The Strain: Season 1, Episode 7

The Strain
Episode Title: "For Services Rendered"
Channel: FX
Director: Charlotte Sieling
Writers: Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror
Runtime: 60 min
Rated: TV-MA
Original Air Date: August 24, 2014

This episode had its moments, both good and bad. There are more flashbacks in this episode, limited only to Eichorst and young Setrakian. This helped alleviate the bad acting that was present in the previous flashback, and was much more watchable than before.  Setrakian's connection to the situation is shown to be even deeper than the audience knew. Present day Setrakian unveils his plan for dealing with the infestation and it's fairly predictable, as is the response from his scientist allies.

The direction in this episode felt very basic, there was only one place where some interesting camera angles helped to heighten the tension, and I felt that a certain scene on a subway platform could've been more impactful and frightening had it been handled differently. There was also some very questionable dialogue, specifically between Jim and his wife, Sylvia. I don't know if it was intended to show the pressure getting to her, or if it was just sloppily written, but their interactions didn't feel right.

The final scene is a serious “What the heck is going on?” moment. It looks like we've got more players in the game than we knew. Here's to hoping that this situation isn't handled like the 'victims' vs. 'survivors' scenario and we're given answers during next week's episode.

Conclusion: The final scene, and the conversations between Setrakian, in his various incarnations, and Eichorst were the highlights of this otherwise middle of the road episode. Hopefully it's a bridge between the confusion and indecision of the preceding episodes, and a focused resistance going forward.

Rating: 6.25/10