01x02 - The Box

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Strain". Aired: July 2014 to September 2017.*
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"The Strain" is a thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage w*r for the fate of humanity itself.
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01x02 - The Box

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on The Strain...

Looks like a dead animal.

There have been 200 people sitting there silently, absolutely no movement.

Oh, my God...

Are you seeing this?

They're all dead.

No signs of struggle.

(Gasping)

We've got survivors!

I've seen this disease before.

If you have the coffin, then you still have him?

You will cross the bridge back into Manhattan before daybreak.

You will be let through.

Seal off the perimeter of the airport.

Got it. I said let him through.

(growling)

Ah!

♪♪♪

(meowing)

(meowing)

(making kissy sounds)

Hi. Mm-hmm!

(rap song in Spanish)

Hey yo, Waxy Boy!

Waxy Boy, I got your box!

Oh!

What you got there, white boy?

(rumbling noise)

(growling)

♪♪♪

(helicopter sound)

His lanyard says his name is Peter Bishop, an ATC supervisor. You knew him?

Where is his head?

That is his head.

I thought you guys were used to sh*t like this.

He's not a doctor.

It would take a lot of pressure to crush his skull like that. What did this?

The tower said he came down here with you.

He was helping us look for a large cabinet from Regis 753 that went missing.

What was in it?

We think it was some sort of infectious agent.

You mean whatever k*lled the people on that plane?

We don't know that.

I mean, it's just a theory at this point. Right?

Ammonia.

Just like on the plane.

Hey, one of you got an ALS?

k*ll the work lights.

What is that stuff?

Biological discharge.

Closest analogue is guano.

That or tick sh*t.

That's one hell of a tick.

(cell phone ringing)

Goodweather.

Jim, what's the matter with you?

Long night. No sleep. Maybe too much coffee.

g*dd*mn it! I don't care what he said! Just stall them.

Lose their clothes. I don't care, just keep them there till we get there. We have to go.

This crime scene is now under CDC authority.

Nobody touches that body.

Barnes just released the four survivors.

You don't need a cab. My driver will drop you off.

I'm sorry, folks, but you're not going anywhere.

Spare yourself the crucifixion.

You don't have a chance in hell of making that stick.

You still think it's some super flu, Doc?

Haven't you seen the news?

Someone leaked the Regis Air documents to the Internet.

It's carbon monoxide poisoning. All of it covered up by the airline's CEO, Daniel Flaxton.

You should be relieved, Doctor.

It's out of your hands. Now if you don't mind, I've got a lawsuit to file.

You believe everything on TV?

Holy Jesus, is this man annoying. We're fine.

We're all fine. No thanks to you, Doc.

Feeling fine at this moment does not mean you're not sick.

Diseases incubate.

Look, I get it.

This is your time in the spotlight.

To snag a promotion. Love to help, but I've got a major concert on the day of the eclipse, so...

I need to go. I do.

If it were up to me, I'd stay, but my union lawyers want me out, so...

We're going around in circles here. Let me be very clear:

you're all staying here under quarantine on my authority.

Director Barnes said we would be released.

And I say you stay. I don't care what Barnes said.

According to the Health Powers Act, it only takes two physicians to issue a quarantine order.

It's on. One phone call, I get your job.

And Little Miss Muffet's.

You better start dialing then.

Dialing. Katie, it's Joan. Get me the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Margaret Pierson.

At a press conference last night, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, chief medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control in New York City, said it was too early in his investigation...

This could be a problem.


The CDC has closed the airport.

They have still not released the survivors.

If they continue to treat this as an epidemic, it will delay our timetable.

In an hour, nobody will be talking about an epidemic.

And I'll have the four survivors on the street.

You will accomplish this how?

Disinformation.

A good story always trumps the truth.

Just give the press a villain to hate.

Now that this is done, when do I see him?

Soon.

He's across the river. That was our deal.

You will see him soon.

Where are you going?

To see an old friend.

I personally read all 250 pages of the Regis documents. And I was shocked by the airline's flagrant disregard for the safety of its passengers.

Abraham Setrakian.

Your lawyer's here to see you.

I have no lawyer.

You've grown old, A230385.

Eichorst...

Surprised to see me?

It has been many years.

You look exactly the same.

Your heartbeat is irregular. I can hear it, Jew, clear as a bell.

Did the coffin cross the river?

What do you think?

And where is your Master now?

Watching you through me.

The great game is over, Jew.

Not while I still breathe.

Amazing.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, you cling to the delusion that you will prevail.

Don't tell me you still believe in that God of yours.

So where is He?

Why has He done nothing?

Face the truth.

He is nothing but a figment of your imagination.

Your arrest report says you were apprehended with an antique sword.

Is it Sardu's?

Don't worry.

I will give it back to your Master in due time.

That is amusing.

And her heart...

Do you still have that as well?

Oh, you are such a sentimentalist.

You might like to know this.

She struggled at the very end, but she never cried out.

I thought that strange. Not even a whimper.

Only a single word.

"Abraham."

But you were not there to help her.

Do you feel great regret?

I will avenge her.

You will not avenge anyone.

You're not a hero or a savior.

You're just a number.

I took your name and gave you that number.

That's all you are.

It's good for you that you are in here.

It's the only place you can feel safe.

Safer than the streets will be very soon.

You might survive a little longer.

I want you to watch it unfold, unable to do anything to stop it.

And when you die, it will be the Master's eyes you see last...

Remember your old friend, Dreverhaven?

Would you like to know why he isn't here to share your glory with you?

Because I cut him to pieces with that sword and dumped his parts in the North Sea.

I'll see that you're reunited with him very soon.

Until next time...

A230385.

(news bulletin on TV)

(door opening)

Mama, I home!

She's getting ready for Mass.

Why don't you clean your sh*t up?

Shh! Listen.

Plane coming in wit those stiffs on it?

What did I say?

Huh?

You think I'm playing with you?

Hola, mijo.

Hola, mami!

Como estas? Mira, que linda! You look beautiful.

You look... terrible.

Oh, mijo. I don't like you working nights like this. It's not good for you.

I know.

Come to Mass with me.

Father Cortez has been asking about you.

I can't, Mama, I gotta get some sleep.

Next week.

Did you see what Crispin got me?

No, I didn't see it.

(chuckling excitedly)

Wow...

That's a nice piece. Where'd you get it, bro?

Flea market.

Was a real steal. Old lady didn't know what she had.

So good to have my two kids together again.

You both will be here for dinner?

Si, Mama.

I'll make something special.

OK.

Bye!

Bye, Mommy, I love you.

I love you too!

Where'd you get it? Huh?

Where d'you get it? The truth, you junkie piece of sh*t!

Huh? Huh?

The pawn shop a couple blocks down! The Jew who buys silver.

You don't bring stolen sh*t into this house and involve Mom on it.

OK!

You hear me?

Yes!

You know, Gus, you got some balls talking to me like that.

Two years.

Two years I listened to her cry herself to sleep at night while you were upstate.

I was the only one who was here for her!

You were sh**ting her paychecks up your arm.

OK, you got me.

Yeah, I got you.

OK. But what about you, Gus, huh?

What about me?

How you long is it gonna be before you get busted again and break her heart? Huh?

I'm taking this clock back.

That's not gonna work you friggin, altar boy!

You contradicted my explicit orders and declared them quarantined.

You can't release those survivors.

Not till we know what we're facing.

We do know. Let me introduce you to the Secretarof Health and Human Services, Margaret Pierson.

Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Goodweather.

Dr. Martinez. Let me bring you both up to speed.

These Regis Air documents point to a systems failure aboard flight 753.

So I've had the FAA ground the entire Regis Airline fleet until the NTSB completes its investigation.

It's not a CDC case anymore.

The NTSB has the ball now.

With all due respect, Madam Secretary, these people didn't die from a faulty air system.

They didn't?

Everything in my investigation points to a virulent pathogen.

We're far from understanding exactly what did happen, but we need to shut down this airport so it doesn't spread.

Eph, please.

Dr. Goodweather, I appreciate your zeal.

But you need to step back for a moment and consider the impact of a medical quarantine.

It would immediately stop all exports from New York to the rest of the world.

Do you want to crash a $70 billion economy and send the stock markets into a free fall on a hunch?

Eph, I know you've been under a lot of stress in your personal life, that's a big part of the cause.

But don't bring your baggage...

My personal life has nothing to do with this. It's about saving people.

It's that simple.

Eph...

Sorry, Everett. I shouldn't have done that.

No, you shouldn't have.

Here's what's going to happen.

You're going to take a few days off.

Then once this all blows over, we're going to revisit your situation.

As of now, you are no longer involved. Go home.

You've reached the office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City.

No one is available to take...


I can't reach Bennett, or anybody.

Why aren't they picking up at the coroner's office?

They got 206 dead bodies, they're probably a little busy.

(soft music playing)

(news bulletin on TV)

Captain Redfern? Thanks for agreeing to meet us.

You bet.

My passengers and crew trusted me to get them to JFK safely.

But I didn't. I'd like to know why.

You look a little pale.

I'm OK. A bit of a headache.

There's that humming in my ears.

We do have a non-medical question for you.

A large piece of cargo has gone missing from the plane.

The box.

You know about the box?

I was doing my pre-flight walk around on the plane.

Four officials in suits show up in a government van with this huge crate.

We've carried last-minute high-security cargo in the past, so I didn't think much of it.

This box, it was maybe nine foot by four foot?

Yes.

Do you know what government office? Do you know who they were?

They got down onto the tarmac to my plane, they had suits and badges...

I figured it had to be official.

Who am I to question this?

But because I didn't,

206 people are dead.

Other people are still in danger. You can help save them.

Here's what you can do: go to the emergency room at St. Sebastian's.

A Dr. William Lester will meet you there.

Who's he?

He's the best diagnostician I know.

He'll admit you as a private patient, as a favor to me, and run some tests.

He'll find out what's causing the sound in your ears and your headaches.

OK.

Unbelievable. Jumping through all these hoops because those bastards don't want to face a quarantine.

And the airline's worried about their liability, my union is worried about theirs...

Everyone's first priority is covering their asses.

And no one gives a sh*t about the truth.

I do, and you do, and that's the best sh*t we've got right now.

Oh, my God...

Its buccal cavity has serrated projections.

So it can latch onto or cut through tissue.

I want to try something.

Make it quick.

Before someone asks what the hell we're doing here.

If these worms did infect the victims, then human blood should produce a tropic reaction.

Look at that...

(beeping)

It's Zack. I'm supposed to stop by to talk about the custody hearing.

You better go then.

No, this is important. He'll understand.

He'll understand he's not as important as your work, which is exactly what he hears from his mother every day.

You want the judge to give Kelly full custody?

Of course not.

Take a moment.

Redfern's test results won't come in for a couple of hours.

I'll finish this.

Thank you.

See you at the hospital.

What are you doing in here?

Vasiliy Fet.

Inspector, City Pest Control.

On a Sunday?

No! You're not doing an inspection now.

There's no time... this is our champagne brunch.

Busiest service of the week.

Sorry. We had a complaint.

You want breakfast?

Give the order to one of the line chefs.

But I am not giving you any cash.

Is that what you think I'm here for?

Ha! Look.

You see that?

That's rat urine.

Ridiculous! OK, two hundred dollars, but you get the hell out of here right now.

No.

You're making a big mistake.

I make many mistakes, but not about vermin.

Move.

That was a $300,000 offer for a 30-minute on-camera interview.

And you hang up?!

Whatever they're offering, it's gonna be chump change compared to what we'll get from the airline.

This may go in the category of "too soon," but ticket sales are way up.

That's what I love about you, Ruby.

Here's to being alive.

Moments like this... As an artist, they make you take a step back and look at the big picture.

There's no answer to "why us." It's just random luck, but I'll take it.
(whirring sound)

There's that... hum again.

You hear it still, don't you?

It's almost like an echo.

Like an echo of a voice, maybe your own voice, when your ears and nose are stuffed.

It's weird.

I'm not hearing it, but Gabe, if that voice has a tune, write it down.

Reminds me of my first acid trip.

You ever done acid, Joan?

Nope, no acid.

Not my thing.

What is your thing?

You want to take this party someplace else?

Like?

Townhouse above my new theater.

We can celebrate our escape from the abyss.

No, I better get home and see my kids. And my husband.

Maybe another time?

I'm going to be getting together our legal team at the firm tomorrow. We'll talk soon, Gabe.

I need to get my pipes cleaned, Ruby.

Pick out a couple of hot ones.

Everyone stop what they're doing.

No more food goes out of the kitchen.

As of right now, you start cleaning... if you ever want this place to open up again.

You can't shut us down!

Councilwoman Shankar eats here every Wednesday.

Oh yeah? You gonna serve her this?

Attention, everybody!

By order of the health department, this establishment is now closed. All right?

Everyone must leave.

Hey, hon.

(Screaming)

(all screaming)

Time to go!

I'm guessing we don't have to pay.

(screaming)

Dr. Moise called with some good news, sir.

The liver's young and healthy. It belongs to a laborer.

No family. He won't be missed.

Moise would like to move ahead with the acquisition.

I'm not sure I'll need it anymore.

With all due respect, sir, if these other people can't deliver what they've promised...

They can. And they will.

Even so, you should have a backup.

Keep in mind: it's a five-hour flight to Bogota.

Minimum of eight hours to harvest the organ.

Five more to return.

Your liver functionality is already well below normal.

It could fail at any time. If it does fail, it will be a challenge to keep you alive until we receive the replacement.

All right. Fine.

Do it.

I'm not sure it's wise to leave the building, sir. An infection...

Would adversely affect my ability to withstand surgery.

Yes, yes, yes. I'm going.

There is no debate.

In fact, I've never felt more excited about a meeting in my entire life.

I agree, Nora: 101 degrees is not cause for alarm, but I don't like that his temperature's rising.

Fine. I'll meet you back at the hospital by the time Redfern's path report gets back.

Good.

Talk soon. Sorry.

It's the airplane case.

Yeah, I've been watching.

But why are you involved?

They say something was wrong with the plane.

That's total bullshit. Nobody wants to deal with the truth.

What is it?

I don't know.

Nothing's adding up.

That's scary.

It is.

Well, I'm glad you're handling it.

That means whatever needs to be done will get done.

Thank you.

Oh, come in.

Matt's here.

Hey, Eph.

Hey...

Diane. My name's Diane. I've met you, like, five times. I drive your kid to school every other day, and you can't even remember my name.

I remember your name, Diane. I just drew a blank.

Funny, I've never drawn a blank about you.

Not once. Why is that, Eph?

Diane. Zack's in the back, helping Matt.

Do what?

We're converting your old office into a game room.

Hey, Dad.

Hey, Zack.

How's it going, Eph?

OK.

So you're rebuilding this place, huh?

Yeah. Giant screen TV over here. Perfect size for a room like this.

Speakers here, and here.

This'll be a great new space for us.

Listen... I know this is awkward, but I don't want it to be.

Um...

Just make her happy.

Just make them happy. That's all I ask.

You got it.

Oh. Oh, OK.

Great.

Mind if I speak with my son?

No, of course. You know, in time, I bet you and I will become good friends.

Maybe.

Hey, Zack, Zack, I gotta go.

Because of that plane. I know.

I wanted to talk about the custody hearing tomorrow.

OK.

Just don't be late.

I won't. I won't be.

I mean it.

So what about it?

Uh...

It is a weird situation, huh, for all of us?

Mom says the judge will ask all kinds of questions.

Yeah, he will. Or she will. Whoever it is, they will.

Have you thought about what you were gonna say?

Mom says I should just say how I feel.

Absolutely, just be honest, just speak from your heart.

What are you gonna say?

Me? Same thing.

My feelings. I'm gonna say you're the most important person in the world to me, because you are, and that I want joint custody.

What's that?

That means...

that you get to spend as much time with me as you do with your mother.

And I know that's what you want, right?

Yeah... But if you're always so busy...

I won't be, not after I put this case to bed.

You always say that. And I know you mean it, but it's never true.

Zack, Zack, look at me...

This time, it will be.

I didn't think you were gonna show.

Keeping commitments is...

Is part of my recovery process.

Hi, my name's Eph.

I'm an alcoholic.

(Greetings)

I've been sober one year and eleven days.

I'm in therapy.

Learning about myself.

It's a journey of discovery. Uh...

I'm passive-aggressive and actively aggressive, which is a rare combination, I'm told.

Let's see, what else? I'm controlling. I'm self-centered.

I'm emotionally distant for my family.

Oh, and the greatest sin of all:

I love my work.

But I'm taking it all in, you know, I'm owning it.

And it's really making a difference.

My wife's divorcing me, and screwing this new dude...

in my bed. In my house, on which I'm still making payments.

There I go again, right, Richard? My sponsor says that I use sarcasm to avoid my real feelings, that if I truly loved Kelly, I would be happy for her, I wouldn't resent her...

I'm trying, Richard.

But it is a very steep hill.

I saw them right before I came here.

All three of them together.

Doing things I never had time to do, still don't have time to do...

I wanted a drink.

I passed a bar after I left there.

But I came here.

Because I can't blow it with Zack.

Because he is all that I have left.

He's my whole world.

(applause)

(muffled music)

(hard rock music)

Are you ready to party with me?

Yeah!

(giggling)

You smell beautiful. I bet you taste even better.

You okay, Gabe?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm still on German time.

Keep the b*at going. I'll catch up.

(sound of blood pumping)

(screaming)

You bit me, you bastard!

Bullshit.

I'm bleeding. He bit me hard!

Get out.

Get out! Out!

Out!

You're crazy!

(sound of blood pumping)

What's wrong?

Redfern just went into a tailspin.

Lester's with him. Here's the path report.

I've never seen anything like it.

This is crazy: Aberrant, foreign cells...

nuclear pleomorphism.

Biphenotypic appearance... It's like something shanghaied his cellular machinery and is creating something totally different.

We've sedated him for the pain, started fluids, but...

Antibody studies back in yet?

No.

How you feeling, Doyle?

Boiling.

Skin's crawling. I feel like I swallowed a razor.

UV light.

Watch your eyes.

A scar. Same place as the airline victims.

It just healed so fast we couldn't see it without UV light.

Eph, look!

Jim, find Barnes. Tell him that Redfern's gone critical.

He's gonna be really pissed when he finds out you've been treating him.

I don't give a sh*t! Tell him that one of the survivors is very sick.

Tell him we need to corral the rest of the survivors and anybody they've had contact with.

Now.

Yes, sir.

The autopsies should have turned something up by now.

Dr. Bennett is still not answering.

It went straight to voice mail again.

Well, if the mountain won't come to Muhammad...

We're going to the morgue.

Dr. Goodweather? This is Laurie from the CDC exchange.

There's a Gary Arnot calling.

Yeah, OK.


Hello?

Yes, Doctor, this is Gary Arnot.

I'm Emma's...

I know who you are, Mr. Arnot.

First of all, I just wanted to say


that I'm sorry for what I did, and to thank you for sending my little girl home to me.

What? Are you saying someone released her body to you?

No, not her body.

Emma's alive. She showed up on my doorstep this morning.

Uh, Mr. Arnot, I'm a little confused.

Are you telling me...

You don't believe me?

You know what? Fine, whatever.

No, no no no.

I'm just trying to...

My daughter's home safe.


That's all that matters. Thank you very much.

Do you think it's possible she's alive?

He's in shock. He's seeing ghosts.

I examined her in her seat, she's dead.

When we boarded that plane, everybody looked dead.

Then four of them woke up.

Could these worms somehow induce some sort of state of hibernation?

Like tsetse flies?

We'll find out in ten minutes.

If she's dead, she'll be at the morgue.

Sir?

I know you don't wanna hear this, but I've been with you a long time and listened to a lot of doctors promise you a lot of things.

I've seen what can be done and what can't.

These people... They're deceiving you.

These people have power beyond anything you can imagine.

In time, you also will benefit from that power.

Stay with the car.

I need to do this alone.

The sun has fallen.

You are very fortunate, Mr. Palmer.

He has chosen you to bear witness to his glory.

(growling)

Welcome to the New World.

You brought me all the way here.

Aren't you going to look at me?

(whimpering)

(creature growling)

Hello? Anybody here?

(Phones ringing)

Dr. Bennett?

Dr. Bennett, you OK?

Hello?

(clanking)

Every bag is empty. Every single one.

(I Love You song from Barney playing faintly)

(low growling)

(screaming)
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