The Strain Season 2: What to Expect
Jim Halterman at .The vampires are back!
And, unlike some shows, the vampires on The Strain Season 2 are not swoon-worthy. They do not have ripped abs.
Instead, these are parasites feeding on the remaining humans in New York City... and it’s up to our team of heroes to save the day.
The Strain Season 2 Episode 1 airs this Sunday and TV Fanatic was on the Toronto set of the drama earlier this year, chatting with Executive Producers Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse about what we’ll see on the series this summer.
Consider yourself SPOILER WARNED and dig in below...
1. More Master Backstory
The season opens with a major scene for The Master. "There is a very important moment of transfer of the master to a new body, and we see the body that he was before Sardu," explained del Toro. "This season, as anybody that read the books knows, he changes bodies again. So we need to see how he does it. And how he does it is not very pleasant [laughs]. It's really disgusting how he does it."
2. The Book vs. The Series
Del Toro explained how he and Cuse work adapting the trilogy of books: "Carlton [Cuse] has always been responsible for the screenplay and development of the story. I try to be unobtrusive and not keep quoting the book. I do when it gets really to a point where I say ‘this does not work for this reason’ but you cannot say it's because the book."
Cuse stated 80% of season two is not from the books.
3. Fet and Dutch
Del Toro may not have created Dutch, but he loves how Cuse has woven her into the show with characters from the books: "There are new characters [in the series] like Dutch. I like that character very much because it makes Vasiliy find a foil that is not just Ephraim. He really has repartee with her that is very strong. She really has interesting angles. I like that character."
Watch for the two characters to get even closer this season.
4. Setrakian
"I couldn't be happier to see them exactly or variations that are more interesting than I thought," the producer said of the David Bradley character. "I think the way Carlton writes Setrakian is more interesting for me than the Setrakian in the books because this is more sociopathic. Setrakian is more gruff in the series and less likable in a way. You love him, you love watching him, but to the other characters he is like sandpaper."
5. Virus Outside NYC?
When asked if we’ll see the virus outside NYC on the show, del Toro teased: "It will get there." Cuse added we’ll eventually get there but wants to show the demise of the city: "If you think of World War Z or The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later, you kind of skip the process of demise and that’s what we’re actually illustrating in the show which is really interesting and the second and third season are about that demise."
That said, some of the action in the series may be outside the Big Apple.
