The Strain Recap S01E03 Gone Smooth

Voldemort looks himself over in the mirror and he’s not unhappy with what he sees, but he’s about to make some changes. A few prosthetics here, some make up there, and well, Thomas looks more like himself. Soon the time for this little charade will be over, and victory will be his.

Ephraim and Nora head to the director. He knows that the bodies are gone, but not where the bodies have gone. Everett is almost too happy to wash his hands of the whole problem, even though all involved know that the group on the plane did not die of carbon monoxide poisoning, and Everett reminds them that they no longer have any authority in the matter having been relieved of duty. Everett tells Jim that the press gets nothing, that they get no news from them. It is no longer about disease control but about damage control.

Jim worries over just what he has done. He places a call over to StoneHeart to chat.

Flatbush, Brooklyn. One of the survivors are awoken by his dog. He stumbles out of bed. His eyes are bloodshot, and his front teeth are bleeding. The press sit outside of the house. His wife sends the children away from the windows. The phone is off the hook because of all the ringing. She worries what if he has to go back to the hospital, that he’ll need to be quarantined. He assures her that he’ll be fine. She knew he should not have gone on the trip, and Ann Marie keeps going on and on. She mentions that one of the dogs came back hurt, and the noise in Ansel’s head gets louder. She sends him back up to bed.

At the Health Department, the secretary watches the airplane coverage. Fet notices that there is a week’s worth of rat calls that have all come in today. His boss warns him to go to the mayor’s office first and to be on his best behavior.

Redfern’s diagnosis continues. There’s all sort of theories on what it is, but Eph tells them that it’s a nasty blood worm. A protocol for treatment is being formulated. Redfern wonders if he’s going to die. Eph thinks they can find the cure, he promises to make him better. Nora tells him that he can’t make promises like that, but he has nothing but hope to offer the man. His custody hearing starts soon, so its up to Nora to follow up with the other survivors. Nora suggests that she also speak with Abraham, since he seemed to know about the situation.

Jim is at the StoneHeart Group meeting with Thomas, he’s come to meet with Craig, but Craig is not available. Jim isn’t familiar with Thomas. Thomas figures that he’s there about the airplane box, but Jim feigns no knowledge at first of what Thomas is speaking of. He was asked to allow a piece of medical cargo through and Thomas has the rest of the funds for his favor. Jim doesn’t take the money, instead he asks what was in the box, and where the corpses have gone. Thomas doesn’t answer, and Jim thinks that he should go to the authorities when Thomas mentions Jim’s sick wife. She has cancer, and she was denied into a special program. The StoneHeart has a long reach, and they can help her get into the trial. Jim accepts the money, telling him that he’s only doing this to pay for her treatment. Thomas makes it clear that Jim is now is bitch, and he’ll bark when he’s asked to.

Abraham’s hearing begins. The judge asks what he was doing at the airport, and he claims he saw something on television, and he’s unsure why he went, he’s old. The judge asks about next of kin, which he has none. The charge of trespassing is of little worry, but the judge is concerned about the giant sword in his cane. Abraham promises to have the hardware removed, and the judge allows him to go. Nora stops Abraham outside, asking how much of the doddering old man was an act. She knows that he’s upset, but not about what she thinks. He’s mad because the bodies are missing, but he knows where the bodies are going. She asks if the military is covering it up. It’s nothing so simple as that. Being good isn’t enough, and he warns that they need to find and destroy all of the bodies and everyone that has come into contact with them. Nora hesitates. She’s useless to him, she isn’t ready.

Queens Family Court. The judge faces Zachary, and asks him what he thinks will be the best solution for him. He knows his parents want what’s best for him. He says that he thinks his dad should get 1-2 weekends a month, because he knows that his dad has a super important job, and he wouldn’t want him to worry about missing dates. This is not what Ephraim wants, he wanted joint custody. Kelly says nothing. Zach says that he wants what is best for his dad, that’s all. Eph is clearly upset over the order. After Kelly goes to him to see if he’s okay. Zach still doesn’t know that he’s the most important thing to him. Kelly tells him that saying it isn’t the same as proving it. She tells him that he can see his son whenever he wants, with a little notice. He thinks she’s gloating, but she points out that their son just had to choose between them, and he chose what was best for Eph, not for himself.

Gabriel watches his band rehearse, but he doesn’t feel up to participating. Between the plane, and biting the girl, Gabriel is hotter than ever, Ruby tells him, but he still can’t bring himself to sing.

Ephraim pays Mr. Arnell a visit. The door is open, and he walks in, but the house is quiet. Ephraim sees a “pilot” pin on the counter as he continues to look for Mr. Arnell. Eph heads upstairs and see a pink tinged bathtub of water, and a clump of hair, but no signs of Emma or her father. He gets a call from Norm, asking if any of the personal affects have been released to the next of kin yet. He says something that sends Ephraim running, and Eph never sees Emma in the shadows.

Health Inspector Fet is at the mayor’s apartment. A rat bit his daughter in the face, and he wants it caught and taken care of. Fet starts his rat hunt. There’s some cursing, and he comes out with a bag containing a rat. Fet tells him that rats also like the cigars when he notices the mayor smoking a Cuban. After a little lecture of cigars, and the neighborhood Fet is off, but outside he spots a rat. He follows it and notices rats pouring out of the sewer, they look like they’re getting out of dodge.

Jim returns home to his wife. Sylvia tells him that Stanford called, and she has been admitted to the trial, she’s one of the lucky 100. She hugs him, and he realizes the deal with the devil was really made.

Ansel’s german shepherd barks at him. The buzzing in his ears gets louder. He goes into the fridge and spots a raw steak. He drinks the blood straight out of the bottom of the pan. His wife spies his odd behavior.

Gabriel’s personal doctor prescribes him a whole medley of drugs for his performance issues. He asks if he has any issues beside the voice in his head, and there is one. The doctor turns almost green looking at Gabriel’s crotch, which “doesn’t look good.” A doctor should never look in that region and make that statement, and he suggests that someone drive him to a hospital, but Gabriel isn’t really interested in being a youtube sensation for that. The doc suggests a urologist.

Abraham gets the airline manifest from a hacker. She asks why he wants the list, and he claims its so that he can pay respect to their families, aka hack them to bits with his giants sword. She takes her prize and runs out, appeased with the answer.

Redfern’s prognosis remains bleak. He’s rapidly declining at an unprecedented rate. Redfern says he’s here. Nora scans him with a UV light, and the worms are swirling under his skin, but they aren’t sure what happening.

Zach watches news footage on his ipad when he hears a noise downstairs. He heads down, thinking that its his mother. He finds Kelly looking at old family photos and crying. He sits outside with her.

Regis Air Corp headquarters. Thomas pays the president a visit, asks if he would like to write a note of any regrets, sorrows. He holds a gun on him, but only so that he can put it in his hand and pull the trigger to make it look like the man committed suicide.

Gabriel comes out all painted up. He pulls out a contact, and his eye beneath is beyond bloodshot. He removes his wig, and he’s practically bald beneath, with more patches of hair coming out in his hands. Gabriel is a mess, and no longer a hot one. He removes his war paint. Scratching, he goes to take a leak, and his dick falls off. I’ve heard of bad days, but that pretty much takes the cake. He looks like a poor ken doll.

Jim finally shows up. Eph and Nora cannot find any of the other three survivors, and Redfern is going into sugery. Jim tells them that his wife has been accepted into the trial program. Finally some good news. A nurse rushes in, Redfern is gone. He was left alone for but seconds and now he’s vanished. The three split up to find Redfern. Jim spots him in the kitchen in the basement. He’s going to town on some blood bags when he sees Jim. He attacks Jim and Nora arrives. Redfern goes after her, throwing her. Ephraim arrives on scene. Redfern attack him with his throat tentacle. Eph manages to beat him back, kills him with a fire extinguisher. That’s one way to put your anger issues to good use.