The Strain

Previously on "The Strain"...

People of Red Hook! This day will go down in history

as a turning point. As the moment the people of New York

came together and stopped these bastards.

This is reputed to be an image

- from the Occido Lumen. - An ancient book.

If I can find it, it may tell me how to destroy the Master.

Still chasing it after all these years.

Soon I will have it. Tell me who has the book.

Rudyard Fonescu.

The boy from the convent. What happened to your ear?

My father, sir. He held my head against the stove

to drive off the devil, he said.

- Do you know how to use that thing? - Simple enough.

I'm guessing the rifle you're carrying

is not meant only for strigoi. - No, it's not.

- What are you going to do now? - I'm going to kill Eldritch Palmer.

I don't suppose you got all this stuff at the nearest Radio Shack.

Called in a favour.

What did you do for all these techie criminal weirdos

- that they owe you favours? - My mother taught me

that cultivating relationships is just as important

as cultivating skill.

- Especially for someone like me. - Like you how?

Someone who can't skate by in life just on her looks.

What?

If I showed you my school yearbook photo, you'd understand.

Yeah, well, you pulled it together pretty well.

How's that work?

The laser can read incredibly subtle vibrations on the window glass.

Isn't that how they found out where Bin Laden was hiding?

A rudimentary version of it, yeah.

This beauty has an interferometer,

which can convert the readings back into crystal-clear sound.

Or it will...

as soon as anybody's in there.

So, you wanna to tell me your life story?

Not really, no.

No, me neither.

You have raised your voices, my friends,

and we have answered:

the Safe Streets Initiative is coming

to the Upper East Side!

We're movin' on up!

Uh, and I will now pass the podium

to my fearless co-leader,

Councilwoman Justine Faraldo!

Thank you.

I remember walking by this very store

when I was a kid.

I was with my mother and my brother,

and my mother said, "If I worked for a month,

I couldn't afford to buy a key chain in that place."

Well, Ma, now I got keys to the front door!

We're going to make all of New York safe,

but we're coming here next.

But the safety and security that only we can provide

comes at a cost.

All residents of the Upper East Side

will contribute one percent of their property value

to the S.S.I., payable in gold, silver,

or other approved commodities.

Across the river in Brooklyn,

the good citizens of Red Hook rose up

and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with my men.

They paid with their blood.

Something tells me the Upper East Side would prefer

to pay with their wallets. Quality, as you people know,

does not come cheap.

So, Captain Kowalski

will now explain to you in detail implemented.

how the S.S.I. will be implemented.

Thank you.

Justine!

You can't do this.

Mayor, I just did.

Settle down, people.

- Has anyone ever actually seen this book? - I'm not leaving you behind.

Several people have seen it.

None of them, however, are available to discuss it.

There are strange stories

of the book turning up in India

and Burma, always

presaging massacres, upheavals.

So if we find this, it might hurt us.

You're not wrong, Dr. Martinez.

In 1856, it was listed

as part of an auction in Marseille.

The auction was canceled

when a mysterious outbreak gripped the city.

Since then the book has disappeared.

It is said to be cursed, bringing death and disaster

to anyone who reads it.

But I'm willing to take that risk.

Stay here.

What are you doing here?

You walk up three flights

- every time you come in and out? - That's how it works.

I, uh...

I...

I've come to apologize.

It's too late for that.

Coco, I've never felt anything like this.

It's like I'm being burned alive.

It's called heartbreak.

And I'm sorry it's unpleasant for you, but you caused it.

It's not my job to fix it.

All my life my illness separated me from everyone else.

Over the years while my classmates all married

and had families, I just sank

further and further into my own bitterness.

All that changed when I met you.

I need you, Coco.

You think you're the only one who's had a difficult life?

You think that entitles you to something?

Please.

Come back to me, Coco.

I want to...

I love you. I will prove myself to you.

_

I can't believe that there are this many "R. Fonescu's" listed

- in the phone book. - Yeah.

A couple generations ago, some virile, happening Fonescu

must have gotten around, huh?

Gotta respect a guy who, uh, keeps

the party going no matter what, huh?

I'm not getting a strong book collector's vibe.

Two down, two to go.

Do you know what bonobos are?

Yeah, they're a kind of pygmy chimpanzee.

Zoos don't want to keep them. Do you know why?

Because they're constantly having sex with each other.

Males and females, males and males,

females and females.

It's not exactly family-friendly.

I'm glad I'm finally getting

a window into what's happening inside your mind.

My point is, they're completely promiscuous...

and happy.

They resolve all their conflicts through shagging and don't

feel the need to kill each other. Maybe monogamy is just

some arbitrary, punishing rule.

Society does not accept the idea that you can love more

than one person at a time. You have to make a choice.

And if you don't, you're a selfish bastard.

You've betrayed someone.

Making choices is part of life.

Be honest with me.

No judgment.

Did you really resist the sultry temptation

of Dr. Martinez 'til after your divorce?

As a matter of fact, I did.

Still wanted her though, right?

You wanted them both.

It's only natural.

Is that why you're here? Is that why you wanted

to do this with me so badly? So you could avoid

your little love triangle back home?

Letting go of one of them feels

like cutting off one of my arms.

See? Your desk is just as you left it.

Shall I order us some lunch?

I'm not hungry.

Palmer and his secretary.

Looks like you're not the only one with love troubles.

Screwing the assistant, eh? Bit of a cliché.

- I shouldn't have come back here. - But of course you should have.

You've changed my entire...

Yes?

What? Of course, send him in.

No, no. I don't want to see anyone right now.

- It's the Mayor. - Ugh.

Mr. Mayor. I would appreciate it

if you would call ahead.

There's no time for that.

Eldritch, I need a favour.

Do you have a relationship with Councilwoman Justine Faraldo?

Uh, no, I can't say I've had the pleasure.

You know she's coming to the Upper East Side next, right?

Yes, I had heard that.

Well, she jut dropped the bomb

that, in exchange for her services,

she's instituting a one percent parcel tax

on the entire neighborhood.

- She has no authority to do that. - What are you worried about?

Let her self-destruct over this.

No, she won't. She's too clever.

The only one who's going to be destroyed by any of this is me,

for suggesting she take on the Upper East Side next.

What do you want from me?

Talk some sense into her.

Tell her she is not going

to save the city by pissing off

its most influential residents.

Well, it's high time for me to meet the Councilwoman anyway.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Coco,

will you tell Joshua to get the car ready?