Title: The Strain
Network: FX
Airtime: Sunday 10 PM
Starring: Corey Stoll, Mia Maestro, David Bradley, Sean AstinAbout Episode “It’s Not For Everyone”: The fourth chapter begins immediately after last week’s confrontation with one of the “transformed” victims. Goodweather kills him or rather it, but incomprehensibly instead of notifying the appropriate officials about their finding and attack, they instead perform a perfunctory autopsy. Huh? The scene is certainly gruesome, as we learn that these creatures are “fish-like” internally. It really makes little sense is that they, especially Goodweather, feel comfortable enough to open up the victim without masks and only surgical gloves for protection? C’mon on. But to be fair, Jim seems to share our confusion: “A monster just attacked us; we should notify someone.”

What We Think: Once again the show explores the gruesomeness of the “strain” and again requires a little too much “willing suspension of disbelief.” The autopsy scene was tense, as it seemed quite possible that the dead man could come to life, or part of him. The illogical juxtaposition continues with Ansel, one of the other four survivors, who is in really bad shape. We all know what’s coming and so does Ansel to some degree. He sends his family, sans the poor dog, Gertie, out of the house. When his wife returns, tension slowly builds, until the she discovers the disemboweled dog and Ansel, who has chained himself inside a shed. However, Annie’s behavior is all wrong. Why does she not contact someone, especially once the neighbor comes over to berate her about the dog? Tricking him into the shed was really quite cruel and absurd. Would someone really do that? Why does she do that?

Our Grade: C, We also learn that shutting down all forms of social media and more generally the internet is not hard to do. Really? The powerful Mr. Palmer hires Ms. Valders to affect a blackout and she seems to understand, at least fundamentally, why: “It’s easier to hide evil.” So, then, why does she do it? The episode ends with the title. Setrakian says to Goodweather “It’s not for everyone” regarding Martinez’s concern about killing all those infected. While her concern for saving people makes sense, after everything she has seen about the infected, how can she really maintain that position?