The Strain Season 4 Episode 1 Review: The World Is Dying, You Are It's Last Hope.

"The Strain" will draw to a close after this ten episode season. I must confess that I stopped watching the show regularly last year. It was taking FOREVER for anything to happen. The first episode of season four shows some promise though. Time will tell if they can keep up the momentum. Hopefully the writers won't waste the remaining nine episodes on side stories we care nothing about.

"The Worm Turns" occurs some nine months after Zack detonates a bomb in reaction to Eph killing Strigoi-Mom-Kelly. The resulting explosion causes nuclear winter to descend upon New York (and much of the rest of the world). A commercial fills us in the major events since "Illumination Day". See part of it here: The Partnership Now humans and strigoi coexist peacefully thanks to "The Partnership". We know this utopian world is complete BS. Humans are basically enslaved. Strigoi freely roam the streets attacking whomever they choose. Citizens are giving food, water, shelter, and medical treatment IF they regularly donate blood. Each person wears an armband with a bar code on it.

Fet and a new person named Charlotte are in North Dakota looking for a missile base. I guess the idea is to nuke the strigoi. They happen upon a group of rednecks who are about to cause trouble-- that is until Quinlan appears. When one of survivors asks what he is, Quilan replies "Think of me as a demon from the Good Book".

In Philadelphia Eph is trying to blend in with the crowd. He does some doctoring on the side to support his alcohol habit. He is captured by strigoi and almost dies in a van explosion. Eph decides to join up with Alex and her group of freedom fighters.

Back in New York, Palmer (the Master took over his body last year) makes plans for world domination. He plans to groom Zack (who has grown a foot in the off season) for an important job. Eichorst advises against it because he, like the rest of us, despises the kid. In fact, Zack might be the most despised child character in TV history. Not even young Carl from "The Walking Dead" faced this much fan hatred. I feel sorry for Max Charles. He's doing an adequate job of depicting Zack. He's just written as a spoiled little jerk. Remember Max is the second person to play "Zack". The first was Ben Hyland who only lasted one season. Just leave Zack in his room to play guitar, make googly eyes at the new maid, and swat his pet Feeler.

Dutch and Setrakian are MIA this week (except for in a dream). We'll see them both in episode 2.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). "The Worm Turns" provided an "OK" start to the final season. Time will tell if it can keep up the momentum. Moving outside of New York City will hopefully spice things up. Zack continues to be an irritant but I don't think that will change.