13 Episodes
Short on time? Here's the essentials:
A mysterious plane lands at JFK with most passengers dead, prompting CDC doctor Ephraim Goodweather to investigate a parasitic virus. He teams up with Nora Martinez, a fellow CDC scientist, and Abraham Setrakian, an antique shop owner with a dark past connected to the outbreak's source. Their investigation uncovers a growing epidemic of vampiric creatures, known as strigoi, unleashed by a powerful ancient being called The Master.
The central conflict revolves around Eph, Nora, and Setrakian's desperate attempts to understand and combat the strigoi, facing increasing danger and betrayal. Key turning points include the horrifying transformation of infected individuals, the discovery of The Master's immense power, and the personal losses the team endures. Jim, who aided the initial arrival of the infected, is eventually infected and killed by Vasiliy. Eph's ex-wife, Kelly, becomes a strigoi and hunts their son, Zack.
The season ends with The Master escaping into daylight, revealing a new ability, and Palmer's health being restored by the creature. The team's efforts to stop the epidemic are far from over as the threat escalates.
Season 1 of The Strain covers episodes 1-13. Here's everything that happened:
Season 1, Episode 1: Night Zero - A plane lands at JFK with all but four passengers dead, leading CDC's Dr. Goodweather to investigate. He discovers parasitic worms and a mysterious coffin. An airport official is gruesomely killed by a creature. Meanwhile, Gus is hired to transport the coffin. The episode ends with the corpses reanimating and attacking a pathologist.
Season 1, Episode 2: The Box - Eph and Nora investigate the increasing strangeness of the survivors while a disinformation campaign undermines their efforts. Setrakian is visited in jail by Eichorst, revealing their long, antagonistic history. Eldritch Palmer meets The Master. The episode concludes with Emma, the little girl, killing her father after returning home, now a creature.
Season 1, Episode 3: Gone Smooth - Eph and Nora race to save Redfern, facing the virus's effects firsthand. Eichorst strong-arms Jim into continued betrayal. Bolivar's transformation progresses grotesquely, culminating in the loss of his genitalia. Redfern fully turns and attacks, but Eph kills him with a fire extinguisher.
Season 1, Episode 4: It's Not for Everyone - Eph, Nora, and Jim perform an autopsy on Redfern, discovering the parasitic nature of the virus. Jim confesses to his role in the plane's arrival, leading to Eph's violent rejection. Ansel, succumbing to the infection, is chained in a shed by his wife, who then feeds him a neighbor. Abraham appears and beheads the infected Emma and her father.
Season 1, Episode 5: Runaways - Eph reluctantly joins Setrakian to gather evidence for a quarantine. Fet discovers a strigoi nest in the subway. Bolivar fully turns, killing his doctor and a cleaner. Flashbacks reveal Setrakian's concentration camp encounter with Eichhorst and the Master. Eph delivers footage of Ansel's slaying to the CDC.
Season 1, Episode 6: Occultation - As the eclipse nears, Eph is arrested, but warns the FBI of the impending danger. Gus is blackmailed by Eichhorst to dispose of a body. Vasiliy discovers his zombified boss and a colleague, killing them with sunlight. During the eclipse, the infected medical examiner attacks, killing two FBI agents. Eph, Nora, and Abraham unite, ready for a new plan.
Season 1, Episode 7: For Services Rendered - Setrakian, Eph, and Nora use Jim as bait to find the Master, revealing Eichhorst and Setrakian's past in a concentration camp where Setrakian was forced to build the Master's coffin. The Luss children return home, where a vampirized Joan attacks, but they are saved by a mysterious vampire hunter who kills Neeva's daughter after she is infected.
Season 1, Episode 8: Creatures of the Night - The group seeks UV lamps, encountering Fet. Trapped in a convenience store, they battle strigoi. Jim is infected and, to prevent his transformation, Vasiliy kills him, causing friction with Eph. They escape in a bread truck after a fiery confrontation.
Season 1, Episode 9: The Disappeared - Eph saves Zack from the vampirized Matt. Dutch reveals her role in Palmer's internet shutdown. Flashbacks show Eichhorst's transformation and Abraham's encounter with The Master. Gus escapes custody after mercy-killing Felix. Discovering Kelly is missing, the group fears she will hunt Zack.
Season 1, Episode 10: Loved Ones - Eph searches for Kelly, finding her friend Diane and her son infected and is forced to kill them. Dutch and Fet infiltrate Palmer's building, but Palmer captures Dutch, though Fitzwilliam later releases them. Kelly, now infected, kills and feeds on Diane and her son. The episode concludes with Zach looking at photos of his mom.
Season 1, Episode 11: The Third Rail - Setrakian leads the team into the subway tunnels to find The Master's lair. Zach is left to care for Nora's ailing mother, leading him to a dangerous encounter where two looters are killed by a vampire. Gus returns, finding his brother turned and is forced to kill him, but he can't bring himself to kill his mother. The episode concludes with the team reaching the Master, but he escapes after a UV light bomb is deployed.
Season 1, Episode 12: Last Rites - Abraham's past reveals Eichorst turned his wife Miriam, forcing Abraham to kill her and keep her heart. Eichorst attacks the pawn shop, and Nora decapitates her infected mother. Dutch returns with a plan to warn the city. The Master restores Palmer's health with his blood.
Season 1, Episode 13: The Master - Eph and the team launch an assault on The Master, who escapes into the daylight, revealing a new ability. Palmer eliminates a health official to prevent a quarantine. Gus aligns with a group of ancient vampires. Eph encounters Kelly, now a strigoi, and relapses into alcoholism.
