11 episodes in and The Strain decides to channel Blade 2!? How do you deal with vampires in sewer tunnels? For anyone that’s seen Blade 2, you know where I’m going with this. But while some are building weapons and planning on killing, others are having issues with the mission, especially due to the fact that Eph and Nora are doctors and supposed to help.

But, even with those apprehensions Vasiliy, Abraham, Eph, and Nora head into the tunnels in hopes of killing the Master, and ending the scourge. But, it’s pretty clear the “focus” of the episode is the slow crumbling of civilization. All around them, people are looting, and as they go into the tunnels, they are greeted by trinkets the vampires are dropping as they retreat into them. It’s some solid symbolism, and mixed with what’s going on in the streets, solid detail.

While they’re on their mission, the story of Gus continues, as he attempts to deal with how the vampire outbreak is affecting his family, friends, and everyone he knows. And Gus finally crosses our main cast, in the form of Zach who has decided to venture out from safety to do a task for Nora’s mom. In other word, Zach is quickly turning into the Carl Grimes of this show.

The episode also brings Eph face to face with the Master, something I didn’t expect for quite a while. What the meeting does really well is set up the Master’s obsession with Eph and why he decides to take a focus on him.

The episode isn’t the strongest, but there’s more than enough to keep the story moving and small details to keep us focused and debating. The series continues its solid narrative, keeping us on our toes. After the ending, it’s kind of hard not to be.

Overall Score: 7.75