For those who are die-hard fans of the series, I’m sure you remember this quote, as it was the very ominous voice-over of Abraham Setrakian in the opening scene of the Pilot. At the time, it was taken to mean that once someone is turned by a strigoi, they always return home to the people they love, thus spreading the disease even further. The point is the Master doesn’t have to do much else than to infect a relatively small number of people, because after that, you can leave it to human beings and their intimate, personal relationships to do the rest. Love is our grace. Love is our downfall. As it turns out, this very powerful quote has been applicable elsewhere in the series, and the perfect example is tonight’s episode. We have 3 concurrent storylines, all depicting different characters in love (or thinking they’re in love). So, in that sense, the story is the same for all these characters, but how they react to that love and some of the decisions they make as a result of their amorous feelings are like the difference between night and day. The consequences of the characters’ actions in 2 of the arcs lead to nothing but death and destruction, and while the 3rd one ends on a more positive note, that wisdom doesn’t come without a terrible cost.

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A ZACK GOODWEATHER SCORNED

In tonight’s episode, we catch up with Zack (Max Charles)  and his new crush, Abby (Jocelyn Hudon), and will learn there’s a bit of trouble in teenage paradise. Now, I know the fandom hates the Zack storyline, and I can see everyone rolling their eyes as soon as they read that Zack is even in this episode. Trust me, I feel your pain because I can’t stand the little shit either. However, very surprisingly and very ironically, Zack’s arc will turn out to be one of the most shocking parts of the episode.

If you have ever studied psychology, you know that one of the hallmarks of a sociopath is the fixation on oneself and the lack of compassion for others. Basically, you want what you want, and as long as you get it, who cares if anyone else gets hurt. As we see tonight, Zack Goodweather fits this profile perfectly. The episode begins with things looking up for Zack and Abby. They seem to be getting closer, and Abby even shows Zack where she used to live, which is also where she saw her parents killed when the bomb detonated at the Statue of Liberty. For a brief moment, there’s a look of guilt on Zack’s face, and anyone else would probably have terminated the relationship, knowing that they’re the source of the object of their affection’s pain. But, Zack has got it bad for Abby, wants Abby to like him back, and so, instead, he tries to, once again, buy her love with fresh plums. Of course, she’s immensely grateful, but when Zack tries to kiss her and she simply kisses him on the check instead, that should be a clear sign that perhaps the feelings aren’t mutual.

And, they’re definitely not. Acting on the advice of the Master who claims to know everything about “life and love” after having studied human nature for thousands of years, Zack decides to tell Abby how he feels. So, he puts on his best threads, waits patiently for Abby to arrive for work, and when he learns she’ll be in later, decides to pay her a visit at the Partnership Youth Housing where she lives. First, case in point, the place is a dump. As Zack looks around at the horrific living conditions of these kids, you begin to think there’s actually hope for this boy — but, this changes when he finally reaches Abby’s room. The look of compassion on Zack’s face quickly turns to anger and hate when he sees Abby fixing dinner for another guy and then, bends down to give him a very passionate kiss. Uh oh, you can bet it’s going to hit the fan now!

So, when Abby finally shows up for work, Zack doesn’t waste any time and cuts to the chase. He tells Abby he saw her with her boyfriend, and Abby doesn’t deny it, although she does seem surprised by Zack’s behavior and obvious feelings for her.

I was supposed to be your boyfriend — Zack

Look, I’m sorry, Zack, but I really don’t see you that way — Abby

Why not? I did everything I was supposed to. I was nice to you, and I gave you all this stuff — Zack

That’s not how you make someone like you — Abby

Then, tell me what to do. I’ll do it, I promise — Zack

That’s not how it works. You’re a friend and you’re sweet, but you’re just a kid — Abby

Oops! That last line was definitely not the thing to say, because all it does is cause Zack to have the mother of all temper tantrums. Of course, very ironically, Zack’s behavior just proved Abby’s point — Zack is completely immature and just a kid. By now, Abby is just fed-up and decides she’s done with this job, and this is where things get out-of-hand. Zack tries to stop her by grabbing her arm, and when she pushes him back, that gets the attention of the very overprotective and very jealous feeler. By now, I think most of us know how this will end. Abby begins screaming and begs Zack to call the feeler off, but Zack is hurt, he is angry and he wants Abby to pay. So, with a single look to give his approval, the feeler lays into Abby and drains her, while Zack looks away and can’t bring himself to watch.

So, you hate Zack even more now? Hell f*cking yeah! After all, it’s one thing to set off the nuke because as Eph explained to Alex, Zack really didn’t intend to kill people — he was simply mad at his Dad. But, this time, he knew his actions would result in Abby’s death, and he chose to do it anyways. What’s more, the big punchline is it’s very likely this was the Master’s design all along, with it being nothing more than a “lesson” much like Zack shooting the tiger at the zoo. The Master brought Abby into Zack’s life by hiring her, and do you really think he didn’t know she had a boyfriend? Then, he pretended like he didn’t know Zack had feelings for Abby and proceeded to encourage him to tell Abby how he felt. This was all done knowing full-well Zack would get his heart broken and with the hope that when that happens, he’ll lash out and kill Abby — which is exactly what Zack does. The only bit of wavering we see in Zack is afterwards when he seems to feel some regret for not helping Abby, but the Master quickly squashes that by appearing as Kelly Goodweather (Natalie Brown) and thus, having his “Mom” reassure him that he did the right thing. Bottom line — I think Zack passed this “test” with flying colors and has more than reinforced the Master’s claim of Zack having a “dark heart.”

QUINLAN, LOUISA, AND A TRAGIC END TO A BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY

In last week’s series of flashbacks from 1888 London, we saw the blossoming of the beautiful relationship between Quinlan and Louisa (Hannah New).  For nearly 2000 years, our beloved Quinlan had known only pain and suffering, and after meeting Louisa and her daughter, Lydia, he has now been given the gift of family, love and acceptance. However, with the arrival of the Master at the end of the episode, that should give you the ominous feeling that all of that may turn out to be short-lived. Yes, if last week’s episode was about love and compassion, tonight’s episode is about loss.

The first flashback begins with a scene I don’t think I’ll ever forget, and to be honest, it’s an image of Quinlan I believe I’ll always remember him by the most. We see Quinlan playing a light-hearted game of hide-and-seek with Lydia, and it’s immediately obvious that in a very short amount of time, she now sees him as a father. This is made perfectly clear when after she finds him and wins the game, he bends down as is depicted in the above photo, and Lydia kisses him on the cheek. We’ve seen Quinlan smile just a handful of times for the entirety of the series, but if you watch him closely in these scenes, he literally can’t stop smiling. He is very happy, he loves Louisa and Lydia, and that makes me tear up every time I think about it.

Louisa then interrupts their game and informs Quinlan they need to leave, otherwise they’re going to be late. It seems they’re going to the theater, and with that, Quinlan responds, “I’ve never been.” Louisa breaks out a big smile and responds, “I know.” This exchange confirms what I said last week and that is Louisa gave Quinlan the makeover NOT for herself but for **him**. In fact, I think Louisa could care less about the makeup and Lydia as well, because the first time the young girl met Quinlan, she didn’t flinch or show any fear whatsoever. So, Quinlan tells Lydia goodnight, assures her they’ll continue their game tomorrow, and it seems like Quinlan and Louisa are off on their first official “date.” Ahhhhh! Unfortunately, that “tomorrow” that he promises Lydia sadly will never come.

As the new happy couple are hastily making their way to the theater, Quinlan happens to look down an alley-way and sees something that stops him in his tracks. It’s a strigoi feeding, and as we should recall from last week’s episode, Quinlan had told Louisa that there are no other strigoi in London, which means this strigoi must be relatively new. After I had screened the entire episode for the first time and knowing what comes next, this scene is one where you REALLY want to jump up and yell at the television, “Keep going, Quinlan! Just walk away!” But, nope, Quinlan just has to engage the strigoi, and when the Master begins speaking to Q through one of them, he knows his nemesis is now in London.

Invictus, is that you? — The Master

You know, I had wondered how the Master would react to seeing his son in make-up, perhaps his saying something like “Son, WTF are you doing?!” Well, this scene came pretty damn close, and while it did make me laugh out loud, what comes next will most certainly prompt the opposite reaction.

To be honest, the following scene made me royally pissed at Quinlan when I watched it the first time, and before you have the same knee-jerk reaction, keep in mind the following: 1) Quinlan is destined and has had the mission of destroying the Master for nearly 2000 years. In contrast, he has been with Louisa and Lydia and living as part of human society for only a few short months. Turning off your “mission” like a water faucet I can’t imagine being very easy. 2) Quinlan’s relationship with Louisa is his first intimate relationship, and as such, he’s obviously very inexperienced. As a result, he makes some horrid mistakes and ones that I’m sure he regrets til this day. Bottom line — go easy on the guy! This all being said, Quinlan and Louisa nix their plans for the theater, and when they get home, Quinlan is now back into auto-pilot. He grabs his bone-sword, and it’s quite obvious to Louisa that he’s leaving with no plans of returning. EVEN THOUGH THE MOST POWERFUL STRIGOI IS NOW IN F*CKING LONDON! Of course, no worries, Louisa, because Quinlan does offer you a pistol to protect yourself and Lydia (at first, I was floored by this, but then, I remembered that everything Quinlan has learned about the Master and his vulnerabilities, he’s learned in the past 9 months. That is, he probably didn’t even know bullets would have no impact). Of course, Louisa is furious and hysterical as most women would be.

Why must it be you who confronts him? — Louisa

This is my purpose. To defeat the Master and his plague — Quinlan

For protection — Quinlan <Hands Louisa the pistol>

Are you not our protection? You’re not coming back. Quinlan, no! What about me? What about my daughter? She loves you like a father. Do we mean nothing to you? 

Quite the opposite. These past few months you have shown me kindness, accepted me into a world in which I never fully belonged. For that, I’m grateful. I hope tonight I can repay you in kind — Quinlan

Then, Lydia comes in the room, begs Quinlan to stay, but even that’s not enough to stop him. It’s OK — you can cry now!

What comes next is the big showdown between Quinlan and the Sardu Master (Robert Maillet) that I think most fans have been anticipating. This is especially true since from what we can tell, it’s the first time Quinlan has faced-off with this version of the Master. You may have recognized the one strigoi earlier as the Thai woman who ran the brothel/massage parlor we saw last week, and so, Quinlan knows he can probably find the Master there. The following scenes are some of the best of the entire episode, with Quinlan and the Master fighting hand-to-hand, and Q actually doing a lot better than I thought he would — considering he’s fighting a version of the Master 3-4 times larger than what he’s accustomed to! He’s even able to get the upper hand over the Master and manages to stab him, putting Quinlan in the perfect position of being able to delve the final blow and end this once and for all (or so Q thought back then. We know better now). But, then, Quinlan makes a fatal mistake and clearly demonstrates why his impulsive decision to just leave Louisa and Lydia and charge full-force for the Master was the uber f*ck-up of the century. Quinlan raises his sword, and at that very critical moment, he just stops mid-air, thus giving the Master the time to grab his sword and thrust it through Q’s  abdomen.

You hesitated. Not ready to die? Was it the woman and her child? Perhaps your new family should meet your father — The Master

In a very painful scene to watch, Quinlan does manage to pull the sword out (OUCH!), but we all know by now it’s too late. Quinlan rushes back home, runs inside yelling for Louisa and Lydia, but what he finds is utterly heart-wrenching. Louisa and Lydia laying on the bed, drained by the Master and already starting to turn, with Louisa still holding a book in her hand, as if she was telling Lydia a bedtime story. The good news is much like the passengers on the plane in the Pilot, it doesn’t appear Louisa and Lydia even knew what hit them, and so, thank God for that. But, poor Quinlan! He doesn’t say a word, but the look on his face says it all. Then, he simply walks over to the table, fills the wash-basin with water and takes off the make-up. The “new” Quinlan — the happy one with wife and daughter — is now dead, and the old Quinlan emerges with the morbid task of having to release his family. The big difference is the Quinlan that walks away from his new home now has a much-hardened heart and thus, explains Q’s relentless, almost obsessive, drive to blot out the Master that we’ve seen since his introduction in season 2.

I don’t know about the rest of the fandom, but by the end of these flashbacks, I had to have a very stiff drink. And, I don’t mean a glass of wine, or even a shot of Jack Daniels. I’m talking about the good stuff — some hard-ass Kentucky-made moonshine! Like I said earlier, Quinlan has been on this mission for nearly 2000 years, this is the first real relationship he’s had, and so, it’s understandable that he may not make some of the wisest decisions. But, man oh man, when you think about “What could have been?”, you honestly can’t help but want to cry. Let’s think about it.  First, and foremost, even after watching for the 3rd time, I saw no conclusive evidence the Master was in London solely because of  Quinlan. I know it may seem that way because the Master’s base of attack was that same brothel Louisa found herself at in the last episode. However, keep in mind that the Master is the epitome of evil, and as such, he often feeds on those of the low rungs of society — like those who run or frequent a brothel, perhaps? That is, the Master being at the brothel could have been a mere coincidence.

So, this being said, it really makes you wonder what would/could have happened if on that fateful night while walking with Louisa to the theater, Quinlan had not seen that strigoi feeding, or if he had just kept going? Taking it a step further, if Quinlan had not caused them to be running late by playing with Lydia, he may not have seen the strigoi in the first place. Sigh. #FacePalm Either way, Quinlan reacted very impulsively, completely put his new family aside, and for that, he paid a horrific price. If that isn’t the most effed-up star-crossed love story you’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is.

THE WISDOM AND PAIN OF PAST LESSONS IN LOVE

As we see in tonight’s episode, Eichhorst (Richard Sammel)  is turning out to be the gift that just keeps on giving. You know, I used to cover NBC’s Hannibal , and there was a character on that show, Dr. Chilton, that really reminds me of the situation here with Eichhorst. First, Dr. Chilton was disemboweled. Then, he was shot in the face. And, finally, in the series’ final season, he was set on fire in the famous burning-wheelchair-of-death scene. To top it off, Chilton survived everything, the burning and all. Does this sound familiar?  Yes, as we saw in the promo released by FX, Eichhorst survives Dutch’s little Molotov cocktail surprise and is hot on the trail of locating Fet, Quinlan and the Master’s stolen nuke. To do that, Eichhorst catches up with those locals who had helped them but who took off as soon as they found out they weren’t going to get a big pay day. All I can say is big mistake, guys. Huge. Should have stayed with Fet and Rob Zombie!

So, after Eichhorst kills all of the men except for one, the lone survivor, Benjamin, is forcibly recruited into taking Eichhorst to the airfield Fet and Co. had talked about in an attempt to locate a plane and fly to New York. However, even with all of that and the help of human collaborators, Eichhorst still loses, and Fet, Quinlan, and Roman fly happily away along with the Master’s nuke in tow. Oh, boy, Eichhorst, the Master is going to be piiiiiiiiiisssssed! It wasn’t an easy task, though, but what gives them the advantage and what ultimately becomes critical in defeating Eichhorst may surprise you.

Ironically, that critical component actually ties in quite nicely with the Quinlan flashbacks. In the promo for the episode, we see a very heated discussion between Fet (Kevin Durand)  and Quinlan, with Q questioning Charlotte’s (Rhona Mitra)  loyalty and then, ultimately questioning Fet’s as well. However, as is commonplace with FX and the promos they release, that exchange is quite misleading. Quinlan does confront Fet about Charlotte, says her usefulness has passed and that she can’t come to New York. Hot damn, Borno! Whether Quinlan has junk or not, that was a effin’ ballsy thing to say! At first blush, it appears that Q is just being an ass and trying to undermine Charlotte and her abilities — but, then, we see the Quinlan flashbacks. Quinlan had a mission, and his only purpose in life was to destroy the Master. But, Q veered off course, tried to have a normal life with Louisa and Lydia, and that ultimately cost them their lives.

So, now, fast-forward to present-day, Quinlan believes he is about to witness a replay with Fet and Charlotte. By Fet’s own words, this is a suicide mission, and so, in his eyes, if Charlotte goes to New York, it’s highly unlikely she’ll make it out alive. That is, he’s effectively trying to save her, even though his bedside manner has much to be desired. The good news is in the end, it all works out. Fet confronts Charlotte about what Quinlan said, but calls it’s bullshit, and she can come to New York if that’s what she wants. However, when Charlotte responds with a big “Hell, no!!” , the look on Fet’s face is priceless.

Wait? Did you just break up with me? — Fet

LMAO. However, as I had mentioned, it all turns out for the better, and Charlotte turns out to be key in Fet, Quinlan, and Roman making it out and on their way to New York. Even after Eichhorst kills Benjamin for trying to betray him, he still manages to make it to the airfield and launches a massive fire attack on the plane as it’s taking off. Then, just when it looks like the plane is about to go down, a mysterious sniper shoots Eichhorst to the ground, thus giving the group the time it needs to get out of shooting range. Well, that “mysterious sniper” turns out to be Charlotte!

See, I told you that you were wrong about her — Fet

No, you saved her and us by leaving her behind – Quinlan

Is this the last we’ve seen of Charlotte? Perhaps. She mentioned going to her father’s cabin in Montana and “living off the land” as long as she can, and given that she’s demonstrated she’s definitely a survivor, I think we can assume she’ll still be alive by the end of the series. However, whether she and Vasily hook back up, well, that remains to be seen. Who knows, if Fet manages to survive as well and she no longer sees New York as merely a “suicide mission,” she may actually give the city a chance and join him. At least we can hope 🙂

CONCLUSION

First, and foremost, I want to say that this episode is spectacular, and just like “White Light” as well as last week’s episode, it will definitely go down as one of my favorites of the series. All 3 arcs are gripping and compelling, the choreography and directing in all of the scenes are superb, the acting is magnificent (especially Rupert Penry-Jones, Hannah New and Robert Maillet in the flashback scenes. Wow. Wow. Wow!) and perhaps most importantly, the overall theme of love being the cornerstone of the human experience but also being our downfall was a brilliant piece of writing that ultimately became the common thread among all three of the storylines.  And, I will reiterate what I said last week — the changes the writers made from the source material in the Quinlan flashbacks of his family in my opinion are nothing short of genius. GENIUS. I’m sure this will end up being a very unpopular opinion (AGAIN!), especially among my readers who are die-hard fans of the trilogy, but I have thought about it for 2 weeks now, and it’s my objective opinion that the changes have actually made the story **better**. Carlton Cuse, Chuck Hogan, the entire writing team — are are now officially my hereoes. <Fist bump> Finally, I think we have reached the turning point of the season, when these little pockets of characters will start coming back together. Fet, Quinlan, and Roman are on the their way to New York. Dutch and Setrakian have escaped the fertility clinic/blood farm. And, Eph and Alex are likely heading the same way after their discovering the Master’s grand plan in last week’s episode. I’m sure everyone’s hoping and cheering for a big happy reunion, but that would be assuming everyone makes it there alive — and as is with this series more often than not, things rarely turn out nice, warm and fuzzy. See you next week, everyone!

The Strain  airs on Sundays at 10/9c on FX.

Critic Grade — A+