| Madness | |
| Season 3, Episode 5 | |
 | |
| Air Date | September 25, 2016 |
| Release Date | September 25, 2016 |
| Written By | Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan |
| Directed By | Ken Girotti |
| Episode Guide | |
| ← previous Gone But Not Forgotten |
next → The Battle of Central Park |
| Cast Guide | |
| Starring | |
| Corey Stoll as Ephraim Goodweather David Bradley as Abraham Setrakian | |
| Also Starring | |
Madness is the fifth episode of the third season of The Strain.
Summary[]
Abraham Setrakian narrates that 7 days has passed and half of the world is infected by vampires. Abraham Setrakian mentions a few cities in america that are now infected such as Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C and also 20 more cities in the United States.
After the introduction, Ephraim Goodweather and Dutch Velders are in Prospect Park, Brooklyn playing chess. While they were playing a vampire is heard rustling in the bushes and trees, the vampire came out right behind Dutch Velders. Dutch Velders told that Ephraim Goodweather had two other vampires coming up behind him too. They both got up and killed the two vampires. Ephraim Goodweather sees another vampire running to him as Eph tazes the vampire leaving the vampire unconscious. While the vampire was unconscious Dutch Velders and Ephraim Goodweather tied up the vampire with duck tape. They come back to Fet's loft to bring the vampire in.The both of them lay down the vampire on a table as Ephraim Goodweather ties the vampire's feet to the table.
At Manhattan Vasiliy Fet drives up to a fence under an overpass. A vampire was feeding on a resident, Vasiliy Fet comes up to the vampire to hit it in the face. While the vampire was still on the ground he put a tracker behind his head. Then another vampire showed up and tried to attack him but got hit by Fet and stamped a another track to the back of the vampire's head. Fet runs back to his humvee to drive away. The vampires tried to chase him but Fet got so far. Fet checks his GPS to see where the tracked vampires where going.
In the headquarters of Quinlan. Quinlan and Abraham Setrakian reads a chapter on "strigoi hunters" Quinlan mentions about the Sun Hunters how they had a desire act alone and often gripped by madness. Quinlan makes a statement saying "good thing none of this applies to you" Abraham replies and said or you.
In Abraham Setrakian's flashback in 1972. A young Abraham Setrakian walks into a nightclub, He goes in the back of the nightclub to see Saskia says his fake name Mr. Pirk. Abraham Setrakian asks Saskia the buyer's name was fake. Saskia says what makes you say that. Abraham Setrakian tells her the potential buyers has the means to close the deal. Saskia also tells him that Mr. Kruger has significant resources at his disposal. Abraham Setrakian asks her if the buyer was german. Saskia said yes. Abraham Setrakian mentions that the buyer was employed at one of the concentration camps in poland. After the conversation Saskia warns Abraham Setrakian about how other people who have attempted to sell him forgeries will not end good as she gave Abraham Setrakian the address.
Back in the present, Eldritch Palmer is watch his commercial of his company's freedom center. The elevator opens up with Thomas Eichhorst and an associate. Eldritch Palmer stops the video to see them, once Eldritch Palmer got up he fainted onto the ground. Thomas Eichhorst calls up his nurse. The nurse runs quickly to get him back up she asks one of them to help. The associate joined and helped him up. The nurse asks Eldritch Palmer how many fingers she was holding Palmer said that he was fine. The nurse goes to get an IV for Palmer, the associate tells him that they don't have to do the meeting if he's sick. Palmer asks who he was, the associate introduces his name as Sanjay Desai. Thomas Eichhorst tells him that Sanjay is his new associate. Thomas Eichhorst asks him what was the status of the Aurora Cutlass. Eldritch Palmer said that the ship from Egypt left. Eldritch Palmer asks Thomas Eichhorst what was on the ship that is so important. Thomas Eichhorst tells Palmer when the ship arrives he will alert him and Sanjay. Thomas Eichhorst thanks him, Palmer asks him what was the thank you for. Thomas Eichhorst said "this transaction" as Sanjay and Thomas Eichhorst left his office.
Meanwhile in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Ephraim Goodweather is exprementing on the vampires. Eph told Dutch that the brain, spinal cord, and stinger is the parasite. Ephraim Goodweather pulls out a bunch of worms out of a vampire's brain and says that is the core of their nervous system. As Dutch Velders turns on the microwave the worms are reacting to the mircowave.
Justine Feraldo and Frank Kowalski are standing outside of an apartment building while police officers and paramedics retreiving out dead bodies out of the building. Justine Feraldo tells Frank that the apartment building was supposed to be secured. Justine Feraldo asks Frank how vampires are starting to get in their safe zones. Frank Kowalski assumes that they are coming from underground. Justine Feraldo told him that they cleared out the tunnels. Justine Feraldo said that they are going to start cleaning up the safe zone again if the vampires keep coming in. Frank said that he is trying but Justine also said that he's not trying not hard enough. Justine left with her bodyguards to Red Hook, Brooklyn to vist Eph.
In Greenwich Village, Vasiliy Fet looks at his GPS to see where the vampires had gone through and it lead him into a record store. Fet goes in to find a hidden hole leading underground.
Justine Feraldo comes into Vasiliy Fet's loft to see what Eph's been doing for a week. Eph tells her about the vampire's communication. Justine tells him that she needs a new bio weapon fast because they are running out of time. Eph said to shut down their communication to have a devestating affect. Justine leaves annoyed. Justine Feraldo tells them to do it fast as she continues to leave.
Fet is crawling to the tunnel trying to reach the end of it. Fet comes out of the tunnel to see two vampires digging a hole with a vehicle. A vampire turns on a minning drill and also joins in. The vampire's stinger grabs onto Fet's rebar as he tries to shoot the other one. The vampire pushes him near the drill droping his gun. The vampire tries to attack him with his stinger but Fet dodges it and stands up to pick up his pistol to shoot the vampire and throw him onto the minning drill killing him instantly.
Dutch strips down the mircowave for the magnetron. They bring the magnetron downstairs, Eph burns the vampire's arm with the silver. Dutch turns on the microwave's magnetron, in the flatline meter in their computer there was no spikes. Eph decides to test it on a vampire that isn't strapped on a table, Dutch agrees with him.
Quinlan and Abraham Setrakian are still reading on one of the pages. Quinlan said that an ancient Egyptian hunter from Meir mangaged to bury a plague. Abraham asks "how does one bury a" as he spaced out, Abraham tries to find the answer through Quinlan and his pages. Abraham goes to the safe to get the Lumen.
Another flashback occurs again in Amsterdam, 1972. Abraham Setrakian knocks on Werner Dremerhaven's door. Werner Dremerhaven tells Abraham Setrakian to wait as chain clanking is heard behind the door. He opens up again and told him to come in. Abraham Setrakian tells him to get the meeting done as quick as possible. Werner Dremerhaven goes into a room to come back with a briefcase full of euros to start their deal. Abraham Setrakian opens up his briefcase to show him the Lumen. Abraham offers him to take the Lumen and also saying the book's silver will burn him. Werner Dremerhaven tells him that the book is fake. Werner Dremerhaven tries to attack him but gets burned. Abraham pulls out a light grenade and throws it at him burning his face. Abraham ties up his mouth shut.
In present day Abraham reads the Lumen trying to find out how they defeated the ancients. Abraham finds a secret in a page in the Lumen. Abraham goes outside to read the hidden message. Abraham mentions a box.
In the flashback again Werner Dremerhaven tells Abraham about Eichhorst keeping his whereabouts a mistery. Abraham does not believe him as he opened up the windows exposing him to sunlight a little bit. Abraham looks around his apartment to only see a basement that is a torture room filled with body parts. Abraham asks him who were the dead people downstairs. Werner Dremerhaven said that it was the clients of Saskia. Abraham Setrakian pulls him downstairs and ties him up. Abraham brings a box down with him, He opens up the box and gets the cutting tools inside to cut off his arms and legs. Abraham ties his remaining torso and and walks away.
Meanwhile Fet is rippels down below to the ground and looks below him to see hundreds of vampires nesting. Fet walks up to the surface in Central Park.
At the New York City Special Command Center Vasiliy Fet shows Justine Feraldo and Frank Kowalski the huge vampire nest underneath Central Park. Justine tells them that they should go there with everything they've got.
Back in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Eph and Dutch are testing on a vampire locked up in a cell. Eph unties the vampire in the cell. Eph tells him how to get the blood. The vampire tries to attack them but he was behind the cage. The vampire gets the key and opened the cage as Dutch turns on the magnetron. The vampire had stopped opening the cage, the vampire continued to open the cage again.The vampire opened the cage fully as he got shot to death by Eph. After that Eph and Dutch sit down on the stairs having some beer.
Abraham and Quinlan are talking about the Sentient Strigoi, while a flashback happens again in the North Sea where Abraham Setrakian is sailing. Abraham throws the body parts of Werner Dremerhaven onto the water.
Quinlan said that if the crimson worm is contained within the silver in the box they will defeat the Master. Abraham Setrakian goes under the High Line park to have a deal again with Palmer. Palmer asks him if he will give him the white. Abraham Setrakian said that he will give him a dose of white. They shake hands as the episode ends.
Acronyms and Vocabulary[]
- Carrier Wave - A wave used to carry information. In the case of radio, an electromagnetic wave, is modulated by another wave, be it voice, video, data, etc. The reason why a carrier wave is needed, is to shift the information signal to another band of frequencies, so that it is not overwhelmed by interference in a more congested band. Another reason why it may be needed, higher frequencies can travel further distances in air with less power than lower frequencies. Therefore, it is more efficient with respect to power usage, as well as transmitting more, and possibly even secure, information in a limited media.
A final point of trivia concerning power usage, for the sake of reference, compare to Extremely Low Frequency, ELF, communications to submarine. At higher frequencies, the signal would be absorbed due to the electrical conductivity of the water. Unless the craft were near the surface and travelling at slow speeds, it could not detect the wave. Thus, an antenna many miles long, like Project SeaFarer would be necessary in this circumstance.
- Electromagnetic Wave - changing electric and magnetic field, which travels across space alongside each other.
- Frequency - The number of oscillations of a wave per second
- Magnetron - it is a vacuum tube which consist at one end, a cathode, which is heated to generate electrons and is subsequently affected by applied magnetic and electric fields in such a way as to produce microwave radiation.
- Microwave Radiation - it is a form of electromagnetic (EM) energy, like light or radio waves, which has a frequency range spanning from 300 MHz to 300 GHz, considered the low end of the EM spectrum, frequency wise. It is good for transmitting in nearly all-weather conditions such as haze, light, clouds, smoke, and even light rain and snow. Microwaves are used in RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging; weather-tracking, air-traffic control, and military applications), Automobile speed detection, line-of-sight communications as well food-preparation
- Modulation - to alter the amplitude or frequency of (an electromagnetic wave or other oscillation) by the use of a second signal.
- Steganography - the practice of concealing messages or information within other non-secret text or data. With respect to The Strain, select passages were hidden in the text of the Occido Lumen, by the use of Invisible or Security Ink. It was later revealed by exposure to sunlight.
- White Noise - band of signals which contains frequencies of equal intensity. Also known as background noise.
- WMD - Weapons of Mass Destruction
Trivia[]
- The book inside the Silver hard-cover case, which Setrakian offered to Dr. Dremerhaven, was revealed to be "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin. The original title was "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".
- Dr. Dreverhaven offered Dutch Guilders to Setrakian in order to complete the purchase of the Occido Lumen. The Guilder was a unit of currency within The Netherlands before the introduction of the Euro. For more information go to leftovercurrency.com
- The song which Dr. Dremerhaven was singing is called Muss i denn, it is about a soldier who promises to remain faithful to his beloved till he can come back from the front to marry her, a sample of this song can be found on YouTube. It is an old folk song, which came from the South-West German Region of Swabia.
- In the beginning of the episode, Vasiliy Fet uses a hammer tacker or a hammer staple gun to secure a tracking device on the strigoi
- In Amsterdam, Setrakian visited an area known as De Wallen, otherwise known as the Red-Light District. The area is widely-publicized for legalized prostitution, where prices are negotiable for a wide variety of services. College girls have been known to work in area for some quick cash, and please do not take photos without permission.
Storyboard[]
This is a unique section created for this wiki. It was apportioned to showcase scenes which either moved "fast" or too dark or unclear.
Quotes[]
Seven days. Seven more days passed and the levee broke wide open.The government exhausted its resources trying to contain the infections in Washington, Atlanta, Dallas, but it spread to 20 more cities, then 50. There was nowhere to run. Outbreaks were reported in Germany, India, Africa, Japan. Countries tried their own ways to stop it, but to no avail. One global environment now engaged in a global war. Here in New York, we held our battle lines against an enemy that continued to evolve. But for how much longer? Were we still seeking victory or simply forestalling defeat? - Setrakian
Opening Montage of Episode:
Difficult times are also opportunities for people to come together. You are not alone. At Stoneheart Freedom Centers, we have food, clean water, and medicine. All you need is your freedom card. - Female Narrator (off-camera)
- Dutch Velders: Look at that. Is that all the bioweapon does now? I've seen worse with herpes.
- Ephraim Goodweather: From strigoi WMD to "not as bad as herpes". Not a great week.
_______________________________
- Quinlan: I'm reading a chapter on strigoi hunters.A long line of them, dating all the way back to the ancient Sumerians. A Phoenician hunter set fire to a ship full of people merely on the suspicion that there was a strigoi on board.
- Setrakian: How is any of this useful?
- Quinlan: There's a commonality among all these hunters: the desire to act alone.They appear monomaniacal and often seem to be gripped by madness. Good thing none of this applies to you.
- Setrakian: Or you.
________________________________________________________________________________
- Dutch Velders: Wow, you must have gotten up early.
- Ephraim Goodweather: Never went to bed. Here, look at this.We haven't been finding anything particularly useful, looking for vulnerabilities in the endocrine and circulatory system.And I figured let's just start fresh.Let's strip everything down to basics.
- Dutch Velders: Oh!
- Ephraim Goodweather: This is it. That's the parasite. This is the organism that's infecting people. This is what we're fighting.
- Dutch Velders: So it's just a stinger, a spinal column, and a brain?
- Ephraim Goodweather: No, not just any brain. The tissue is necrotic. If you or I had a brain this diseased, we'd barely be able to maintain a heartbeat, let alone coordinate with others or stalk prey.
- Dutch Velders: Now, look at this. Worms. Not much better than shit for brains, if you ask me.
- Ephraim Goodweather: Yeah. The worms aren't just the vector for transmission. They seem to comprise the core of their nervous system.
- Dutch Velders: And I'm never eating noodles again.Coffee?
- Ephraim Goodweather: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Turn off the microwave! OK, turn it back on again.
- Dutch Velders: Why?
- Ephraim Goodweather: Come here. What do you think it is that they're reacting to? Do you think microwaves are escaping?
- Dutch Velders: Not if you trust government safety regulations.
- Ephraim Goodweather: So microwaves are definitely escaping. And the worms are somehow responding to it. It's like they've woken up.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
- Justine Feraldo: It's been a week. Did you get - the powder working again?
- Ephraim Goodweather: No, but look at this.
- Dutch Velders: Hi, I'm Dutch Velders. I fought with you, right here in Red Hook, actually.
- Ephraim Goodweather: Here, look at this.We believe this is the communication center of the strigoi brain.- And watch this! When I cause pain to Strigoi A... I get a pronounced response in Strigoi B. This proves that they're communicating by way of some highly evolved signals. This is a biological system. The way a migratory bird can fly 3,000 miles to some specific winter nesting spot in Mexico. Complex? Mysterious? Yes, but empirically solvable.
- Justine Feraldo: But you haven't solved it. We are running out of time.
- Ephraim Goodweather: You saw them last week? You saw how they were different, less directed. Shut down their communication, we can get them back into that condition.
- Justine Feraldo: Let's go.
- Ephraim Goodweather: If we can pull this off, we can have a devastating effect on them.
- Dutch Velders: No.Not if. When--when we're going to.
- Justine Feraldo: Then do it. And do it fast.
____________________________________________________________________________________
- Ephraim Goodweather: So this is the thing that actually makes the microwaves - in the microwave?
- Dutch Velders: The magnetron, yeah. I'm using the radio to modulate a frequency with a signal from a dead station. So if I'm right about the microwaves being their carrier frequency, then this should blast the strigoi with white noise, and drown out all the communication it's getting.
- Dutch Velders: Microwave gun test commencing. Look at that! There's no more spike! We're actually blocking their signal!
- Ephraim Goodweather: Let's not pop the champagne cork just yet. Need to test this with real strigoi that aren't strapped down with their guts hanging out.
- Dutch Velders: You're very by the book, aren't you?
______________________________________________________________________
- Werner Dremerhaven: Yes? What is it?
- Setrakian: Mr. Kruger? My name is Roald Pirk. I believe you are expecting me.
- Werner Dremerhaven: Ah, yes. Just a moment.
- Setrakian: Have we met someplace before, sir?
- Werner Dremerhaven: Not that I recall.Please. May I offer you a drink?
- Setrakian: If it's all the same to you, I wish to get our business completed as soon as possible.
- Werner Dremerhaven: Why? Surely you don't believe all of the superstitious notions that people have about the book?
- Setrakian: I'll just say it has been a peculiar burden to possess it.
- Werner Dremerhaven: Well, you'll be glad to know that I'm about to unburden you, then.
- Setrakian:And you, you have no concerns at all, Mr.Kruger? About curses, calamities? I am a man who embraces the accursed, Mr.Pirk.
- Werner Dremerhaven: Now, if you will excuse me for a moment. For you. Gut?
- Setrakian: Yes.Very good.
- Werner Dremerhaven:And now, it is your turn. Bring it closer, please. Closer
- Setrakian:Go on.Take it.Feel the weight of the silver in your hands.
- Werner Dremerhaven: I do not need to. I can tell that it is a fake. And you are not who you say you are, Jew! I recognized you right away. I expect you wish you had brought your cane inside with you!
- Setrakian: This'll do. I've worked for years to arrange for this encounter. I was expecting to find Thomas Eichhorst. This was meant for him, you see. But in his absence, Dr. Dreverhaven, I will settle for you.
__________________________________________________________________________
- Setrakian: It's as though the book is deliberately hiding the solution for how they defeated the Ancient.
- Quinlan: Yes, but hiding it from whom?
- Setrakian: Strigoi can't read from a silver-bound book.And yet, here you are.I'm beginning to wonder if even more elaborate measures were taken. Come with me, Mr.Quinlan. Follow me as far as you can. Sunlight! They used sunlight to hide the text so the strigoi could never read it."After being surrounded by an army of thousands", "the living plague was contained within a stone sarcophagus lined with an alloy of silver and lead." "A tomb for the creature and for the crimson worm within it. Trapped for all eternity."
- Quinlan: "A box?"
- Setrakian: The box.
________________________________________________________________________
- Fet: They're digging their own tunnels now. That's how six of my tagged munchers came out to hunt tonight. And when the sun went down, they used these new tunnels to pop up inside your safe zone.
- Justine Feraldo: Shit!
- Fet: The good news is that now I know where they're coming from
- Frank Kowalski: Central Park.
- Fet: Underneath Central Park. I found an old chamber, way deep down. I'm telling you, there were thousands of them down there.Central Park, central nest.
- Justine Feraldo: Then we go after it with everything we've got.
_______________________________________________________________________
- Quinlan: You really think the Egyptians trapped an Ancient inside this sarcophagus?
- Setrakian: Yes. And he's probably still there. I should have thought of this before, as I did something similar once. Not to an Ancient, but to a sentient strigoi. He'd always been a monster, a psychopath, even as a human.
- Setrakian: I spent decades trying to cast the memory from my mind. It's the closest to madness I've ever come.
- Quinlan: Good things can be born out of madness, Professor. Don't you see? Imprisonment is the key to defeating the Master. Not combat or physical destruction.
- Setrakian: As long as the crimson worm survives, the Master can always transfer bodies.
- Quinlan: Yes, but if he is contained within the silver, and his communicative power suppressed by the lead inside the box, then he's truly powerless.
- Setrakian: No wonder he's hiding.
- Quinlan: Yes. Therein lies the challenge.We now know how to defeat the Master, but we don't know where he is. Or even who he is.
- Setrakian: There is one person who could find out.
__________________________________________________________________________
- Eldritch Palmer:Have you reconsidered my offer?
- Setrakian:I will never give you the formula for the white, but I will give you a dose.
- Eldritch Palmer:How long will a dose last?
- Setrakian:Long enough. In exchange, you will find out whose body the Master has taken.
- Eldritch Palmer:He is no longer in Bolivar's body?
- Setrakian:So he has lost faith in you. Should I question your ability to do this?
- Eldritch Palmer:No-no, I can do it. He still needs me. Of that, I am certain. Otherwise, I would already be dead.
- Setrakian:You can find him?
- Eldritch Palmer: Yes, I can. I will. To a new alliance.
Final Scene:
For more quotes: Additional Quotes for S03E04 (Madness)
Deaths[]
- a few Manhattan safe zone residents
- Werner Dremerhaven
- one unnamed NYC citizen
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