The Strain Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Ding Dong, The Toup Is Dead

"Quick and Painless" has several of the team members off on different missions. Fet (finally rids himself of that horribly toupee) and boards a train for DC. The plan is to get the government's help with making a bomb with their field tested virus and wipe out the vamps. As luck would have it, Eph's CDC boss Dr Barnes is also on the train. We know from previous episodes, he is in cahoots with Palmer. Barnes and Eph fight and Eph pushes him off the moving train. It's amazing what a badass he's becoming after losing that fake hair.

Abe is still wandering around town looking for the Occido Lumen. He makes a deal with Alonso Creem. Uh, isnt that guy an arms dealer? How does he know where to find an ancient religious text? Also we later learn that the Catholic Church knows where it is per Palmer's visit from the Bishop (or whatever he was). Fitz follows Abe into a dark alley and finally agrees to help fight the strigoi.

Fet To The Rescue

Dutch and Nora head to the government headquarters. Feraldo's nephew/son (Im not sure which he is) was bitten by a vamp. Nora tells her there is no hope (but will reveal all if she can get a favor). Dutch bails Fez out of jail. He will show Feraldo's troops how to really fight strigoi. The soldiers go building to building in Red Hook. Can no one is Section 8 housing catch a break? All they're trying to do is have a nice meal and the cops break down their doors.

The Feelers are out in full force this week. No only can they scurry around on the ground but now they are climbing walls at breakneck speed. And those little suckers are hard to kill.

Coco Has To Have Some Ulterior Motive. Otherwise...Yuck!

Palmer continues to wine and dine Coco. They dance. Ewww, no kissing please. Zach continues to be a whiny little brat. Can someone please eat him ASAP? And there were no sightings of Gus or Angel this week.

"The Strain" Welcomes Quinlan...& His Bone

In the final scene we're introduced to a new badass strigoi. Looks like Quinlan has finally arrived.

Miscellanea:

Who amongst us has not wished for the death of Eph's toupee? I have rooted for it's demise since the beginning. Luckily we all got our wish on Sunday.
The "spider children" continue to delight and thoroughly creep me out.
The strigoi concealed in the bathroom wall was great fun as well. Why did you have to poke them with a stick though? You guys do have guns...being that you're cops and all. Just saying. The silver bomb in the elevator shaft was also a fun touch.
There have been a number of comments about how in some parts of NYC its just business as usual. That's because what we've seen over two seasons actually takes place in a matter of days. Things should heat up soon.

Grade: 4 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). There are still some problems with pacing but overall a great episode. I"m still loving Kelly and the Feelers. I missed Gus and Angel. There should be enough time to catch up with all the main characters each week (even for a few minutes).