04x02 - The Blood Tax

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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04x02 - The Blood Tax

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on The Strain...

Mr. Desai, your duties
are about to expand

greatly.

You will be pleased to learn
that we have a great need

for a helpful human confederate.

- I hate you!
- (Gasping)

Behind the wall, come on!

No one will forget the
terrors of Illumination Day.

Nine months later we are
marching forward into a new era.

Thanks to the cooperation that is
at the heart of The Partnership,

everyone's needs are being met.
Just keep your blood donations

up to date and comprehensive
health care will be yours

at absolutely no cost.

Strigs!

(Growling)

Why don't you just
get it over with now, huh?

Sit down.

Help me! Help me? Please,
if you walk away, I'll die!

g*dd*mn it.

(Alarm beeping)

_

- Where are you going?
- Going out to get a newspaper.

There's more I want to tell you.

Tell it to the moon. She
takes all my messages.

(Laughing)

Hey, what're you doing Christmas?

Safety.

Nutrition. Health care.

The chance to work, to be
challenged, and to grow.

The sad truth is that,
in our former world,

these were all privileges of the
elite. Now, they're available

to all of us.

That's all thanks to The Partnership.

They understand what it takes
to let the human spirit thrive.

- (Growling)
- And all they ask for in return

is something we can all
very easily part with.

Morning, Eddie. How's it going?

It's going.

Have a good one, Raul.

Hi. I'm Sanjay Desai,
Chief Health Care Officer

for The Partnership. Now,
these donations you're making,

they're vital.

Vital to the society
we are building all around you.

A society that will benefit every
living creature on this planet.

There'll be no more v*olence, no crime.

And we will all get to pursue
our own happiness in peace.

This is our future, my friends.

And it's a bright one.

(Grunting)

Didn't I always tell
you to watch your back?

(Laughing)

- Gus?
- What's up, little cousin?

Good to see you, man. Look at you.

- How you been?
- I thought you were dead.

Yeah, yeah. A couple
times I thought I was too,

but here I am.

Look, so what's going on?

(Voices nearby)

Look, man.

I need you to help get me into
that building where you work.

You know, when no one's around.

Look, I can't help you

- steal from the...
- Hey, hey, hey.

Who said
anything about stealing?

It's more like reallocating.

- Huh?
- You just gotta trust me.

It's just... if I get
caught helping you...

You think I would let
something happen to you?

- It's not that, man, it's...
- Raul,

just listen to me, okay?

You remember what your
dad used to always tell us?

A good man takes care of his family.

That's right.

I'm here to take care of you now.

We gotta take care of each other.

♪♪

(Squishy sound)

(Gasping softly)

The ultrasound shows that your
uterus is perfectly normal.

No reason why a baby couldn't
settle in nicely there.

Now, we know from your hormonal
tests that you've been ovulating

as expected. Your
eggs should be healthy.

So... are you eating enough?

- Getting enough rest?
- Plenty.

Well, then, maybe this
next cycle will be the one.

You should be ovulating

five or six days from
now, so I'll see you then

and we will do our very best, all right?

(Footsteps retreating)

It's a nice place you got here.

It's a hellhole and you know it.

- Kinda homey.
- If your home's in hell.

Look, Bob, don't patronize me.

I know this place is
a dump. Not as clean

as what's-his-name would keep it.

- Hey. Good luck.
- Thanks.

Take this chart down
to ultrasound for me.

Thank you.

Hello, this is Nurse Greenwood.

I'd like an update on that file

- that I gave you yesterday.
- She always changes her mind.

You know, after you were born we were
trying to decide on a name to call you,

and she wanted to call you Herb.

Don't worry, Miranda.

Sometimes it just takes a little while.

What kind of name is that?

He's in the back.

Dale, Dale, Dale. C'mon. C'mon.

We ain't sittin' around.
I want to play cards, man.

Your customers are here.

Professor. And the Duchess.

What have you got for me today?

- Are they fresh?
- Don't insult me, Elizalde.

- All right.
- It seems your...

operation has expanded.

Yeah, I got a new partner now.

You remember Creem.

Yes, I remember.

It's the old man that
bought the magic book.

Looks like that didn't work
out too well for you, huh?

It was either this

or our gangs were gonna k*ll each other.

At least I still have the book.

It doesn't seem you can say the same

- for your $323 million.
- Yeah, well,

nuclear w*r wasn't good for the economy.

- No one wanted my gold certificates.
- Or your paintings

or all your other

material trappings. Even
greed has its limits.

- What about your book?
- The Lumen continues

to be of vital importance.

Whatever you say.

Hey, I believe you, Professor.

When the time comes,

we're gonna need people like you.

Experienced fighters.

I'd say I've had too
much experience already,

if you know what I mean.

This is my fight now.

Besides, who else is gonna make
sure you got your pills, right?

He is capable of so much more.

You can't force someone to fight

- if their heart's not in it.
- Where are you taking me?

- What's going on?
- Why are you doing this?

God, they're doing a
raid on our building.

Come on, Professor,
let's get out of here.

No,

- the Lumen.
- The book'll be fine;

they'll never find it.
We'll come back for it later.

- Come on!
- No, look!

We cannot let the Lumen burn.

- (Grunting)
- Professor?

Please.

All right, look. Meet me at our
spot by the river. Stay out of sight.

(Coughing)

(Growling)

(Hissing)

(Coughing)

(Coughing)

(Growling)

Ah!

(Growling)

Oh...

I was a fool.

I realize now that...

everything gained

can just as easily be lost.

The book is safe, Professor.

We'll go back there and get it,

as soon as we get out of this.

I'm not talking about
the book, Ms. Velders,

but about humanity.

For every stride,

every turn toward goodness

people make,

we want to believe that
the progress is lasting.

Irreversible.

We wanted to believe this so badly

that we let down our guard.

And our own evil

crept back into us.

Hi, this is Sanjay Desai,
Chief Health Care Officer

for The Partnership, offering you

- a warm welcome.
- What are we doing here?

- What are we supposed to do?
- In an effort to improve

the lives of all of our
residents of New York,

you are being transferred to more secure

and comfortable residential facilities.

- Where do we go?
- Yeah, I'm going!

This process is simply a security check.

Thank you for your
patience, cooperation,

and welcome to your new community.

You, stay there!

Get over there, now! Move it! Move it!

(Men shouting)

I have seen this before.

On that side.

- (Screeching)
- You! Come here!

- No! No! No! No! No!
- No, Mommy, no!

Mommy!

Leave him alone!

(Screaming in pain)

No! Stop it!

(Roaring)

Get off of him! Get off him!

(Shrieking)

(Growling)

No! Setrakian! Stop it!

- I said, move!
- Setrakian! No! No!

No!

No!

Setrakian!

_

You want some fruit?

No, thanks.

Not a big fan of pineapple.

Hey, look. Lucy's painting again.

What's your call? Puppy
or red-headed beefcake?

Puppy.

Hey, Lucy, let us see it!

(Laughing)

Beautiful! I love it.

Give it up, loser.

So, one more day

'til you ride that bozo
out into the sunset.

Well, there aren't really sunsets
anymore but, yeah,

that's the plan.

Unless you've changed your mind?

If you want to get out with me, we
still can come up with something.

Nah. Thanks, I'm good.

- You sure?
- Yeah.

It took six damn tries,
but I'm finally pregnant.

Which means I'm safe.

Safe is a relative term, Rosalinda.

Look, I know this isn't paradise.

But at least in here I can
pretend things are normal.

It's a hell of a lot
better than being out there.

Not for me it isn't.

_

(Breath intake)

Any word from Wilkins and Roach?

(Grunting)

Sorry.

He can take it. He's been
known to argue vociferously

about how men have a higher
pain tolerance than women.

- Mm-hmm.
- That's definitely not true.

See? And that is coming from a
doctor. So you can admit that it hurts.

Doesn't hurt. I love it.

Isn't there anything
else that we can do?

In the absence of antibiotics,
we just have to wait and see.

What's with the firepower? You
have a bigger target or what?

What firepower?

The fertilizer bombs.

From the smell, it's either that

or you're raising livestock in here.

Fair enough.

Yeah, the plan is to take
out as many buses as we can.

It's the easiest way
to take out multiple strigoi.

And multiple people.

There's no guarantee
of safety in this world.

I understand that, but... you're
pushing your luck with that sh*t.

What luck?

And anyway, what's the alternative?

Pretend like everything's normal?

Trust the powers that be
to act in our best interest?

That's how we got to
where we are right now.

Too many people sitting back

just hoping for the best.

That I agree with.

Your cousin pussied out. We came
all the way out here for nothing.

Gus!

Gus! Hey.

I told you we could trust him.

W'sup, cuz? You all right, man?

- Hey.
- You good?

Hey, guys.

So, what do we do? What's the move?

So, that's the way in. Right there.

Good. Let's go.

Hold on. Hold on.

First, we gotta take out that
sentinel. I'll take care of it.

You guys lay low, all right?

Move.

(Shrieking)

Ah, man.

- C'mon! Let's go!
- Okay. This way.

Two of you,

make sure one of the
trucks is ready to go.

Okay. Come on!

(Chuckling)

Woo! That's what I'm
talking about, Raul.

What'd I tell you, man?

How'd they even grow this
sh*t without sunlight?

The Partnership has grow houses
run with ultraviolet light.

That's perfect. They're using tricks
they got from the drug dealers.

Come on, let's get
this sh*t out of here.

Get that side.

I see you looking at it.

There you go.

- Raul?
- Back up! Back up!

Gus, it's cool! I know him.

What's going on, Eddie?

Hey, man. You're not
supposed to be in here.

Right. Yeah, man. My mistake.

Look, we're just gonna
get out of here, okay?

I mean, you and me, we're cool, right?

- No one needs to know about this?
- Oh, look, I'm supposed

to be keeping an eye on this
place. I gotta report this.

Listen.

Eddie.

It's Eddie, right?

Yeah.

Look, there's gotta be something

or some way we can work this out.

Right? We have a lot of
things we can offer you.

Food, medicine, liquor?

No, man, no. I don't
need none of those things.

I need this job. I've
got a family, Raul...

- (g*nsh*t)
- Jesus!

- Creem, what're you doing?
- Take it and go! Move, move, move!

- Damn it!
- Go, go, move!

Round this way! Round the back!

- (g*nshots)
- Creem, chill!

Creem! Chill, man!

Eddie!

Eddie, come out, bro.

Just come out and talk to us,
man. You're not gonna get hurt.

(Alarm blaring)

Creem, we gotta get
out of here. Come on.

Everybody inside. Let's go.

- Where's Eddie, man?
- I dunno. We lost him. Come on!

No, but he saw me. He's gonna
report me. I gotta find him.

Raul. You're coming with
us, all right? Come on!

Let's go, let's go!

- You got anything good?
- I'm leavin', man.

This is it. Home sweet home.

You got the kitchen over there,

couches.

Cozy, right? Make yourself comfortable.

Um,

where's the bathroom?

It's right back there to the left.

The toilet might not be
working, so there's a bucket.

So, this wasn't quite a gold mine

like you said it would be.

- Your cousin should have known.
- He had no reason to.

It's on me. I should
have done more recon.

He can stay here tonight, but that's it.

You think I'm gonna kick him out
after what he just did for us?

He don't got a job no more, Creem.

In case you forgot, this is a business.

Not some charity group-home bullshit.

I'm not doing charity.
Raul's gonna hold it down, trust me.

- You're not getting it, man.
- No, you're not getting it.

Raul's family.

He stays.

You got a problem with
that, you take it up with me.

(Scoffing)

I'll be back.

Hi, Jeremy.

Oh, hey, Miranda.

We all set for tomorrow?

Um, what's happening tomorrow?

Don't get cute with me.

You're bringing in the jizz
fridge and, when it's empty,

you're going to carry me back out in it.

Okay, listen.

I know I said I would do it,

and I want to do it. I
mean, I want to help you...

Look, they haven't stopped
you once on your way out,

no matter what you've been carrying.

You just need to get me back out
onto the truck, and we're home free.

And once they realize you're gone?

They'll never suspect you.

You're loyal.

They trust you.

Look, I just can't do it, Miranda.

I'm sorry.

I knew you'd do this.

I just knew you'd pull the
rug out right from under me

when I finally gave
in and slept with you.

That didn't happen.

Oh, but it did.

And if you don't follow
through with this,

I am gonna tell everyone what we
did in the medical storage room.

I think Mr. Desai

will be particularly interested.

He's very protective of us
B-positive girls.

I wonder what he'll
think when he finds out

you got your... material into the mix?

This is bullshit!

- What's going on?
- Krystal never came back

from her doctor's appointment this
morning, and now all of her stuff's gone.

She was only on her fifth insemination.

Now she's probably dead.

- What are you talking about?
- She must've been relocated.

Oh, right. To the wonderful
"B-positive living facility"?

Hey, dummies,

we are here because strigoi
like the taste of our blood

and they want us to make more of it.

So if we can't breed for them,
then what else are we good for?

This is not the time
to be talking about this.

They can get more blood
if they keep us alive.

They'll want to make sure that
we're healthy, that we're eating...

If that were true, then why
wouldn't they just keep us all here?

- And why all the g*dd*mn secrecy?
- What's going on here?

- Just the same bullshit.
- All right.

You need to settle down, miss.

And you need to stop lying to us, bitch!

- (Gasping)
- (Light knock)

Now you've done it.

- You need to stop this.
- I'm not just some idiot.

Yeah, I know that.
But they're never gonna tell us

where Krystal and the others went.

But we both know it's not a place
that anyone would wanna go.

So it's a good thing
you get to stay here, right?

That is, unless you keep
making scenes like this.

Sir, I just hate to see you
have to interrupt your work.

This is my g*dd*mn work!

If you and your staff can't handle

these little disturbances,
I'm gonna have to.

No disturbances here.

Everything's fine.

Is it?

Just hunky-dory.

Right, girls?

(Approbations)

Hm. Well, it looks like

one of your patients has
done your job for you.

Miranda, isn't it?


Absolutely. I give you my word. Okay.

Thank you, Lauren.

Have a seat, Miranda.

I can see you're very frustrated here.

- Why would anyone be frustrated?
- (Chuckling)

Right.

I get it.

You're an intelligent woman,

you have skills, and you
find it a bit of an insult

that you're being asked to be a...

baby vessel, right?

Believe it or not, I'm very familiar
with the feeling of being undervalued.

I'll always be grateful to
people who saw my potential.

Gave me the opportunity to excel.

That's what I'm doing with you.

I want you to work for me, Miranda.

Be my special liaison
between myself and the ward.

I've seen these women.

They respect you.

They will listen to you.

So you want me to be the
mouthpiece for your bullshit?

Excuse me?

You know, the
"B-positive living facility"

that all the infertile
women disappear to?

Now, that is a very spacious,
very accommodating place.

Barely a downgrade from
the luxury of this place.

Sure.

What about the babies?

What's going to happen to
the first one when it's born?

Let me assure you,

those babies are of unbelievable
value to the Partnership.

They will want for nothing.

So they can eventually end
up as breeders, like us?

Okay, I'm a very
pragmatic person, Miranda,

and I'm getting a sense
that you are, too,

so why don't we cut
all the bullshit, okay?

Just be honest.

So, this whole post-Illumination

new-world crap, it's
not really my preference.

But, hey, it's the world
we're living in now, right?

Now, does that mean I don't understand

why some people might be resisting it?

No, of course not. I'm not an idiot.

But these people, they're delusional.

And, quite frankly,

they're selfish.

You think people trying to
resist this nightmare are selfish?

Yeah, I do, actually.

They're putting their own

misguided sense of righteousness above
the well-being of all of humanity.

If, instead, they would
follow, I don't know,

my example, maybe put all that energy
into actually helping one another,

then it wouldn't be such
a nightmare, would it?

No, it, uh...

it actually would be pretty great,

right?

So, what do you say?

You gonna help me, Miranda?

No.

Thank you.

Guess I'm not as
civic-minded as you are.

Quite the misanthrope, actually.

(Laughing)

Misanthrope?

All right. I guess that's your call.

Well, I hope you end up on the
right side of things, Miranda.

Because the sad thing is,

these delusional people?

They don't exactly thrive

in the new world.

Anyways, you know where to find me.

Still no fever. I think
you're out of the danger zone.

Just keep him clean, let him
get some rest, he should be fine.

Thank you. I don't know
what we would have done.

Thank you.

So, uh,

food and supplies?

Help yourself.

So, is this really the only
reason you came with us?

What other reason would there be?

I don't know.

It just seems like

- maybe you're more...
- (Banging on door)

- It's Roach! Alex!
- Roach! Roach! What happened?

Are you... Are you okay?

Right after the b*mb went off,
we got att*cked by strigoi.

I had to hide out by the
river until I was sure

- I wasn't being followed.
- Where's Wilkins?

He didn't make it.

- They captured him?
- No, that's the crazy thing,

they just drained him.

It's weird, right? I didn't think they
were doing that anymore.

They only do that
when there's a purpose.

After they've turned him, they'll
have access to all of his memories,

every piece of information he had.

He'll be a part of their
collective consciousness.

They drank him to get
to the rest of you.

You need to go. They could be
on their way here right now.

You heard him. Let's pack up. Fast!

- Where are you headed?
- It's fine. We have other hiding spots.

And did this Wilkins know about them?

sh*t. If he knew about them,

they're all blown.

I've got a place you can
go. But we need to go now.

Guys, come help me get these bombs out.

No, it's not enough time.

- Take the propane.
- But we need them.

Go.

I'll handle it.

- Right, guys, come on! Let's move it!
- Over there!

I've got your stuff.

(Snarling)

(Beeping)

(Shrieking)

- Let's get out of here.
- One second.

(Snarling)

Okay. We can go now.

(Soft sobbing)

Is everything all right in there?

- Miranda?
- Yeah.

(Toilet flushing)

Hey.

I'm bleeding.

Oh, sh*t.

I'm so sorry.

This is the second time for me.

If Desai finds out about this
one I'm gone, just like Krystal.

It's okay. It's okay.

We just... we should
just think for a minute.

You need to help me, Miranda.

My next exam is in less than a week.

Okay, follow me. Come on.

- Come on. Come on.
- What is this?

I can't take two.

- There's barely room for one!
- You're only taking one.

- For now.
- Wait, what do you mean "for now"?

- You're taking me next week.
- You've gotta be kidding me.

I'm not doing this twice.

Yes, you are, or do you want
me to speak to Mr. Desai?

Oh, you bitch.

Yeah, I've heard worse.
This is your air tube.

If you hide it here, they'll never
be able to see it from the outside.

- Okay.
- Remember.

The Olympian Club, West 54th Street.

When I get out, I'm gonna
come find you there.

- It's gonna be okay.
- Okay. Look,

if I'm not back outside in two minutes,

they're gonna come
in here looking for me.

(Banging)

I can't do it! I'm sorry!
I can't breathe in there.

Hey. Hey, it's okay,
it's okay. Yes, you can.

You just need to stay calm
and breathe slowly, okay?

No, you go.

I'm not leaving you here
while you're in trouble.

Okay, seriously, I need to leave!

This is your last chance!

Go on.

Hey! Hey, hey, hey!

- Help me!
- sh*t.

I can't be here. I can't be here.
I've gotta go! I've gotta go!

- Wait!
- No! You're not listening to me! Okay?

I need...

I just found two of your patients
in the medical storage room.

This isn't what it looks like. It's...

we... we were just trying...

Jeremy, care to explain?

I didn't touch them.

Is this true?

- Take him away.
- Oh my God!

Oh my God! No! No! No! She set me up!

She set me up! She was trying to escape!

I didn't do anything!
She blackmailed me!

I didn't do anything! This is bullshit!

- I didn't do anything!
- You ladies better come with me.

Mr. Desai is gonna have
a few questions for you.

Come along!

Let's go.

Right, when she gets back
you give her this bag.

- You've gotta take this one.
- _

We've gotta get 'em up
as fast as possible, okay?

Yeah.

You stick somebody up
there, they can see anyone

coming from either direction.

And if you get in trouble,
there's exits everywhere.

- I take it you've stayed here before?
- Yeah, yeah, it would have been

perfect, except I didn't
have enough fuel to keep warm.

But, with your supplies,
you should be golden.

All right? Good luck.

Listen, why don't you
stay with us? Help us?

- I'm good where I am, thank you.
- I don't believe that.

Hey, I've seen you. You're a fighter.

So why the hell aren't you fighting?

- Fighting cost me my kid.
- Yeah?

I lost a kid, too. So did Roach.
And Sway, he lost his whole family.

You think that means we should all
just lie down and give up?

It would do about the
same amount of good.

That's bullshit.

All right. Nobody here is gonna say
this to you, so here goes.

You're just provoking
them and getting people

injured and k*lled.

You're not going to win.

We just need to show people

that the strigoi aren't invincible. If
we can inspire just one single person

- to put down their stupid Partn...
- Trying to inspire people?

- That's what you're doing?
- Yes!

Then you need to be smarter.
You need to think bigger.

Anybody can plant a b*mb under a bus,

but those big Partnership buildings?

I saw them pumping tankerfuls
of blood into the pipes.

If you could find a way
to put something poisonous

into that blood, you could take out

thousands of strigoi and they
wouldn't know what hit them.

You should be doing things like that,

instead of messing around
with random bombings.

Okay,

let's do that.
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