The Strain (TV series)

The Strain
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	July 13, 2014; 12 years ago
Founder	Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan
Headquarters	United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Carlton Cuse (executive producer, showrunner), Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan (developers)
Products	Television series

The Strain is a horror drama series from the United States that was broadcast on FX between July 13, 2014, and September 17, 2017. Developed by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, it adapts their novel trilogy bearing the same title. Executive production and showrunning duties were managed by Carlton Cuse. The creators penned the pilot episode, "Night Zero", which del Toro also directed. FX commissioned a thirteen-episode inaugural season on November 19, 2013. The pilot made its debut at the ATX Television Festival held in Austin, Texas, in June 2014.

FX announced the renewal of The Strain for a second season consisting of 13 episodes on August 6, 2014, with the season premiering on July 12, 2015. A third installment comprising 10 episodes was confirmed on August 7, 2015, and premiered on August 28, 2016. On September 27, 2016, FX extended the series for a fourth and concluding season, which began airing on July 16, 2017. Altogether, the series encompasses 46 episodes spread over four seasons.

The storyline centers on Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, who leads the CDC's New York Canary Project and investigates a mysterious aircraft arrival with deceased passengers onboard. His team discovers an outbreak caused by a virus analogous to an ancient vampire infection. Goodweather teams up with colleagues and local inhabitants to confront the epidemic while uncovering a hidden underworld rife with political intrigue and a malevolent scheme aiming to dominate life itself.

Principal cast

Corey Stoll portrays Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather, who heads the CDC Canary Team based in New York City.
David Bradley plays Professor Abraham Setrakian, a Holocaust survivor turned pawnbroker in New York. The younger version of Setrakian appears through flashbacks played by Jim Watson.
Mía Maestro appears as Dr. Nora Martinez, a member of the CDC Canary Team and Eph’s closest confidante during seasons one and two.
Kevin Durand embodies Vasiliy Fet, an ex-rat exterminator of Ukrainian heritage, engaged in humanity’s struggle.
Jonathan Hyde acts as Eldritch Palmer/The Master, an aged billionaire obsessed with achieving immortality. Flashbacks feature Charlie Gallant as his younger self.
Richard Sammel takes on Thomas Eichhorst, an undead vampire lieutenant with seven decades of history alongside Setrakian; formerly a Nazi officer at Treblinka.
Sean Astin plays Jim Kent, a CDC administrator collaborating with Eph and Nora (season one main role; guest appearance in season two).
Jack Kesy portrays Gabriel Bolivar/The Master, a rock musician turned vampire acolyte who ultimately becomes the Master's vessel (main in seasons one and two; recurring in season three).
Natalie Brown plays Kelly Goodweather, Eph’s estranged spouse (main seasons one through three; recurring in season four).
Miguel Gomez appears as Augustin "Gus" Elizalde, a gang affiliate recently released from juvenile detention.
Ben Hyland (season one) and Max Charles (seasons two through four) portray Zach Goodweather, son of Ephraim and Kelly.
Robin Atkin Downes provides the voice for the Master, one of seven ancient vampires serving as the primary antagonist.
Ruta Gedmintas acts as Dutch Velders, an internet hacker initially employed by Palmer who later opposes him (recurring in season one; main cast from seasons two to four).
Rupert Penry-Jones plays Mr. Quinlan, a half-vampire driven by vengeance against the Master (seasons two through four).
Samantha Mathis portrays Justine Feraldo, a determined New York City councilwoman representing Staten Island (recurring in season two; main role in season three).
Joaquín Cosío appears as Angel Guzman Hurtado, a retired wrestler known by his ring name "The Silver Angel" (recurring season two; main season three).

Recurring cast

Cas Anvar portrays Sanjay Desai, an employee at Stoneheart working under Eichhorst (seasons 3–4).
Pedro Miguel Arce appears as Felix, a friend of Gus (season 1).
Adriana Barraza takes on the role of Guadalupe Elizalde, mother to Gus and Crispin (seasons 1–3).
Brenda Bazinet plays Pauline McGeever, a vampire victim subjected to experiments by Eph and Nora (season 2).
Nigel Bennett features as Dr. Werner Dreverhaven, a former Nazi doctor who became a vampire (seasons 2–3).
Anne Betancourt acts as Mariela Martinez, Nora's mother suffering from dementia (season 1).
Lizzie Brocheré is cast as Coco Marchand, Palmer’s personal assistant (season 2).
Inga Cadranel portrays Diane, a native of Queens and Kelly’s close friend (season 1).
Ron Canada embodies George Lyle, the Mayor of New York City (season 2).
Francis Capra plays Crispin Elizalde, Gus’s brother involved in con artistry (season 1).
K. C. Collins appears as Captain Daniel Roman, a U.S. Air Force officer formerly assigned to a missile silo (season 4).
Nicola Correia-Damude portrays Nikki Taylor, roommate and former partner of Dutch Velders (seasons 1–2).
Roger Cross acts as Reggie Fitzwilliam, Palmer’s caregiver and security chief (seasons 1–2).
Miranda Edwards takes the role of Eve, a human agent allied with Quinlan and The Ancients (season 2).
Kevin Hanchard appears as Curtis Fitzwilliam, a firefighter and Reggie’s brother (season 2).
Jamie Hector plays Alonso Creem, an arms dealer and gang leader (seasons 1–2, 4).
Leslie Hope is Joan Luss, an attorney and survivor of the plane crash (season 1).
Jocelyn Hudon portrays Abby, a maid who befriends Zach (season 4).
Doug Jones plays one of the Ancients and the previous host body of the Master (seasons 1–3).
Daniel Kash appears as Dr. Everett Barnes, director of the CDC and later Secretary for Health and Human Services (seasons 1–2).
Parveen Kaur acts as Aanya Gupta, waitress and daughter of the Tandoori Palace proprietors (season 2).
Tom Kemp features as Cardinal McNamara, a Catholic cardinal selling an artifact sought by Setrakian and Palmer (season 2).
Regina King portrays Ruby Wain, manager to Bolivar (season 1).
Ron Lea plays Harrison McGeever, another vampire victim experimented on by Eph and Nora (season 2).
Robert Maillet appears as Jusef Sardu, Polish nobleman and former host body for the Master (seasons 1–2, 4).
Stephen McHattie acts as Vaun, leader of undead hunters fighting the vampire epidemic (seasons 1–2).
Melanie Merkosky is Sylvia Kent, wife of Jim Kent who battles cancer (season 1).
Rhona Mitra portrays Charlotte, an ally assisting in the hunt for weapons against the Master (season 4).
Drew Nelson plays Matt Sayles, Kelly Goodweather’s boyfriend (season 1).
Paulino Nunes appears as Captain Frank Kowalski, NYPD officer working alongside Justine Feraldo (seasons 2–3).
America Olivo acts as Captain Kate Rogers, commander of the NYPD combat squad (season 3).
Angel Parker portrays Alex Green, leader of resistance fighters opposing the strigoi (season 4).
Jonathan Potts plays Captain Doyle Redfern, pilot and survivor of the outbreak from the plane crash (season 1).
Michael Reventar is cast as Raul, cousin to Gus (season 4).
Kim Roberts appears as Neeva, nanny and housekeeper for Joan Luss (season 1).
Nikolai Witschl features as Ansel Barbour, passenger surviving the plane crash (season 1).
Alex Paxton-Beesley portrays Ann-Marie Barbour, wife of Ansel Barbour (season 1).

Development

In 2006, del Toro proposed The Strain as a television series, but talks with Fox Broadcasting Company collapsed when the network president insisted on making it a comedy. Following this, an agent recommended transforming the concept into a novel series. Del Toro brought Chuck Hogan on board as co-author, aiming for a procedural and authentic tone reminiscent of Stoker's Dracula. Hogan agreed to collaborate after reviewing del Toro's initial outline, and they began working together without a formal agreement. The debut novel, The Strain, was released in 2009, succeeded by The Fall in 2010 and The Night Eternal in 2011.

Once the first book was published, several studios expressed interest in adaptation rights; however, del Toro and Hogan declined offers to prevent interference with their writing process. After completing the trilogy, they approached cable networks and selected FX due to its dedication to faithfully adapting the books and its vision for a limited series spanning three to five seasons. Del Toro explained that each of the first two novels could be adapted into a single season, while The Night Eternal would extend over two or three seasons. He also embraced opportunities for creative expansion beyond the source material and intended to direct as many episodes as possible. Prior to the official series order, FX approved scripts for ten extra episodes, which del Toro subsequently revised. FX president John Landgraf highlighted that the show would encompass "39–65 episodes," tailored to the narrative's scope.

Del Toro characterized the series' visual approach as a fusion of realism and stylization: "The cinematography will start very realistically... gradually shifting toward a more stylized horror atmosphere with suspenseful and mood-driven scenes," striving for a distinctive television style.

On November 19, 2013, FX commissioned a 13-episode initial season, which premiered in July 2014. By August 2015, del Toro and Cuse had mapped out a five-season arc: one season dedicated to the first novel, two seasons covering the second, and two seasons concluding with the third; seasons one and two were set at 13 episodes each, followed by 10 episodes per season thereafter. Nevertheless, in September 2016, FX announced that season four would serve as the series finale. Cuse clarified that after finalizing season three's scripts, they concluded the story would be best wrapped up within a single concluding season.

Casting

Del Toro and Cuse collaborated on casting decisions throughout the production. Stoll was selected to portray Eph Goodweather based on his role in Midnight in Paris. Originally, John Hurt played Abraham Setrakian in the pilot episode but later withdrew; David Bradley was recast in this role and re-filmed those scenes. Del Toro had considered Roy Dotrice—who had embodied Setrakian in live-action commercials for the first book—for the part. Kevin Durand was cast as Vasiliy Fet; he had previously worked with Cuse on Lost, and this role was initially intended for Ron Perlman. Lauren Lee Smith was first cast as Kelly Goodweather but was replaced by Natalie Brown. Del Toro wanted Doug Jones for a significant character; however, scheduling conflicts prevented his involvement at that time—Jones eventually portrayed both the Ancient and an earlier incarnation of the Master. Sean Astin joined as Jim Kent to introduce an ironic element given his well-known status as a sidekick figure. In the second season, Max Charles took over from Ben Hyland in playing Zach Goodweather.

Filming

Principal photography for the pilot episode commenced on September 17, 2013, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, concluding on October 31, 2013. FX commissioned a 13-episode first season, with filming taking place from November 25, 2013, through April 30, 2014. A complete writing team was assembled for the following episodes, and FX reportedly allocated $500,000 toward the design and creation of creatures. The series utilized twelve swords crafted by Zombie Tools, a bladesmith company based in Missoula. Production for the second season resumed in Toronto in November 2014.

Music

The soundtrack was created by Ramin Djawadi, who also composed the score for del Toro's 2013 film Pacific Rim.

Marketing

The initial key promotional image depicted a worm penetrating a human eye, representing the vampiric virus transmission. Following public objections, FX replaced this artwork on multiple billboards.

Episodes

A webisode series consisting of ten parts titled The Strain: Under Siege was released alongside the third season and included in both the third season and complete series DVD collections.

Reception

The first season received generally favorable reviews, achieving a Metacritic score of 72/100 based on 38 critic evaluations. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 84% approval rating with an average score of 7.5/10 from 64 reviews, praised for its combination of supernatural suspense and B-movie gore elements.

The second season continued to garner positive feedback, obtaining a Metacritic score of 66/100 from eight reviews. Rotten Tomatoes assigned it a 78% rating with an average score of 7/10 based on 23 reviews, highlighting its graphic action sequences and mature thematic content.

The third season experienced mixed to moderately positive critiques, earning a Metacritic score of 62/100 from five critics. Rotten Tomatoes rated it at 55% with an average score of 5.8/10 from eleven reviews, noting a lack of narrative progression balanced by impressive style and visual effects.

Concluding the series, the fourth season received generally positive remarks, boasting a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 7.4/10 from thirteen critics. It was commended for delivering a climactic conclusion that recaptured the show’s original energy.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2014	Critics Choice Television Awards	Most Exciting New Series	The Strain	Template:Won
2014	Satellite Awards	Best Genre Television Series	The Strain	Template:Nom
2015	Saturn Awards	Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series	The Strain	Template:Nom
		Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series	David Bradley	Template:Nom
		Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series	Richard Sammel	Template:Nom
	Fangoria Chainsaw Awards	Best TV Supporting Actor	David Bradley	Template:Nom
	Fangoria Chainsaw Awards	Best TV Makeup/Creature FX	Steve Newburn, Sean Sansom	Template:Nom
	Golden Reel Awards	Best Sound Editing – Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television	Nelson Ferreira, Jill Purdy (for "The Box")	Template:Nom
2016	Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards	TV series Cinematography	Colin Hoult (for "By Any Means")	Template:Nom
	Saturn Awards	Best Horror Television Series	The Strain	Template:Nom
	Saturn Awards	Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series	Max Charles	Template:Nom
	Directors Guild of Canada Awards	Best Sound Editing – Television Series	John Loranger, Dan Sexton, Adam Stein, Nathan Robitaille, Jill Purdy, Richard Calistan, Joe Mancuso, Craig MacLellan (for "Night Train")	Template:Nom
	Fangoria Chainsaw Awards	Best TV Makeup/Creature FX	Steve Newburn, Sean Sansom	Template:Nom
	Golden Maple Awards	Best Actress in a TV Series Broadcast in the US	Natalie Brown	Template:Won
	Visual Effects Society Awards	Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode	Dennis Berardi, Luke Groves, Matt Glover, Trey Harrell, Warren Appleby (for "Identity")	Template:Nom
2017	Saturn Awards	Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series	Max Charles	Template:Nom
2018 \| rowspan="2" \| Saturn Awards	Best Horror Television Series	The Strain	Template:Nom
2018 \| rowspan="2" \| Saturn Awards	Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series	Max Charles	Template:Nom

Additional Resources