master, but before he was able to get too in depth, a scream came rattling out from the kitchen.  The pawn shop has be found by Eichorst and his hunting party and they are ready to rid the world of the only man that knows how to stop what is happening.  With Nora’s mother being bitten, she is faced with what to do with the woman that has brought her life.  Without having time to think about what is happening, the group starts to move to their next location before they can be captured and turned by the blood suckers.

Oh my, the season is almost over and it seems like it just started.  With little anyone can do to help solve the situation in New York City, it is only a matter of time before the only ones that truly know what is happening will find their end.  With more backstory about the old pawn broker, it is easy to see why he has such hatred towards the Master and why he will stop at nothing to find him once again and put an end to his reign of terror.  I was expecting a little bit more from Nora in this episode, and although she is starting to understand what she has to do, she still has too much hesitation.  I cannot wait to see what happens next week in the season finale as one group is running for their lives and Gus seems to have been recruited by the gang of undead vampire hunters.  It has just got me all excited, maybe a little too much, because I can't wait! Stay Scared!

---