The Strain Season 2 Episode 2 Recap With Spoilers: By Any Means
Episode two of The Strain’s second season, entitled “By Any Means,” begins with Eichorst [...]
Episode two of The Strain's second season, entitled "By Any Means," begins with Eichorst (Richard Sammel) and Bolivar discussing the Master's upcoming transformation. He will be choosing another vessel, Eichorst explains, and once he does, all must serve his new form faithfully. Eichorst then lowers himself into the old coffin. Then, we see Kelly's (Natalie Brown) first communication with the Feelers, who approach her like kittens to a mother cat. She begins to investigate each of them, communicating with cooing and clicking sounds.
Elsewhere, Eph (Corey Stolll) and Nora (Mía Maestro) tend to the wounds of the infected couple from the storage unit, eventually telling them that they are infected. He tells them how U.S. soldiers volunteered as test subjects to stop yellow fever, asking that they do the same. They are understandably reluctant, until he tells them what would happen sometime in the next 15 to 48 hours, if they don't comply.
Abraham (David Bradley) pours over his old notes nearby, desperately looking for a clue to lead him to the book that his information on how to kill the Master. Fet (Kevin Durand) checks in on the old man, concerned. We then see a younger Abraham (Jim Watson) in a flashback, when he was an instructor at the University of Vienne in 1965, teaching a class about the folk history of vampires. He is joined by a young Eldritch Palmer (Charlie Gallant), who tells Abraham that he knows the truth about vampires, as well as Abraham's goal of proving their existence. Eldritch says that the cane of Jusef Sardu has been recovered and taken to Vienna. Abraham reluctantly offers his assistance in finding it.
Coco Marchand (Lizzie Brocheré) enters Eldritch's office to tell him (Jonathan Hyde) that she accepts his offer. He explains that he is establishing food distribution centers all over the city and needs to make a speech at the opening of the first. He assigns her to write the speech as her first duty.
All the while, Fet and Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) team up to fight vampires in a facility nearby, planning to take out vampires block by block. Through a series of grenades and clever maneuvering, they successfully blow up a group, and then retreat to the pool in the building. Dutch hops in, skinny-dipping, but Fet admits that he doesn't know how to swim. She gives him a lesson, leading to the two becoming intimate.
At headquarters, Nora asks Abraham if the Master will be able to read the minds of their test subjects to locate them once they turn, but Abraham explains that, if they don't know where they are, they cannot blow their cover. He then re-assures her that she's doing the right thing, leading into another Abraham flashback.
Young, '60s Abraham is looking for the cane at some sort of pawnshop. When he asks the owner for artifacts from the war, he is led to a concealed area of Nazi objects and is able to find Sardu's cane. The sword inside has been shortened. The owner says that the cane has already been bought and that he will not turn down that deal, as a "man of honor." Abraham reveals him as Dr. Dreverhaven, a Nazi doctor who experimented on subjects. Dreverhaven runs and a chase ensues, ending when he drops the cane and Abraham snatches it up.
Later in the flashback, Abraham delivers the cane to Eldritch, who is impressed that it was obtained. He asks Abraham to go on the search for the Occido Lumen, a book that includes the "nature and origin of the Strigoi" and possibly the "key to their destruction." In return, Eldritch will endow a chair for Abraham at the university as a full professor.
Eph and Nora continue to struggle to find the right disease to kill the Strigoi will keeping their human hosts alive. Eventually, they realize that the disease strains that they have been working with haven't been functioning properly as synthesized strains, which for some reason doesn't work with the real vampire samples. Recognizing this – they quickly come up with the right virus.
In Queens, Eldritch gives a somewhat informal but very inspiring speech – written by Coco – to a crowd of people looking to get food for their families. The citizens are asked about their blood type before they can take food. Eldritch shakes hands after his comments, where he suddenly finds himself face to face with Abraham after many years. Threats are exchanged, and Abraham explains that he's close to finding the Occido Lumen. While Eldritch is distracted, Fet sets up a time bomb, which destroys the mysterious food supply, just as Abraham and Fet escape.
The '60s flashback ends with the doctor returning to his shop to find Eichorst, who was ready to buy the cane. The doctor explains his predicament, having been found out, and Eichorst offers him a new Fuhrer. The doctor accepts without hesitation, and Eichorst quickly unleashes his vampire tongue to turn him.
In the present, Eph and Nora begin to test the virus on the completely turned now-vampire couple. And back at Eph's home, Kelly introduces the Feelers to a coat that belonged to Zack, telling them to go find him.
