The Strain is an American horror drama television series that premiered on FX on July 13, 2014. It was created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, based on their novel trilogy of the same name. Carlton Cuse serves as executive producer and showrunner. Del Toro and Hogan wrote the pilot episode, "Night Zero", which del Toro directed. A thirteen-episode first season was ordered on November 19, 2013.[2] The pilot episode premiered at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, in early June 2014.
Premise
A plane lands at John F. Kennedy International Airport with the lights off and the doors sealed. CDC epidemiologist Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, Dr. Nora Martinez, and their team are sent to investigate. On board they find 206 corpses and four survivors. The situation deteriorates when all the bodies disappear from the morgue. Goodweather and a small group of helpers find themselves battling to protect not only their own loved ones, but the entire city, from an ancient threat to humanity.[6]
On August 6, 2014, FX renewed The Strain for a 13-episode second season which premiered on July 12, 2015.
Cast and characters Main
Corey Stoll as Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather, the head of the CDC Canary Team in New York City.[7]
David Bradley as Professor Abraham Setrakian, a Holocaust survivor turned New York pawn-shop owner. Jim Watson portrays Setrakian in flashbacks.[8]
Mía Maestro as Dr. Nora Martinez, a member of the CDC Canary Team and Eph's closest ally.[9]
Kevin Durand as Vasiliy Fet, a once-solitary rat exterminator of Ukrainian descent, who gets caught in the fight for humanity.[10]
Jonathan Hyde as Eldritch Palmer, an elderly billionaire invalid driven to obtain immortality.[11]
Sammel as Thomas Eichhorst, an undead vampire acolyte of the Master who has a 70-year history with Setrakian. In his former life, he was a Nazi commander at the Treblinka extermination camp in German-occupied Poland.[11]
Sean Astin as Jim Kent, a CDC administrator who works with Eph and Nora. (season 1)[12]
Jack Kesy as Gabriel Bolivar, a philandering rock star with an appetite for recreational drug use and one of the outbreak's few survivors.[13]
Natalie Brown as Kelly Goodweather, Eph's estranged wife.[14]
Miguel Gomez as Augustin "Gus" Elizalde, a gang banger just out of juvenile prison.[15]
Ben Hyland (season 1) and Max Charles (season 2) as Zach Goodweather, the son of Ephraim and Kelly.[16][17]
Ruta Gedmintas as Dutch Velders, an internet hacker hired by Palmer, who turns against the company when she realizes what she has done. (recurring season 1; starring season 2)
Recurring-
Pedro Miguel Arce as Felix, Gus's friend. (season 1)
Adriana Barraza as Guadalupe Elizalde, Gus and Crispin's mother. (season 1)
Anne Betancourt as Mariela Martinez, Nora's mother who suffers from dementia. (season 1)
Lizzie Brocheré as Coco Marchand, Palmer's new personal assistant. (season 2)[18]
Inga Cadranel as Diane, a Queens native and Kelly's best friend. (season 1)
Ron Canada as George Lyle, the Mayor of New York City. (season 2)[19]
Francis Capra as Crispin Elizalde, Gus's con artist brother. (season 1)[20]
Joaquín Cosío as Angel Guzman Hurtado, a retired wrestler once known as "The Silver Angel". (season 2)[21]
Roger Cross as Mr. Fitzwilliam, Palmer's caregiver and head of security. (season 1–present)[22]
Leslie Hope as Joan Luss, an attorney and one of the plane's surviving passengers. (season 1)[23]
Doug Jones as the Ancient, one of the seven original vampires.[24] Jones also portrays the Master's previous host in a flashback. (season 1–present)
Daniel Kash as Dr. Everett Barnes, the director of the CDC. (season 1–present)
Regina King as Ruby Wain, Bolivar's intelligent and accomplished manager. (season 1)[25]
Robert Maillet as the Master, an ancient vampire.[20] The character is voiced by Robin Atkin Downes. (season 1–present)[26]
Samantha Mathis as Justine Feraldo, a tenacious New York City councilwoman for Staten Island. (season 2)[27]
Stephen McHattie as Vaun, leader of a band of undead hunters sent to destroy the vampire outbreak. (season 1–present)
Melanie Merkosky as Sylvia Kent, Jim Kent's cancer-stricken wife. (season 1)[25]
Drew Nelson as Matt Sayles, Kelly Goodweather's live-in boyfriend. (season 1)[28]
Jonathan Potts as Captain Doyle Redfern, pilot of the flight and one of the outbreak's few survivors. (season 1)
Kim Roberts as Neeva, Joan Luss' nanny and housekeeper. (season 1)
Nikolai Witschl as Ansel Barbour, one of the plane's surviving passengers. (season 1)
