TV REVIEW: The Strain Episode 1
The Strain is based on the novel of the same title that was also created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
Once again Guillermo del Toro doesn’t disappoint. The world famous director has once again succeeded in creating a series that would not only scare us but would also keep us wanting for more. With 13 episodes ordered for the first season, expect to be addicted each week to a new kind of horror.
The pilot episode starts with a plane landing at the JFK International Airport with no lights and the doors shut. The main character Dr. Ephraim Goodweather was sent by the CDC to investigate the incident only to find out that everyone in the plane is dead except for 4 survivors. Then things become weirder when the bodies started disappearing from the morgues.
Now I’d like to review the pilot episode without spoiling much for the viewers benefit. The first episode has done a good job in setting up the characters and the mood of the series. The drama that the main character has to go through is balanced enough and it doesn’t ruin the atmosphere of the episode. The suspense and mystery was kept at a nice pace even when progressing through the story.
One of my most favorite things about the series is the vampires appearance. After years of seeing vampires as handsome glittery things, Guillermo del Toro returns to them the terror that they rightfully deserves. The Strain’s vampires are pale with red eyes. Their most recognizable feature is their stinger like apendage under their tongue that extends up to six feet which they use to suck the blood out of their victims. Just one would be scary, now imagine a whole plane of vampires that are out to infect more people.
The first episode drags you in. It teases you of bigger things that are yet to come. It makes you crave for the next episode as soon as it finishes.
Rating: 4 out 5
Luigi Cabrera
