The Strain Review: “Occultation” (Season 1, Episode 6)

He’s not the only character to have a rough go of it this week. Setrakian goes to Redfern’s home to dispatch the family members he’s surely infected, but the elderly slayer winds up dropping his pills in the confusion and almost collapses in Redfern’s basement while surrounded by strigoi. Luckily, he’s able to get to safety and blow the house sky high, but “Occultation” presses the point that Setrakian won’t be able to take on the Master and his underlings alone this time. Case in point: the guy is so desperate for an apprentice that he half-heartedly attempts to enlist the cab driver who takes him home. “Can’t fix crazy,” the driver replies with a laugh.

Gus, still the show’s least developed character, is shown to be a skilled fighter in “Occultation,” but all his boxing prowess can’t hold a candle to Eichorst’s apparent invincibility. When Gus attempts to cut ties with Eichorst using his fists, the creature is unfazed, revealing his incredible strength by lifting Gus up by his neck and throwing him down. Hopefully, now that the character has witnessed the inhuman nature of his employer, he’ll become more determined to fight back. Gus already knows Setrakian. but is unaware of the pawnbroker’s expertise in vamp-hunting, so I have no idea how they’d end up fighting on the same side.

Meanwhile, Nora is burdened by her confused and frightened mother, whose nursing home was infiltrated by a strigoi last week. Love is a common thread between the characters on this show, and like Eichorst so gloatingly tells Gus, “What I find fascinating is how love is considered a gift, a blessing. There is no acceptance to the fact that it also binds, chokes, strangles.” Nora, Eph, Jim and Gus are all handicapped by their loved ones, figures in their lives who can be targeted in order to manipulate them.

In that respect, the only one really equipped for the impending chaos is Vasiliy, who earns badass points by using sunlight to dispatch two turned employees at his pest control company. Though he does have relatives, Vasiliy warning them to leave the city is the first contact they’ve had in years, and he doesn’t seem particularly persistent in telling them to get the hell out of Dodge. As far as this cast of characters goes, he’s definitely the best-equipped enemy to take on the strigoi we’ve met.