The Strain Recap 10/4/15: Season 2 Finale “Night Train”

From a pair of CDC doctors to an exterminator to a computer hacker to an old man with life long vengeance on his mind, this rag-tag group of vampire hunters wasn’t conventional but they sure did work well together.

Most of this season was spent with the members all separating out into different sects while all attacking the strigoi problem at varying angles. As much as the show, with all of its endless exposition, tells us that Eph and his Merry Band of Vampires are fighting to save the human race, there’s little evidence to support such a claim. Fet and Setrakian headed off to bid on the ancient vampire text and Dutch – well, she was no where to be found actually.

Meanwhile at Fet’s place, Ephraim, Zach, and Nora are leaving for D.C., but not before they force Setrakian into a goodbye camera-phone picture and a few hugs from Fet.

Auction time! Abraham, Fet, and Eichhorst meet with Creem for Occido Lumen auction and the scene is a nail bitter. Instead, there’s a question mark floating above Fet’s future. Quinlan appears as well, and Setrakian begs him to listen to reason. Eichorst wins the book and Setrakian is crushed. Coco? The Master killed her, because Eldritch Palmer turned off his bank account because he was pouty about not being allowed to go to the auction (So dumb). So what does he do to prove a point? Eichorst’s access was denied. Enter Gus and Angel (with his iconic mask) to save the day! Quinlan doesn’t take kindly to this and snaps his neck for all to see.

Quinlan then gives a rousing speech to pump up the troops as they arm up for an all out assault later that night. A massive attack imperils Eph, Nora, and Zack’s escape from New York. Eph gets up to get a drink, when the train hits a few sort of bump. And after her mother died she overcame that and was the first one to take care of those situations. When Eph finds Nora later, he is devastated. On what it meant for Kelly to be the one to end up infecting Nora ” In a way. Gus looks up to see dynamite, just before the van explodes, possibly killing him. If the Lumen contains the origins of the Master, and therefore may contain information on how to destroy him, having the final duel come down to Setrakian and Eichorst makes the most sense. The Master speaks through Eichorst, saying, “I fear no one”, before engaging in a shootout of sorts with Quinlan.

Quinlan tries to kill Eichorst, but the always slippery former Nazi escapes while the rest of his strigoi are put down.

On tonight’s episode per the FX synopsis “in the Season 2 finale, Setrakian and Fet fight for possession of the Occido Lumen and get help from a surprising source”. The contents of the Lumen should play a major role in Season 3 and it will be interesting to see what instructions the book will have for Quinlan and Setrakian to end the Master. Eichhorst tells him how humiliated he was, but that what matters the most is that they lost the Lumen and disappointed the Master. The fate of the world is resting on their shoulders after all. Nora had been a substitute mother for Zach the whole season, and of course everyone was just waiting for that fight between the two women. Will she turn Zach into a strigoi too or use him to bait Eph?

Eph was able to fend off three of them before he finally broke free to go find his son. Nora and Zach take off through the tunnels, hoping to find a way back to the station where they can rendezvous with Eph. While doing so they run into Kelly, who has once again made a timely appearance. Like his rival Abraham Setrakian, it looks like he’ll be keeping her heart in a jar for the years to come. While the two looked to be the latest and greatest power couple in New York, it clearly wasn’t to be, since she was sucked drier than a juice box. Good riddance you little shit.

On when she found out about Nora’s fate ” We knew around midseason, or maybe towards [episode] eight or nine. If you missed it we have a full and detailed recap, right here for you. No. Even better…he kills Coco. Will Palmer remain on the Master’s side after this or will he jump ship and join Setrakian? Palmer freaks as he watches his lady love crumble to the floor while the Master zaps away in a split second.

Next, Eichorst visits Eldritch and Coco at the Stoneheart building, chastising them for betraying the Master.