The Strain – “Loved Ones” Retrospective. The Chosen One.

Season 1, Episode 10

Air date: Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 10PM ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“If hacking is about exploring the limits of what is possible, then I am on the verge of achieving what you would consider the ultimate hack – cheating death.” —Eldritch Palmer

The saying, ‘we hurt the ones we love the most,’ rings loud and clear in “Loved Ones.” Why do the newborn strigoi go after their family first? Is it our innate need to be close to those who love us when we aren’t feeling our best? While this hasn’t been fully explained, I think we all seek out the familiar when we are sick, hurt, or scared. Unfortunately, the people we care for the most are the ones that also suffer the most.

L-R: Mr. Fitzwilliams escorts Dutch to see a still sickly Eldritch Palmer. Is that new liver not working?

Before we get into the heart of the matter, let’s talk about a certain wealthy mogul whose elaborate notion to cheat “death” leads us to where we are now. Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) and Vasiliy (Kevin Durand) make their way to see a man about a vampire, Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde). We know Eldritch hired Dutch and her team of hackers to take down Internet and cell phone services but his reasoning sounds more like wishful thinking: “Human DNA decays as we age. Over time, it frays and it fails, and we follow suit. But it is a code that can be rewritten. Rewrite the software and you control the hardware – the meat, the muscle, and tissue that is mankind.” We aren’t computers. Our genetic code is much more complex than a line of binary code. Thankfully, Palmer’s trusted assistant Mr. Fitzwilliams (Roger R. Cross) doesn’t agree with his evil plans, at least not to Palmer’s knowledge. I’ve been anxious to see Mr. Fitzwilliams again and his role in the grand scheme of things. I have a feeling Mr. Fitzwilliams’ loyalties to Palmer may falter after he sees firsthand what is truly going on.

With the use of flashbacks going back 32 hours prior to when Matt (Drew Nelson) first arrives home after being infected, we see what transpires leading to Kelly’s (Natalie Brown) disappearance. At first, Matt retains some of his wherewithal and doesn’t immediately attack a sleeping Kelly, but things escalate quickly, answering our question about whether Kelly was hurt by Matt. (Note: this scene gets intense and violent; let’s just say the worms and human eyes are involved. I guess we know where FX got the idea for their key art.) But Kelly’s story doesn’t take the normal path of a newborn strigoi. While she may be seeking her young son Zach (Ben Hyland), there are other loved ones in her life that meet their tragic end in Kelly’s wake.

Do you think Eph should have told Zach what he found or do you think he did the right thing by not saying much?

Eph’s (Corey Stoll) search for Kelly is emotionally charged. He desperately wants to find her for Zach’s sake but with all the evidence pointing to something terrible, it’s hard not to buckle under the pressure. The scene when Zach uses a laptop in Abraham’s (David Bradley) pawn shop makes me smile with sadness. You have to admire this young boy. He’s desperate to find his mother and uses his knowledge of cell phone tracking to locate her phone. It’s a great moment, yet when Eph returns from his search later, it’s bittersweet. I agree with Eph’s decision to not give details about his quest. He doesn’t have solid evidence to prove Kelly isn’t human anymore so why give the gory details of what he encounters along the way?

The Master (Robert Maillet) makes a brief appearance at the end of “Loved Ones.” He calls to Kelly, “Come to me…come to me…rejoice; embrace your glorious fate.” Hmm…that doesn’t sound good at all. What are The Master’s plans for Kelly? And where the heck is that strigoi SWAT team when you need them?

What did you think of “Loved Ones?” I’d love to hear from all of you, but especially those who have read the books. I welcome all comments. Tweet me @judybopp or leave a comment below.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.