S03.E05: Madness

[ShellSeeker]

Quote

New information from the Lumen forces Setrakian to seek help from his lifelong nemesis, Eldritch Palmer. Eph’s new experiments to understand strigoi communication seemingly take him to the brink of madness while Fet is on a mission to discover strigoi movements across New York City.

[SimoneS]

An alliance with Eldrick? That won't end well. What Abraham did was unhinged, but he has been walking the line of sanity for many decades. I want to see Quinlan in more action scenes. 

I don't know who is more crazy, Fet or Eph and Dutch. Talk about risking their lives for little return. Really these desperate plans aren't going anywhere. It is the Lumen or bust.

ETA: Good to see Nigel Bennett again.

Edited September 26, 2016 by SimoneS

[thuganomics85]

Kind of talky episode, I thought.  Outside of Fet's little battle with the construction worker strigois (hee!) and Eph and Dutch kidnapping one for their little experiments, it was mainly just a lot of setting up and exposition dumping.

Still, basically, Eph and Dutch find out more about the strigoi anatomy and brain functions, and accidentally figure out that microwave radiation can effect their communication.  But it looks like it is already not working again, so I guess they can adapt to it, somehow?

Abe and Quinlan mainly just chill out and read over the Lumen, until Abe finally figures out that their are hidden words that you can only read by sunlight, which is a good way to prevent strigois from ever reading it.  We also see flashbacks over how Abe fucked up the concentration camp doctor.  I continue to be impressed over how much the actor looks and sounds like a younger David Bradley in those scenes.

Justine is freaking out over how everything is slowly going back to hell.  At least Fet gave her the good news about where all the striogi are hiding.

Eldritch continues to be under Eichorst's thumb and now has to be talk down to by another lacky.  The lacky being played by Cas Anvar makes me really want The Expanse to come back soon.  That was a good show.

Episode ending with Abe and Eldritch shaking hands is certainly a scary way to end it!

[FlowerofCarnage]

I was the biggest Forever Knight fan back in the day so seeing Nigel Bennett on my TV is always a pleasure.

[shrewd.buddha]

It's hard to take the danger of the striogi seriously when the main characters don't seem to worry very much.
Sitting outside in a park at night - confident that two people can handle however many infected show up? What if there were ten? thirty? a swarm?
No one bothers to wear any hazmat type clothing when cutting open worm-infested bodies, leaning over for closer looks with no masks..
And Fet, with no backup, squirming through a tiny underground tunnel with no protection for his backside and not knowing what is at the end.

It is as if they all know they are protected by plot armor. 

[SimoneS]

3 hours ago, shrewd.buddha said:

It's hard to take the danger of the striogi seriously when the main characters don't seem to worry very much.
Sitting outside in a park at night - confident that two people can handle however many infected show up? What if there were ten? thirty? a swarm?
No one bothers to wear any hazmat type clothing when cutting open worm-infested bodies, leaning over for closer looks with no masks..
And Fet, with no backup, squirming through a tiny underground tunnel with no protection for his backside and not knowing what is at the end.

It is as if they all know they are protected by plot armor. 

This is the weakness of the show. The strigoi fling worms all over with their stinger yet magically manage to never infect the regular cast (except the late lovely Nora). They take reckless chances and never wear protective gear. I couldn't believe it when Eph and Dutch were bending over the worms with no concern that one would fly up at them.  I have mentioned this before, but it bothers me that none of the seals or cops even wear helmets with face protection or have UV light attached to their guns. At least, last season they were using UV lights to protect their compound, apparently no more.  

Edited September 26, 2016 by SimoneS

[Garnett7]

I'm a bit confused on Quinlan. Sunlight doesn't bother him, right? We've seen him out and about in it. Flashback of him barely clothed and gladiator fighting during the day. Yet why wouldn't he follow the Professor onto the rooftop to read the Lumen's page in the sun? He hung back like he feared the sun would hurt him. What gives?

[FlowerofCarnage]

Not to mention there is no public awareness campaign on how to protect yourself from Strigoi; no list of their weaknesses at all.  The CDC, NIH, etc not studying Strigoi corpses for weaknesses?  Air Travel in and out of the US not being shut down. People not being screened at airports. 

[xaxat]

Seriously! Setrakian has been making those silver bombs for decades yet somehow they are rarer than flawless diamonds now?

This season feels like they are just treading water. Quinn has been foiled in his quest, yet again. Eph is trying to come up with a way to stop the strigoi, yet again. Setrakian is reading his book, yet again. 

I'm getting bored.

[raven]

I was entertained again.  Finally we are getting some good camp.

I had to rewind this bit, it made me laugh:

Palmer gets up weakly.  Eichorst "Are you all right?"  "THUMP" Eichorst and the other guy look down at him, wait a beat “NURSE!"

LOL!

I enjoy young Setrakian flashbacks (even with the bad fake facial hair) so that was fun.  Yow, he dumped that nazi strigoi awake into the ocean!  Cold and badass.

I like team Eph & Dutch doing science and drinking.  Fet found the nest and Abe and Quinlan figured out a way to defeat the Master, which led to Setrakian approaching Palmer, so that whole connection worked for me.  I love old books so YAY for an old book being the key.

The worms flying around – meh, they did the same thing on TWD when the show runners realized it was too much trouble to have everyone worrying about blood all the time, after they themselves said “Don’t get blood anywhere on you!!”  So inconsistent, but whatever.

Speaking of worms, big ewww to the worm ball (!) that Eph and Dutch were working with.  This show does do gross pretty well.

Who knows, maybe the governments are announcing anti-strigoi measures but the infection's spreading too quickly.  NY is burning and the world is going to hell, that’s enough for me on this goofy show.  We have Justine as the quickly unraveling face of government. 

Next week looks like a lot of action.  Gus and Angel will probably meet up with everyone in the attack on the nest.

[maczero]

On 9/25/2016 at 11:05 PM, SimoneS said:

I don't know who is more crazy, Fet or Eph and Dutch. Talk about risking their lives for little return. Really these desperate plans aren't going anywhere. It is the Lumen or bust.

ETA: Good to see Nigel Bennett again.

I disagree with Fet's actions having very little return.  He found a huge nest of strigoi.  If it contains all the NY strigoi then this could lead to a big win for our heroes (although it probably won't).

Eph was actually likeable this ep.  I think the only thing that prevents Eph from being likeable all the time is the angsting over his wife and kid.  Dutch is always likeable.  She always gives off this fun, sexy vibe no matter what's she's doing.

[diebartdie]

On 9/26/2016 at 10:08 AM, Garnett7 said:

I'm a bit confused on Quinlan. Sunlight doesn't bother him, right? We've seen him out and about in it. Flashback of him barely clothed and gladiator fighting during the day. Yet why wouldn't he follow the Professor onto the rooftop to read the Lumen's page in the sun? He hung back like he feared the sun would hurt him. What gives?

Previously we've seen Quinlan outside on a cloudy day; during the gladiator times, he was always smeared with mud or something before the game; while he was sitting with Setrakian inside, the sunlight was diffuse, but when they went up to the rooftop, it was a bright, sunny day and Q was not protected enough to be outside all the way.

[Texasmom1970]

The title of the episode describes why I am still watching this, I need help. Most of the episode I was not even listening, usually only when Fet was on screen. Dutch needs to get away from Eph. I like her but can't stand watching him. I am no a quitter I am gonna watch this shit to the bitter end. Yep I need help!

[LocimusPrime]

• Like on of the previous posters stated, why doesn't the US start making those silver grenades, more UV weapons ect. By now all of the worlds best scientists would be experimenting to find more of their weaknesses. 
• A couple of medieval time knights with silver chainmail and plate armor would be invincible right now. 
• The lumen is worthless, so basically it says the only way to kill or contain the master is to encase him in a silver/ lead lined box. I call BS..how about I take that red worm and stick in the microwave for 25 minutes until it explodes. Or drop that red worm in some sulfuric acid 

[Cigale]

On 26 septembre 2016 at 3:05 AM, thuganomics85 said:

 I continue to be impressed over how much the actor looks and sounds like a younger David Bradley in those scenes.

This

On 26 septembre 2016 at 8:02 PM, raven said:

bad fake facial hair)

And this 

[CletusMusashi]

The condition of that book continues to amuse me. I've got books that were printed this decade that are in way, way older condition than that thing is... and now we're supposed to believe it even has thousands-of-years-old invisible ink that still works? Oh well. I still had fun watching.

Dutch and Eph are great together. I also like Abe and Quin. Fet working alone is fine, because Fet is awesome no matter what.

More Abe flashbacks means more Nazi vampires getting their asses handed to them. In this case, almost literally.

I'm sure tonight they'll fill us in on what random direction Gus has wandered off in. Maybe he'll even stay put long enough to be relevant, and Fet can lead the conscripts into Central Park.

Didn't miss Zach one bit. If they never mention him again, and in the finale Eph says something like "I just feel like we forgot something.. oh well, couldn't have been very important..." I will be a very happy man.

Edited October 3, 2016 by CletusMusashi

[Terrafamilia]

I love/hate the way the Lumen is one of those Hollywood tomes that is huge, thick, clad in silver, and yet people tote it around like it's styrofoam.