The Strain Recap: "The Box"

Written by Scotty

A lot has happened in one day as The Strain starts to get into the meat of its story.  Seeing all of the characters we met last week is great, but now we have to prepare for the event that will turn the New York night life into something out of a horror movie. 

As Dr. Goodweather and Martinez are starting to think they might have an idea of what has happened on flight 753, they could not be more mistaken.  As the survivors off of the ghost plane have been quarantined, the doctors have to fight the clock as their higher ups are working against them.  When a report came out from the airline saying that there was a carbon dioxide leak that caused the deaths of the 206 passengers, Eph knows that they are just trying to cover up for whatever is really happening. 

Since the missing box has yet to be accounted for at the airport and now another body has been discovered with the same ammonia smell surrounding it, Eph knows that the CDC has to get more involved as the victim's head was smashed in.  Being called in by his boss, along with the head of disease control, Eph is told that the airlines report is the reason for the deaths on the plane and he will back off or get fired.  Being emotional about his work, Eph knows that it is not right and the chances getting fired increase when he grabs his boss and yells in his face.  He just wants to save lives and make sure that all of the surviving families get answers, but he will make sure it is the truth. 

Gus has made his delivery of the coffin that he transported out of the airport.  Having a set schedule on the delivery, he arrives to an empty garage and is intrigued by the box in the back.  Trying to get a quick look at whatever it is he has transported, the box starts to shift and Gus makes way back home before he gets caught doing whatever it is he is doing.  Being seen by his brother as lazy, Gus makes sure that he is the head of the house when his mother is not home.  Wanting to do right by his mom, Gus lights a fire under his brother’s ass to make sure he knows that there will nothing going down in the house hold that he does not approve of.

The four survivors from the flight have been released to go their own ways, but there is still something that is bugging them.  A humming or echo in their ears is making it hard for them to concentrate, but they are out of the quarantine and happy to be back to their normal lives.  When rock star Gabriel Bolivar returns to his wild life, he finds that there is something much worse wrong with him as his hair suddenly starts to fall out and he has a hunger for the blood pumping through the veins of his groupies.  The pilot of flight 753 also does not feel right, but agrees to go to the hospital at Eph’s request to have testing done and figure out what is really wrong with him.  

With no answer from the coroner’s office, Eph and Nora have to head down to see what the autopsies have turned up.  When finding that the office is abandoned, the two try to locate any signs of what happened, but all they discover is that all of the bodies taken from the plane are missing.  Although Eph did receive a call from a disgruntled parent, thanking him for his daughters return, Eph was not able to put it all together as he has no idea that the dead are able to stand up and walk again.

A great episode that seems to focus on who is going to be the dominant characters of the show, as each one has to display their power in one way or another.  All of the characters from the novel has been set, even a quick look at Vasiliy Fet who I hope will be more prominent in the series as the outbreak overtakes the city.  Not a strong episode for Abraham this week however, as he has been locked away for carrying a sword into the airport when trying to warn the doctors about what is about to happen.  Anyway, looking forward to the next episode and hope everyone is enjoying the show as much as I am.

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