How did Thomas and Abraham meet? What's their history? The disease slowly starts to spread and Nora, Eph, and Abraham work on a plan with Jim to end Thomas. "For Services Rendered" was easily one of the best episodes of the season and really gave the viewer a massive amount of insight into some of these characters
The biggest draw, for viewers, will be the time Abraham spent in a concentration camp under Thomas' watch, before Thomas became a vampire. It's a strange dynamic between the two, since Abraham gets a bit of an attitude with an SS officer. He has no fear, which is an aspect that translates well into the present-day Abraham. Thomas admires Abraham for his talent and even gives Abraham a moment to commits acts of violence on him. Abraham does not take that chance. The scenes are weaved throughout the episode and by far, some of the most interesting throughout the season.
Teamwork is the key here. Nora, Eph, Abraham, figure out a way to get Thomas into the open. The scene that takes place in a train station and it's suspenseful to see these guys try and get the best of this vampire. The Strain, as a whole series, does a fantastic job at creating a suspenseful series with a dash of horror. It has "out there" elements, but the show has a good sense of realism to it.
With most infection or zombie-esque shows, setting is important. Small towns and rural area heighten the news of the infection, but with a place like New York City, this show works differently. With the addition of cell phones and the internet not working, news still travels in NYC, but the idea of vampires seems so crazy that it becomes myth, even the police don't take it seriously, they laugh it off, much like in the scene where Gus tells an officer that his killing of a vampire was self defense.
The final scene of this episode is downright amazing. Neeva, the nanny, and Sebastine, Neeva's daughter, have the two Luss kids at the Luss household, where Audrey has turned and another Strigoi has entered the house. Hope is lost, then someone comes in and kills both of the Strigoi. It's a vampire, with a few men all in black. Is this Quinlan? He's never named, but you can bet your life on it. He's a bit different that I pictured him sounding, but he has such a kind voice. He knows what needs to be done and the infected need to be terminated. It's great to see one of my favorite characters from the book make his way into the series, even though it still feels a tad early.
Overall, "For Services Rendered" is one hell of an episode. Sure, there's no Vasiliy Fet here, but the addition of Quinlan makes up for it. Each piece of the story is working with the other pieces very well, and while there isn't much of a cliffhanger ending to keep the audiences coming back, the stories themselves are compelling and speak to the viewer. This was one awesome episode.
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