02x06 - Identity

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Strain". Aired: July 2014 to September 2017.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


"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.
Post Reply

02x06 - Identity

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on "The Strain"...

You may have resigned from Stoneheart, but you haven't resigned from Eldritch Palmer.

You can break this chain of misguided loyalty once and for all.

I'm not gonna change my mind.

Yes, you will.

You already have.

Finding a cure or making a vaccine is nearly impossible.

But what we can do is take everything we know about how to stop an epidemic and use that knowledge to start one.

Infect the infected.

Break the chain.

This thing works. And it's spreading.

So we go straight to Washington DC tomorrow morning.

Washington DC?

Rob Bradley. He's true blue, we go way back. He can get us in front of all the right people.

Don't you think our little family group is gonna draw attention?

I'm not leaving Zack behind.

You wouldn't be leaving him.

He would be here with me.

You're not going?

I appreciate you still trying to do something about this.

You're lying.

Trust me, Eph.

I can't trust you, Barnes. I know you.

Ahh!

Anybody help a guy trying to stay off the streets at night?

Hungry, too!

Get stung!

Help brother out?

The truck's all yours. If you're hungry, there's 2,000 pounds of frozen shrimp in the back.

Thank you.

God bless.

(Theme music)

(Dog barking)

(Crows cawing)

Rough night?

(Sings)

Great night.

Rough morning.

I remember those.

You used to live for those, Eph.

You had more hair then.

Yeah! It was time for a new look.

It's great to see you.

Hey, how you doing, buddy? God, I missed you.

It's been interesting times.

Yeah.

You all right? What's going on?

Ah, sh*t, Eph.

I got a lot to tell you. And, uh, it's "Jonathan."

Should we take this inside, Jonathan? Come on.

Jesus, Eph. I mean, I knew things were bad in NYC, but I didn't realize quite...

There's a massive disconnect between what they're saying they're doing to fight this disease and what they're actually doing.

Yeah, I mean we've had some incidents... but the m*llitary has deployed massive resources. They've got the city locked up.

It's nothing like New York.

That's because you were able to get out in front of it. That's one of the more difficult things about fighting this disease: it fights back.

I'm really sorry about Kelly. I don't even know what to say.

How's Zack taking it?

About as badly as could be expected.

Uh, so are we gonna talk about the blood on your shirt and the g*n?

No.

Come here.

Holy sh*t. What is that?

See those cysts?

I did that. I found a way to k*ll these things.

It's a bio-w*apon. It's crude, needs to be refined. But it works.

What do you need?

I need to scale it up.

I need your access. We need to play politics here.

Run it through the labyrinth, except we don't have months, we have hours.

Starting with the pharmaceutical company Kemerall, they manufactured a reacting agent. We need to take it wide.

Then we take it to DOD to disperse it.

First of all, you gotta stop calling it a bio-w*apon.

As germ warfare is nasty, it'll scare people off.

Then there's a little thing called the Geneva Protocol...

These aren't human beings, not anymore.

What I'm saying is this is delicate. All right? Far too delicate for DOD.

I sh**t hoops with the Chief of the National Guard.

That could work.

And, lucky for you, I have a great contact at Kemerall.

Oh yeah? What's her name?

(Car alarm wailing)

Hi.

Hi.

Who are you?

That's a good question.

Thanks for the introduction.

Is this your son?

No, no, no.

No, his old man's away on an important mission.

He might be gone for a while but...

Till he gets back we're gonna look after Z Man. Right, Z Man?

Mm... hmm, yeah.

I'm gonna go eat in my room.

He's shy.

Or he doesn't like you.

Thanks.

(Knocking)

Zack, did your dad say anything to you about how long he might be gone?

No.

Well, it could be a couple days; it could also be quite a bit longer than that.

He goes on work trips all the time.

When I was little, he went to Africa for, like, six months.

Are you okay?

With me? With everybody?

I'm fine.

How are you?

I'm okay.

Thanks for asking, young man.

(Alarm wailing)

(Gasping)

You can cool it with the silent treatment, bro.

I know it's you.

Admit it.

All right, okay, fine.

It's just some crazy coincidence. I mean...

I mean, your name is Angel, and you limp on the same knee that he got hurt on.

Coincidences happen.

I agree.

But you gotta love those Silver Angel movies, right?

Garbage.

Worthless garbage.

Hey, don't insult the man! He's not here to defend himself.

See, me myself personally, now I done seen 'em all.

Right, they got uh, Silver Angel vs. the Robot Assassin.

No, no, how about the Silver Angel vs. the Rage of the Witch?

Ooh! Hey, and that one, there's this part right where, where this crazy bitch is about to light this little boy on fire, right?

And Angel, he does this backflip, and just... just bah!

He sends that bitch flying!

(Chuckles)

I dunno, man, if it was me, I'd be proud of all of that sh*t, you know.

I mean, I'd want the world to know about that. I'd be like, I'm Angel de la Plata, how you doing?

Callate!

You want to believe it so bad? Yes!

I am Angel de la Plata. Happy?

Will you stop now?

I think there's something you should see.

Okay, so whenever I come down here, he's always watching the same part of this one movie.

And I just assumed he was a fan.

?

Oh, yeah, this is the last one he did.

It's the Silver Angel vs. the Lord of Darkness.

You see that? That's where he hurt his knee. Lemme see.

Right there.

He never wrestled again.

(Moaning in pain)

Your contact is fifteen minutes late.

This is DC. Thirty's late. Fifteen's on time.

Why don't you have a face-tightener, huh, get loose?

Later, for sure. Right now I need to stay sharp.

Congress continues to prepare articles of impeachment, citing the President's dereliction of duty and negligence in his administration's response to the growing epidemic that has incapacitated New York City Meantime, debate on the House floor has degraded into personal att*cks...

A fist fight broke out in the Senate chambers today between majority and minority leaders.


That is just what we elected them to do. Panic.

Jeez.

Robert.

Oh, hey! How you doing?

Leigh, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine just in from New York. Jon Crowley, Leigh Thomas.

I thought New York was fully quarantined. How'd you get out?

Jon used to work for the Centers for Disease Control.

He's a smart and ingenious guy, can't you tell?

Oh, and still got his credentials.

Former CDC? You heard about Everett Barnes?

Oh, God, what happened? He finally grow a pair of balls?

He's dead. Fell off a train coming into DC.

Yeah... "fell."

Deep, dark sh*t going on.

Start you off with anything, Ms. Thomson?

Martini?

Make it dirty, Raoul.

Another old-fashioned for Mr. Bradley. Jon?

I'll have the same.

So, Jon, Rob tells me you have a plan to save the world.

(Laughing)

Soft sell as always. Thanks, Rob.

Hmm! Your numbers seem really good.

What's your vision for dispersion?

Variable, depending on density of infected and weather conditions.

For Manhattan, I'd say 100 kilos for a five-day window.

This is brilliant.

You've figured out a way to exploit the mechanics.

This att*cks the cerebrospinal fluid, strangling the brain stem.

With 100 kilos, your rate of mortality could reach as high as three million. Did you think of adding a steroid to increase the mortality rate?

That's a good thought, but our predicted rate is near 100 percent as is.

You studied biochemistry?

At Princeton.

Wait, all right, hold on. You're saying there are 3 million infected in New York City?

There will be by the time we get this tested, refined, and mass produced.

Jesus.

Wow, I mean, this could be your polio vaccine, Leigh.

Hm?

This solution stops these things in their tracks.

We can study it further once it's contained, but not before.

Okay? You have to promise me.

We cannot do this in stages.

What's your angle, Jon?

Well, would you believe it when I said I-I didn't have one?

No.

I lost a good friend to this thing.

And another friend of mine lost his wife.

It's more than just an outbreak to me.

Let me make a call.

Rob, about Barnes...

No. Don't say anything.

It's not what you think...

What I think is it's none of my business, all right?

Or yours. So just... don't say a word, all right?

I left word with our Chief Research Officer.

I'll pitch him on it with my full support.

Now, Palmer's was buying properties here, here, here, plus six or seven more upstate.

He was hiring architects, contractors, offering to triple their wages.

Why? What's he turning them into?

I don't know. Whenever the plans were being discussed with Eichorst, I was asked to leave the room.

Conveniently, you have no idea.

That's funny. I don't remember you calling bullshit when I spared your life.

I do know he bought these industrial properties, and the team rebuilding them is the same team Stoneheart uses to build black site prisons on contract for the US m*llitary.

What's driving him?

Pardon?

He has all the money and power he ever needs.

Why is he doing this? What does he want?

Palmer's been on the precipice of death for 50 years.

Some people might make peace with that, but Palmer... he made a bargain instead.

He wants to be one of them.

Wait.

Are you saying that he started an apocalypse to become a muncher?

No, not just any muncher, an elevated one.

He believes he's going to be the Master's partner.

Damn.

I have a delivery, to 111th and Madison.

Don't you realize how psychotic this is or are you really in that much denial?

This restaurant is paying for your education, huh?

What education, Dad?

Classes are canceled indefinitely, so what am I studying for?

Tut!

I'm not having this discussion.

You know, it can be dangerous out there even during the day.

I can go with you.

I'll go with her if she needs help.

With all due respect, got a lot more experience dealing with these monsters than you do.

She'll be all right.

The only way I'm letting her walk out of here with some horny gangbanger is if I am dead.

Oh yeah?

Yeah.

Dishwasher?

Why don't we do this? Why don't we let her decide?

So what are you studying?

Ah, pre-med.

Really?

Organic chemistry and physics.

I was going to be a pulmonologist.

Save your breath.

He doesn't know what you're talking about.

Yeah, and you do?

A lung doctor.

Yeah, but now I'm not so sure.

You don't have to give up on your dream just because...

It's not my exact dream. My mom's cousin's a pulmonologist and she makes really good money.

I thought once I got to med school, I could make my own choices, but... just now everything's changing...

Come on.

What a gentleman.

Where'd you learn those manners?

Same place you got your tattoos?

Okay, I get it, man. I thought I knew you, so you want to give me a hard time.

So here it is.

I went to prison. I was a thief.

I wanted to be a fighter, but I couldn't make a living at it.

So I broke my mother's heart, and I did a bid upstate.

Now I'm nothing.

You happy?

Do I look happy?

Okay, come on, guys. We're here.

Uh, $99.75 and that's including $50 for the delivery fee.

Keep the change.

Nice. Twenty-five cent tip.

Split it three ways?

(Growling)

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on!

Hey! Behind you! Behind you! Look out!

(Screaming in pain)

You okay?

Can't you tell?

C'mon, c'mon, I got you. Let's go.

Let's go. I got you.
So, I'm doing this stint at Doctors Without Borders, setting up a small clinic in Kinshasa administering the MMR vaccine to children.

Week three or so, the m*llitary decides we're infecting the kids, not inoculating them, shut us down, threw me in jail.

Jail! Oh, my God.

Oh yeah.

Claimed I was part of an American spy operation.

Credentials don't mean sh*t when they decide you're a spy.

Finally, day four, this guy shows up from Doctors Without Borders, saying he's my boss, gets me out of jail.

"Saying" he's your boss?

Never seen him before in my life.

Turns out he's not with Doctors Without Borders at all.

He's with the...

US State Department.

Well, that's not the first time I played doctor.

That's how you guys met?

Uh-huh.

Yeah. I got the clinic up and running, and Rob and I hung out for the rest of my time there.

I knew you were a spy.

I was a defense attaché attached to the State Department, I'll have you know.

That means he was a spy.

(Cell phone ringing)

This is Leigh.

Thanks, Jonas. Yeah. Great.

Will do.

The CRO wants a meeting tomorrow. We're in play.

Yes.

Big hurdle. But let's not forget, this is just the first step.

Where you going?

Oh, I have a date with the lady I met last night.

You two seem to be getting on okay, so... why don't you let yourself in?

Rob's a man of many talents.

He's good at putting people together.

So what did he tell you about me?

Ah, he said Leigh Thomas is smart.

Diligent. Ambitious.

An okay dancer?

He said phenomenal.

Hm!

He wouldn't know, you know.

Oh no.

Oh, he's tried. They all try.

The lobbyists?

It's the culture. Wining, dining.

It's part of the job, or so they think.

It must get so tiring, saying no all the time.

I don't say no all the time.

Rob didn't say much about you.

Old friend, but wouldn't get specific.

Building the mystery.

I like mystery.

No, he's here. He's fine.

Well, I-I'm fine, too, thanks for asking.

Uh, o-okay, Rob.

Hey, wish me luck today.

Your friend checking up on you since you never came home.

He seemed worried.

You should know there are some people who might not want to see this disease stopped.

Seriously?

Yeah.

Bring 'em on. I love a good scuffle.

And how are you this morning?

Drank too much.

Any other regrets?

None.

What's this?

Standard NDA for your signature.

Non-disclosure?

This isn't an NDA. This is a waiver signing everything over to Kemerall.

You know they won't look at anything without an exclusivity agreement and proprietary rights.

Under normal circumstances, yeah, but not when there is a outbreak threatening the entire human population.

Did you honestly think they'd agree to this on a handshake?

This is astonishing. Even when the world is going to total sh*t, people can't get past their own self-interest.

This is my job.

I'm doing exactly what you wanted me to do.

If we hadn't spent the night together, you wouldn't be asking these questions.

Sign the paper.

You know how this works.

That's good on you.

Pitiful, this city of New York.

I expected Constantinople, Baghdad before the Mongols.

Rome. Oh.

Those were cities. This is a factory.

A machine.

I can see why he started here.

You indulged him. You looked the other way for too long.

Perhaps you're growing complacent.

You should have stopped him 70 years ago, if not seven centuries ago.

(Sighing)

I get no pleasure from your anxiety.

I trained Vaun and the others to be better; they failed us.

I'm here now.

I will stop him.

But for my own reasons.

I sensed him when he was injured.

I need to know who got close enough to hurt him.

And I need human hunters who can work during the day.

That is, if you have any left.

Oh...

Do you think these would fit you?

Nora, I don't wear underwear with pictures on 'em.

Right. Me neither.

Have at it, kiddo.

Hey.

How you doing, Justine?

Gettin' through it.

We are a day or two away from declaring Red Hook infection-free.

Really?

Then what's next?

The Mayor is pressuring me to move into Manhattan, but it's gotta be someplace winnable.

Yeah...

Hey, these are awesome!

Look at these!

Wow!

Can we take a few things? Do you mind?

Your kid?

No, no. Um, his dad left town.

I don't know if he's coming back.

His mother, she's... she's already gone.

Turned?

Mm-hmm.

Doesn't he have any other family you could contact?

I mean, grandparents?

We tried the mother's parents they live on Sea Island, Georgia, but I haven't been able to reach them, and have no way of knowing if they've been trying to contact us.

It's late.

We should get going.

Oh, hey, Bennett, give these good people a ride home.

Thank you.

Not so easy to get humans to do your bidding, is it?

Human laziness and distraction benefited us in the initial stage of our plan.

Now it is an obstacle.

The Master's breed are a superior race in every respect.

The Ancients att*cked me at my home.

Singled me out for kidnapping or death.

We saw that you were quite efficient with your UV laser trap.

Are there any other devices in your penthouse we should be aware of.

I need to speak with the Master, immediately.

I will pass along your request.

It is not a request.

You know what's happening tomorrow.

Once we deploy the next phase, we are on a very specific clock.

Is he hurt?

There is something you're not telling me.

You do yourself no favor by questioning him.

I need to know that our plan is not in jeopardy before I proceed. And that he is able to uphold his side of the bargain.

Let me assure you...

Your assurance is not enough!

I assure you, I didn't become one of the wealthiest men in the world by being played for a fool.

Either he is ignoring me or avoiding me.

Tell him he does so at his peril.

For your sake, I shall tell him no such thing.

This is the largest deployment of National Guard troops in history.

So when I ear criticism of our efforts, naturally it gets my fur up.

Have you been to New York City since the virus broke?

And I mean not in a chopper surveying the island.

I mean on the ground, up close and personal.

We've thrown a ton of resources at New York, but I admit things have gone sideways in Manhattan.

"Sideways" is generous. The city is eating itself.

He's passionate about this, Dean.

I thought you'd appreciate that. Zero rhetoric.

But who's going to oversee this?

Logistics, accounting, manufacturing, distribution.

You need a huge company in the m*llitary sector.

Like Stoneheart Corporation...

No, not Stoneheart.

Any other private sector company, but I don't want this getting sucked into Eldritch Palmer's empire.

We'll find the right partner. We can work out particulars as we go, but you're down with saving this country, right, General?

I thought you said no rhetoric.

No rhetoric. Saving this country.

Get me a canister of this whatever-it-is.

We'll want to field-test it ourselves.

Which means?

Meaning yes.

I'll help make this happen.

All right.

(Radio transmission)

Black hair, dark eyes.

Five ten, 120...


Jesus Christ! sh*t!

What was that?!

You two stay in here.

Oh, my God.

(Growling)

(Thud)

(Growling)

When I say go, I want you to run as fast as you can into that church. Understand?

Okay.

Okay, go! Go!

Run! Run!

(Growling)

Go! Go!

(Growling)

It's locked!

Come on in!

Was... was that my mom?

Come on.

"Do not allow your guilt to get the better of you. What's done is done and cannot be changed. Things without all remedy should be without regard." Shakespeare.

(Cell phone ringing)

Hello?

We're on our way.

Grab your weapons.

Come on. Let's go! Let's go!

(Hissing)

Oh, my God...

(Growling)

sh*t!

(Wheezing)

Okay, come on.

(Sniffing)

(Clicking sound)

(Growling)

Let's go!

(Snarling)

Come on.

(Coughing)

(Growling)

Shh, shh....

Nora!

Here!

Be careful! They're fast.

Yeah, I know.

Let's get to the truck.

(Growling)

(Empty chamber sound)

What is that thing?

I don't know.

Watch out!

Ah!!

There...

(Screeching growl)

Hey, Mama Bear.

Yeah, I know what it means.

Don't let me become one of them.

There's no other choice.

Get him to the truck.

Thank you for your help.

I did what I could.

Tell my brother I tried.

I will convey your message.

Please, just make this...

You don't think I could use that phone to call New York, do you?

You can try, but you won't get through.

I try to call my brother every hour.

Make it two.

Sure.

Well?

He went for it.

Yes!

Long way to go. Kemerall needs to duplicate the science.

But the door is open.

If your product can withstand the scrutiny...

It can.

Then we could have a firm up or down answer in 72 hours.

True to my word.

I didn't doubt it. It's just it's so g*dd*mn important, I wish I could walk it through myself.

Why can't you?

(Sighing)

It's a long story.

The most important thing is that we push this through as fast as possible.

Seventy-two hours?

They're gonna test it tonight.

That's lightning fast.

Keep pushing financial upside.

This is the beginning of a long siege.

To the future.

The future.

Let's get out of here.

Rob?

Rob!

Hey!

You home?

Good news!

Rob!

Huh.

Not here.

So we wait.

I don't want to wait! I want to keep this going.

Call him on your cell!

Uh... right.

(Chuckling)

Oh, straight to voice mail.

This morning when you thought last night was just about me getting you to sign that release, that really hurt.

I'm sorry.

I don't know who to trust right now.

So, what now?

Hmm... How about this?

You know, I was thinking we should keep half of that sample to ourselves and the other half to the National Guard.

Oh my God, are you actually still talking about this?

(Screaming)

Oh, my God...

I'll call 911!

No, don't! Leigh, wait!

sh*t! Oh, sh*t!

Goodweather.

Leigh.

Now, just run. He's here for me, not for you.

No! Leigh!

Leigh!

Who are you?

The great transformation is imminent, Gabriel.

You are blessed to be invited to witness it.

I only wish to serve him.

Can you comprehend how profound this honor is for me?

No.

Of course not.

Wait here.

You will witness something extraordinary.

The moment is at hand.

My lord.

My liege.

I stand ready to receive your infinite power.

Do you seek communion with the lord, my son?

All my life I waited to hear the voice of God inside of me.

To receive him in me.

No.

This is my body.

Master.

(Retching)

(Screaming)

Master!

Master! Master!

(Sobbing)

Eichorst.

Prove to me no matter what form I take, you shall serve me.

Kneel.

Yeah...

Forever, Master.
Post Reply