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Season 2 – The Strain

Play trailer Poster for Season 2 – The Strain Jul 2015 Drama Fantasy Mystery & Thriller Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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78% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the CDC's New York-based Canary Project, is called upon to investigate when an airplane lands with everybody on board dead. What his team discovers is a viral outbreak that has similarities to an ancient strain of vampirism. As the virus begins to spread, Goodweather works with his team and a group of the city's residents to wage a war that could hold humanity's fate in its hand. The show's executive producers include Oscar-nominated writer Guillermo del Toro and Emmy-winning producer Carlton Cuse.
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The Strain — Season 2

The Strain — Season 2

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Critics Consensus

The Strain's gory action helps compensate for an unfocused narrative, while the show's political and philosophical subtext add necessary heft for adult viewers.

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Critics Reviews

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Emily St. James Vox 09/09/2015
The Strain has slowly wormed its way into my affections, as surely as one of the show's vampire worms burrowing into a victim's eye. Go to Full Review
Jeff Jensen Entertainment Weekly 07/27/2015
B-
You don't have to wait long for FX's vampire saga The Strain to deliver the creepy, cheeky shocks and gore that made the show a delightful summertime thriller last year. Go to Full Review
John Doyle Globe and Mail 07/13/2015
The Strain is the summer's most bizarre, addictive series, bewilderingly beguiling. Go to Full Review
Randy Dankievitch TV Over Mind 03/06/2020
The Strain has been an absolute mess this season, discrediting its own reality with its inconsistent logic... and refusing to explore its characters beyond the most superficial, plot-serving levels. Go to Full Review
Marc Buxton Den of Geek 01/31/2019
3/5
It was still much better than last season's flat climax. Go to Full Review
Haleigh Foutch Collider 01/24/2019
3/5
Season 2 is a marked improvement over the first, but willfully stupid characters, circuitous storytelling, and convoluted world-building continue to keep the series from reaching its full potential. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Mar 13 The Strain Season Two continues to struggle with capturing my attention. I’ve tried to get into this series, and while it has four seasons, I’m two in and still not fully engaged. The show feels like it’s losing its mark, and the CGI, while ambitious, doesn’t feel fully realized for an FX production. Something essential seems missing—an element that should pull the audience in and keep them invested. As the seasons progress, a series should build and expand its audience, but here it feels stagnant and disconnected. The storylines don’t quite land, and the pacing is slow, making it difficult to stay invested. While many viewers enjoy the show, for me, it fails to create the intensity or suspense I was expecting. It’s a series with potential, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired, resulting in a slow and uneven viewing experience that didn’t fully resonate. See more Marco L @decatur555 Mar 7 The Strain is a horror series with a strong identity, especially when it leans into the plague aspect, the body horror, and the sense that everything is slowly collapsing. That is where it feels most alive: the monsters are effective, the atmosphere is grim, and the mythology gives it more personality than many conventional vampire stories. The problem is that the show also drags itself out more than it should, with plot turns, repetitions, and detours that can make it feel heavier than necessary. Even so, whenever it returns to the siege, the chaos, and the creature horror, it becomes gripping again very quickly. I still prefer the novels, which feel tighter and more intense, but the series remains a visually distinctive and often very enjoyable adaptation. See more Craig B @Boundsy Jan 14 A very good scifi horror series. See more Michael T @Tur7on Apr 10 A good follow up season of the strain, moves the story and the characters in the right direction and sets up the next installment of this vampire binge worthy TV series. See more Joel B @RT01983116 10/16/2023 Half a star is being generous. The one normal woman dies at the end of season 2 and his borderline spastic son compromises literally every mission and never shuts up. Burns the ears See more Kronos B @RT17059504 07/27/2023 This was one of the best vampire lore shows I have ever seen. The attention to detail, the story, and the characters were absolutely wonderful. I couldn't stop watching it. 10/10 See more Read all reviews
The Strain — Season 2

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jul 12, 2015 BK, NY Eph and Nora work on a biological weapon to kill the strigoi; Setrakian risks the lives of the entire group to find information about a closely guarded secret text; the Master begins the next phase of his own plan. Details Episode 2 Aired Jul 19, 2015 By Any Means Kelly searches for Zack; Fet and Dutch grow closer as they clear out neighborhood buildings; Eph and Nora experiment on their new patients. Details Episode 3 Aired Jul 26, 2015 Fort Defiance Gus and Vaun attack Palmer; Steph tries to connect with Zack; Councilwoman Justine Faraldo wants to bring her extermination police to the other boroughs. Details Episode 4 Aired Aug 2, 2015 The Silver Angel Eph and Nora finally see their lethal virus in action; Fet takes the security of Red Hook into his own hands; Dutch and Setrakian set off for Staten Island to question Fitzwilliam. Details Episode 5 Aired Aug 9, 2015 Quick and Painless Eph changes his appearance to leave the city; Nora is left as the reluctant parent for Zack; Dutch and Nora make a deal with Justine to secure Fet's release from jail. Details Episode 6 Aired Aug 16, 2015 Identity Eph concocts a plan to make and distribute a bioweapon; Gus finds an unlikely ally in Angel; Kelly comes after Nora and Zack. Details Episode 7 Aired Aug 23, 2015 The Born Setrakian and Fet use Fitzwilliam's info to attack the Master; Dutch receives a surprise guest; Eph returns to NYC frustrated but energized to go after the one person responsible for killing his friends. Details Episode 8 Aired Aug 30, 2015 Intruders Eph must protect Zack against a surprise intruder into Red Hook; Gus convinces the Guptas to make a difficult choice; Fet and Setrakian set out to acquire the Lumen, but discover they are not the only potential buyer. Details Episode 9 Aired Sep 6, 2015 The Battle For Red Hook Justine takes drastic measures to counter a surprise invasion; Nora and Fet perform a useful mission; Eph and Setrakian face off against an old foe. Details Episode 10 Aired Sep 13, 2015 The Assassin Eph and Dutch work together to thwart the Master's greatest ally; Justine runs into trouble with the mayor; Setrakian tracks down the real owner of the Lumen. Details Episode 11 Aired Sep 20, 2015 Dead End Dutch fights for her life against Eichhorst; Setrakian confronts an old acquaintance on his search for the Occido Lumen; Gus helps the Guptas escape across the border to safety. Details Episode 12 Aired Sep 27, 2015 Fallen Light Eph must choose between Zack's safety and the safety of the citizens of NYC; Gus and Angel assemble an unlikely gang of Sun-hunters. Details Episode 13 Aired Oct 4, 2015 Night Train Setrakian and Fet battle for possession of the Occido Lumen and gain a surprising new ally; a massive attack imperils Eph, Nora and Zack's escape from New York. Details
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Season Info

Executive Producer
Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan, Carlton Cuse, Gary Ungar
Network
FX
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jul 12, 2015