For fans of modern day horror fantasy, the name Guillermo del Toro will no doubt ring a bell. Known for films such as Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy and Pacific Rim, the widely acclaimed writer/director has now brought his talents to the small screen with FX’s new series The Strain.
Now nine episodes in, The Strain offers audiences a darker, more compelling take on the vampire mythology than of the Twilight saga or any number of other popular movies and shows that deal with this subject. Yet while the series provides substantial entertainment and enough gore to rival Game of Thrones, it’ll take more than high production value and top-notch special effects for it to hook a wide range of viewers.
The Strain is based on a series of novels by del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Its protagonist Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) is a researcher for the Center for Disease Control (CDC). When he and his team investigate a series of strange events following a viral outbreak, they find that the source of this virus is unlike anything they’ve ever dealt with.
As the disease spreads, its victims rapidly begin transforming into vampire-like creatures. The only way for Eph and his team to keep it from spreading across the globe is to band together with the citizens of New York and combat the monsters themselves.
From the occult material to the team of unlikely heroes, The Strain possesses every trait of a del Toro creation. In many ways the show is a grittier version of Hellboy. Where that film is light-hearted enough to allow room for a string of unforgettable one-liners from its star Ron Perlman, The Strain would rather leave its viewers with images of rotting corpses than provide any sort of comedic relief.
The main problem with the series, as it stands, is too much familiarity. Vampires are as fundamental an element of pop-culture as zombies and superheroes. That said, an excess of clichés should be avoided at all costs when making another show about them. The pilot’s intro alone is nearly impossible not to compare to Fringe. In both shows, a mysterious virus breaks out on a plane, and a team of researchers is assembled to investigate.
Then there’s David Bradley’s character. Known for his roles in Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, Bradley plays the elderly Abraham Setrakian, who has a history with these creatures, but everyone thinks he is crazy. No team of paranormal investigators is complete without its mentor figure.
All these elements aren’t necessarily significant problems, but it will definitely take more compelling story lines in the future to move the series forward.
As far as acting goes, the cast is definitely a highlight of the series. Stoll’s character is in many ways similar to the one he plays in House of Cards. Both are workaholic fathers with crumbling marriages. The best scenes with him in The Strain are when he assures his son that he cares more about him than his job. Humanistic themes such as this are common throughout del Toro’s work.
Other familiar faces include Lord of the Rings veteran Sean Austin as one of Eph’s sidekicks and of course Bradley. I’m also interested to see where the relationship between Eph and his partner Nora (Mia Maestro) will go.
The fact that del Toro and Hogan scripted the pilot with del Toro directing is a major plus. Adaptations are always better when the authors of the source material play an important role in the production process.
I have high hopes for The Strain. So far it has managed to present itself as an engaging, if somewhat predictable, series. With a little more layers to its storytelling, it certainly has the potential for acquiring a larger, more consistent fan base.
