The Strain is the real deal, serving up some of the most daring horror ever on television.
Here is our spoiler-ish review…
Thanks to show runner Carlton Cuse and writers Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, vampires are monsters again.
Unrepentant, slithering, slimy, horrific nightmares that spread like ebola, and we couldnt be happier.
And so it does.
It seems the rest of the show will be a thorough examination of the players involved.
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So lets break down the pilot itself.
First off, the cast.
Cuse and company have put together a brilliant cast that truly sells Del Toro and Hogans dark world.
Its really difficult to look away from Bradley whenever he appears on screen.
The role was originally cast with John Hurt.
When Setrakian speaks, he demands attention, lending an effortless gravitas to the series.
Hey, we can trust him, he played Samwise Gamgee right?
He helped Frodo through thick and thin, we can trust that face, right?
Say it isnt so, Sam!
She has as keen a mind as Goodweather but seems to be more of a woman of action.
OK, we have our cast, what of the story?
Firstly, the vampires.
These are not open-shirted, body hairless, vaguely European lust monkeys.
That is about as unromantic as one can imagine.
They are the end of everything, capitalistic Nosferatus in expensive suits and ambiguous origins.
I made a powerful assertion, linkingThe StrainwithAmerican Horror StoryandThe Walking Dead, so lets examine the scares.
The first set piece that will stain your Fruit of the Looms takes place in the shows opening salvo.
This is a Carlton Cuse show so when theres an airplane, you know something unforgettable will happen.
Yes, the autopsy sequence.
The spirit of Lucio Fulci is smiling down onThe Strainfor this twisted set piece.
Ephraim tasks his pal, a corpulent lab tech, to perform emergency autopsies on the plane victims.
There is a great deal of sawing, organ removal, and skin ripping.
The Strainis brainy horror not for the faint of heart.
If the pilot is any indication, the answer may be a resounding yes.
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Rating:
5 out of 5
