I really need to offload these but ok, the last good strain ep there was before the final decline.

Let’s start with Dutch looking cute and revealing some things about herself:

Meaning she’ll be captured by the end of the episode.

Next we have Mayor Canada (that’s not the character’s name bu the actor’s Ron Canada hence Mayor Canada) doing some cheezy lines for the upper crust.

So that Councilwoman Fiero can get in her plan to tax the rich for protection making her look good to the average folk while the rich can pish posh all they want.

Coco meanwhile’s dumped Old Man Winter and has *feelings* and *conflicte* written all over her face.

Which makes her turn into supervillainy all the more fun and funny.

Fet, Setrakian and Nora go chasing after a Fonescu with the slight snag that there are four of them (”there must have been a really virile Fonescu at some time past”) leading them to multiple breaking and enterings.

Eph is getting his assassin’s cred ready with the rifle and wingman

But, as the story dictates, misses and his Coco Chanel instead.

(yay no more octogenarian sex!) that last sentiment was naïve of course.

Fet gets the best laugh in this ep by finding Librarian Fonescu’s secret stash of vintage girlie mags.

Eichorst shows up just in time so that a deal with the master can be made to save Coco’s life, which no one will regret.

This leads to the best exchange of the night as Palmer visits Goodweather in jail and there’s some pretty good face off there. Eventually the Master-in-Bolivar shows up and cures Coco and vampires swarm the police station.

Leading to some intense just-out-of range tongue-ing for 1 surviving cop & Eph

Well Almost

Sarry Brah.

FInally Setrakian lays eyes on the lumen for about 5 seconds and he’s knocked unconscious as one must when one arrives to a goal too soon

And on a last note Dutch has been taken by Eichorst and much ickiness will ensue in the next ep but for now

Same Dutch, same.

Zach is uncharacteristically cooperative and understanding in this episode. He’s been a moody child so far, alternating between belligerent, stupid, and moping but here he’s actually warm and communicative

Betcha that’s not gonna last (it doesn’t).

In Washington we see that the public is distracted enough and the government bogged down enough that getting any real action in New York is going to be a challenge 

Gus’ story meanwhile is stalled, he was absent the last episode and here he’s just doing some deliveries, listless. I’m sure there’s a point coming and we see how everyday people are coping with this but it’s not too compelling rn

Did I mention Eph’s friend who’s part of the Liev Schrieber face fan club?

let’s have one more look at Eph and the novelty that is his shaved head and bulging vein

(you don’t want to know what else of his is bulgingor veined)

Quinlan, introduced in the last ep shows he’s not your average vamp, with walking in sunshine and talking down to the elder vamps, the bone handle sticking out looks cool tho

If there’s one thing that gives a sense of dread and foreboding is when things are going too well. Eph’s got support from a pharmaceutical company for mass production and the military for deployment 

you know something’s gonna gum up the works.

Heeeere’s Johnny!

Mama Cass is making herself known and Zach’s about to become an idiot again for the next couple of episodes

Oh, I forgot to talk about the big ado about Reggie Fitzwilliams. Reggie’s had a crisis of conscience and left the longtime employ of his boss Palmer, who practically raised him and only recently aligned himself with Setrakian and the others. Unfortunately turns out we no longer have time for Reggie so he gets bitten and decapitated.

Sorry Reggie, I really thought we were headed somewhere with your story. Even gave you an FDNY brother and everything. Oh well.

Surprising no one things go to shit in Washington and Eph loses his PharmaLover, his drinking buddy all in one fell swoop

Fortunately the contract killer has poor aim and Eph somehow kills him and the show goes on.

But the best is saved for last. Crispy Master chooses Bolivar over Eichorst as his new host and the look on Eichorst’s face is amazing

(tears for years)

Wouldn’t be a Master Passover without old master blowing chunks into Bolivar

NewMaster tries to ride on Eph’s coattails and gets rid of his wig also

But thankfully, still voiced by Robin Atkin Downes, aka Byron