- Michael Gibson/FX
- Cory Stoll is Ephraim Goodweather on The Strain
The Strain, a vampire horror novel trilogy written by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, tells the story of the rise of an ancient evil and the fall of humanity, the spread of an infection and the pursuit of a cure. Originally conceived for television, the trilogy’s been adapted (or returned to its rightful home, depending on how you look at it) for FX by del Toro and Carlton Cuse (Lost, The Bates Motel). The series premiere, which aired on Sunday, approaches the supernatural elements of the story better than it does the more human ones—but I have faith that The Strain won’t always appear so workmanlike.
Where the show falters is in the more earthly realm: we get an awful lot of Eph’s backstory in the two-hour premiere. There are multiple scenes, demonstrating how Eph is failing at achieving a work-life balance, that are just kind of dull and needless. He’s an epidemiologist who is tracking the source and attempting to cure an infection/virus that’s already killed 200 people. We’re already rooting for the guy—we don’t need to see him fighting for his wife or texting “love you” to his son.
