The Strain
Catch "The Strain" Season 3 on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. EDT on FX. Michael Gibson/FX

FX’s “The Strain” Season 3 may consist of only 10 episodes, but the season premiere didn’t slow down the story’s pace as fans were updated on the lives of their favorite character. The Season 2 finale ended with Zack being taken to The Master by Kelly, Nora dying in order to avoid becoming a strigoi and Setrakian leaving the city on a boat with the Occido Lumen, Quinlan, Gus, Angel and Fet.

So what happened in episode 1 “New York Strong”? Here’s a recap:

Eph’s Bioweapon May Be Failing

Since Zack’s disappearance, Eph (Corey Stoll) has been toiling hard to create ample amounts of the bioweapon for Councilwoman Justine Ferlado (Samantha Mathis) to use against the blood-sucking strigois. The only problem? It’s failing because Eph’s concoction now has a kill rate of only 75 percent as opposed to a 100 percent. Are the munchers adapting and evolving? It certainly seems so. Now he will have to alter his formula.

While the CDC doctor works hard on the bioweapon during the day, at night he waits in his old home for Zack’s (Max Charles) return. After downing some premium vodka and gorging on canned soup, Eph waits every night for his son to return. He is also haunted by dreams of Zack turning into a strigoi and killing him.

The Navy SEALs Try Their Best To Defeat The Master

Meanwhile, Feraldo may have several places in New York strigoi-free, but her manpower is rapidly dwindling. Her only hope is the Navy SEAL team who is working with former rat exterminator and New York lover Fet (Kevin Durand) to find The Master a.k.a Bolivar (Jack Kesy) and kill him once and for all.

During a visit to Setrakian’s (David Bradley) abode, Quinlan (Rupert Penry-Jones) warns Fet that the Navy SEAL are no match for The Master. Only he can kill him. The exterminator makes it clear that he doesn’t like nor trust the half-strigoi, half-human creature. After all, he drinks blood and has a stringer like the rest of The Master’s army.

However, Fet should have listened to Quinlan because during a hunt for The Master, the Navy SEAL team is swiftly defeated. Bolivar along with Eichhorst (Richard Sammel) implement a carefully crafted plan where the Navy SEAL is lured to an abandoned and dark church. Once there, the pair consume each team member one by one. In the end, only two Navy SEAL team members and Fet seems to be alive.

Setrakian And Quinlan Work On The Occido Lumen

While Fet is busy exterminating the munchers, Quinlan and Setrakian are busy decoding the Occido Lumen, a book that is supposed to tell them how to kill The Master. However, the book is more of a clue towards the answer. It doesn’t spoon feed the way to kill him to the reader.

Season 3, episode 1 also shows Quinlan meeting the Ancients and reminding them that he is their best hope to defeat The Master.

Kelly Visits Eph

During a night of drunken stupor in his old home waiting for Zack, Eph gets a visit from Kelly (Natalie Brown) and her child-like feelers. Kelly tells her former husband that his son is safe and alive. But he can only have him if he gives her the Occido Lumen. It’s Zack’s life for the book.

Zack Is Alive

Sure enough, “The Strain” Season 3 premiere depicts Zack alive and helping his mother brush her hair. She tells him that The Master has allowed them to be together if she does something for him. That something is acquiring the Lumen.

“The Strain” Season 3 airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT on FX.

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