The Strain (2014) s04e02 Episode Script

The Blood Tax

1 Previously on The Strain Mr.
Desai, your duties are about to expand greatly.
You will be pleased to learn that we have a great need for a helpful human confederate.
- I hate you! - (Gasping) Behind the wall, come on! No one will forget the terrors of Illumination Day.
Nine months later we are marching forward into a new era.
Thanks to the cooperation that is at the heart of The Partnership, everyone's needs are being met.
Just keep your blood donations up to date and comprehensive health care will be yours at absolutely no cost.
Strigs! (Growling) Why don't you just get it over with now, huh? Sit down.
Help me! Help me? Please, if you walk away, I'll die! Goddamn it.
(Alarm beeping) - Where are you going? - Going out to get a newspaper.
There's more I want to tell you.
Tell it to the moon.
She takes all my messages.
(Laughing) Hey, what're you doing Christmas? Safety.
Nutrition.
Health care.
The chance to work, to be challenged, and to grow.
The sad truth is that, in our former world, these were all privileges of the elite.
Now, they're available to all of us.
That's all thanks to The Partnership.
They understand what it takes to let the human spirit thrive.
- (Growling) - And all they ask for in return is something we can all very easily part with.
Morning, Eddie.
How's it going? It's going.
Have a good one, Raul.
Hi.
I'm Sanjay Desai, Chief Health Care Officer for The Partnership.
Now, these donations you're making, they're vital.
Vital to the society we are building all around you.
A society that will benefit every living creature on this planet.
There'll be no more violence, no crime.
And we will all get to pursue our own happiness in peace.
This is our future, my friends.
And it's a bright one.
(Grunting) Didn't I always tell you to watch your back? (Laughing) - Gus? - What's up, little cousin? Good to see you, man.
Look at you.
- How you been? - I thought you were dead.
Yeah, yeah.
A couple times I thought I was too, but here I am.
Look, so what's going on? (Voices nearby) Look, man.
I need you to help get me into that building where you work.
You know, when no one's around.
Look, I can't help you - steal from the - Hey, hey, hey.
Who said anything about stealing? It's more like reallocating.
- Huh? - You just gotta trust me.
It's just if I get caught helping you You think I would let something happen to you? - It's not that, man, it's - Raul, just listen to me, okay? You remember what your dad used to always tell us? A good man takes care of his family.
That's right.
I'm here to take care of you now.
We gotta take care of each other.
(Squishy sound) (Gasping softly) The ultrasound shows that your uterus is perfectly normal.
No reason why a baby couldn't settle in nicely there.
Now, we know from your hormonal tests that you've been ovulating as expected.
Your eggs should be healthy.
So are you eating enough? - Getting enough rest? - Plenty.
Well, then, maybe this next cycle will be the one.
You should be ovulating five or six days from now, so I'll see you then and we will do our very best, all right? (Footsteps retreating) It's a nice place you got here.
It's a hellhole and you know it.
- Kinda homey.
- If your home's in hell.
Look, Bob, don't patronize me.
I know this place is a dump.
Not as clean as what's-his-name would keep it.
- Hey.
Good luck.
- Thanks.
Take this chart down to ultrasound for me.
Thank you.
Hello, this is Nurse Greenwood.
I'd like an update on that file - that I gave you yesterday.
- She always changes her mind.
You know, after you were born we were trying to decide on a name to call you, and she wanted to call you Herb.
Don't worry, Miranda.
Sometimes it just takes a little while.
What kind of name is that? He's in the back.
Dale, Dale, Dale.
C'mon.
C'mon.
We ain't sittin' around.
I want to play cards, man.
Your customers are here.
Professor.
And the Duchess.
What have you got for me today? - Are they fresh? - Don't insult me, Elizalde.
- All right.
- It seems your operation has expanded.
Yeah, I got a new partner now.
You remember Creem.
Yes, I remember.
It's the old man that bought the magic book.
Looks like that didn't work out too well for you, huh? It was either this or our gangs were gonna kill each other.
At least I still have the book.
It doesn't seem you can say the same - for your $323 million.
- Yeah, well, nuclear war wasn't good for the economy.
- No one wanted my gold certificates.
- Or your paintings or all your other material trappings.
Even greed has its limits.
- What about your book? - The Lumen continues to be of vital importance.
Whatever you say.
Hey, I believe you, Professor.
When the time comes, we're gonna need people like you.
Experienced fighters.
I'd say I've had too much experience already, if you know what I mean.
THIS is my fight now.
Besides, who else is gonna make sure you got your pills, right? He is capable of so much more.
You can't force someone to fight - if their heart's not in it.
- Where are you taking me? - What's going on? - Why are you doing this? God, they're doing a raid on our building.
Come on, Professor, let's get out of here.
No, - the Lumen.
- The book'll be fine; they'll never find it.
We'll come back for it later.
- Come on! - No, look! We cannot let the Lumen burn.
- (Grunting) - Professor? Please.
All right, look.
Meet me at our spot by the river.
Stay out of sight.
(Coughing) (Growling) (Hissing) (Coughing) (Coughing) (Growling) Ah! (Growling) Oh I was a fool.
I realize now that everything gained can just as easily be lost.
The book is safe, Professor.
We'll go back there and get it, as soon as we get out of this.
I'm not talking about the book, Ms.
Velders, but about humanity.
For every stride, every turn toward goodness people make, we want to believe that the progress is lasting.
Irreversible.
We wanted to believe this so badly that we let down our guard.
And our own evil crept back into us.
Hi, this is Sanjay Desai, Chief Health Care Officer for The Partnership, offering you - a warm welcome.
- What are we doing here? - What are we supposed to do? - In an effort to improve the lives of all of our residents of New York, you are being transferred to more secure and comfortable residential facilities.
- Where do we go? - Yeah, I'm going! This process is simply a security check.
Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and welcome to your new community.
You, stay there! Get over there, now! Move it! Move it! (Men shouting) I have seen this before.
On that side.
- (Screeching) - You! Come here! - No! No! No! No! No! - No, Mommy, no! Mommy! Leave him alone! (Screaming in pain) No! Stop it! (Roaring) Get off of him! Get off him! (Shrieking) (Growling) No! Setrakian! Stop it! - I said, move! - Setrakian! No! No! No! No! Setrakian! You want some fruit? No, thanks.
Not a big fan of pineapple.
Hey, look.
Lucy's painting again.
What's your call? Puppy or red-headed beefcake? Puppy.
Hey, Lucy, let us see it! (Laughing) Beautiful! I love it.
Give it up, loser.
So, one more day 'til you ride that bozo out into the sunset.
Well, there aren't really sunsets anymore but, yeah, that's the plan.
Unless you've changed your mind? If you want to get out with me, we still can come up with something.
Nah.
Thanks, I'm good.
- You sure? - Yeah.
It took six damn tries, but I'm finally pregnant.
Which means I'm safe.
Safe is a relative term, Rosalinda.
Look, I know this isn't paradise.
But at least in here I can pretend things are normal.
It's a hell of a lot better than being out there.
Not for me it isn't.
(Breath intake) Any word from Wilkins and Roach? (Grunting) Sorry.
He can take it.
He's been known to argue vociferously about how men have a higher pain tolerance than women.
- Mm-hmm.
- That's definitely not true.
See? And that is coming from a doctor.
So you can admit that it hurts.
Doesn't hurt.
I love it.
Isn't there anything else that we can do? In the absence of antibiotics, we just have to wait and see.
What's with the firepower? You have a bigger target or what? What firepower? The fertilizer bombs.
From the smell, it's either that or you're raising livestock in here.
Fair enough.
Yeah, the plan is to take out as many buses as we can.
It's the easiest way to take out multiple strigoi.
And multiple people.
There's no guarantee of safety in this world.
I understand that, but you're pushing your luck with that shit.
What luck? And anyway, what's the alternative? Pretend like everything's normal? Trust the powers that be to act in our best interest? That's how we got to where we are right now.
Too many people sitting back just hoping for the best.
That I agree with.
Your cousin pussied out.
We came all the way out here for nothing.
Gus! Gus! Hey.
I told you we could trust him.
W'sup, cuz? You all right, man? - Hey.
- You good? Hey, guys.
So, what do we do? What's the move? So, that's the way in.
Right there.
Good.
Let's go.
Hold on.
Hold on.
First, we gotta take out that sentinel.
I'll take care of it.
You guys lay low, all right? Move.
(Shrieking) Ah, man.
- C'mon! Let's go! - Okay.
This way.
Two of you, make sure one of the trucks is ready to go.
Okay.
Come on! (Chuckling) Woo! That's what I'm talking about, Raul.
What'd I tell you, man? How'd they even grow this shit without sunlight? The Partnership has grow houses run with ultraviolet light.
That's perfect.
They're using tricks they got from the drug dealers.
Come on, let's get this shit out of here.
Get that side.
I see you looking at it.
There you go.
- Raul? - Back up! Back up! Gus, it's cool! I know him.
What's going on, Eddie? Hey, man.
You're not supposed to be in here.
Right.
Yeah, man.
My mistake.
Look, we're just gonna get out of here, okay? I mean, you and me, we're cool, right? - No one needs to know about this? - Oh, look, I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on this place.
I gotta report this.
Listen.
Eddie.
It's Eddie, right? Yeah.
Look, there's gotta be something or some way we can work this out.
Right? We have a lot of things we can offer you.
Food, medicine, liquor? No, man, no.
I don't need none of those things.
I need this job.
I've got a family, Raul - (Gunshot) - Jesus! - Creem, what're you doing? - Take it and go! Move, move, move! - Damn it! - Go, go, move! Round this way! Round the back! - (Gunshots) - Creem, chill! Creem! Chill, man! Eddie! Eddie, come out, bro.
Just come out and talk to us, man.
You're not gonna get hurt.
(Alarm blaring) Creem, we gotta get out of here.
Come on.
Everybody inside.
Let's go.
- Where's Eddie, man? - I dunno.
We lost him.
Come on! No, but he saw me.
He's gonna report me.
I gotta find him.
Raul.
You're coming with us, all right? Come on! Let's go, let's go! - You got anything good? - I'm leavin', man.
This is it.
Home sweet home.
You got the kitchen over there, couches.
Cozy, right? Make yourself comfortable.
Um, where's the bathroom? It's right back there to the left.
The toilet might not be working, so there's a bucket.
So, this wasn't quite a gold mine like you said it would be.
- Your cousin should have known.
- He had no reason to.
It's on me.
I should have done more recon.
He can stay here tonight, but that's it.
You think I'm gonna kick him out after what he just did for us? He don't got a job no more, Creem.
In case you forgot, this is a business.
Not some charity group-home bullshit.
I'm not doing charity.
Raul's gonna hold it down, trust me.
- You're not getting it, man.
- No, you're not getting it.
Raul's family.
He stays.
You got a problem with that, you take it up with me.
(Scoffing) I'll be back.
Hi, Jeremy.
Oh, hey, Miranda.
We all set for tomorrow? Um, what's happening tomorrow? Don't get cute with me.
You're bringing in the jizz fridge and, when it's empty, you're going to carry me back out in it.
Okay, listen.
I know I said I would do it, and I want to do it.
I mean, I want to help you Look, they haven't stopped you once on your way out, no matter what you've been carrying.
You just need to get me back out onto the truck, and we're home free.
And once they realize you're gone? They'll never suspect you.
You're loyal.
They trust you.
Look, I just can't do it, Miranda.
I'm sorry.
I knew you'd do this.
I just knew you'd pull the rug out right from under me when I finally gave in and slept with you.
That didn't happen.
Oh, but it did.
And if you don't follow through with this, I am gonna tell everyone what we did in the medical storage room.
I think Mr.
Desai will be particularly interested.
He's very protective of us B-positive girls.
I wonder what he'll think when he finds out you got your material into the mix? This is bullshit! - What's going on? - Krystal never came back from her doctor's appointment this morning, and now all of her stuff's gone.
She was only on her fifth insemination.
Now she's probably dead.
- What are you talking about? - She must've been relocated.
Oh, right.
To the wonderful "B-positive living facility"? Hey, dummies, we are here because strigoi like the taste of our blood and they want us to make more of it.
So if we can't breed for them, then what else are we good for? This is not the time to be talking about this.
They can get more blood if they keep us alive.
They'll want to make sure that we're healthy, that we're eating If that were true, then why wouldn't they just keep us all here? - And why all the goddamn secrecy? - What's going on here? - Just the same bullshit.
- All right.
You need to settle down, miss.
And you need to stop lying to us, bitch! - (Gasping) - (Light knock) Now you've done it.
- You need to stop this.
- I'm not just some idiot.
Yeah, I know that.
But they're never gonna tell us where Krystal and the others went.
But we both know it's not a place that anyone would wanna go.
So it's a good thing you get to stay here, right? That is, unless you keep making scenes like this.
Sir, I just hate to see you have to interrupt your work.
This is my goddamn work! If you and your staff can't handle these little disturbances, I'm gonna have to.
No disturbances here.
Everything's fine.
Is it? Just hunky-dory.
Right, girls? (Approbations) Hm.
Well, it looks like one of your patients has done your job for you.
Miranda, isn't it? Absolutely.
I give you my word.
Okay.
Thank you, Lauren.
Have a seat, Miranda.
I can see you're very frustrated here.
- Why would anyone be frustrated? - (Chuckling) Right.
I get it.
You're an intelligent woman, you have skills, and you find it a bit of an insult that you're being asked to be a baby vessel, right? Believe it or not, I'm very familiar with the feeling of being undervalued.
I'll always be grateful to people who saw my potential.
Gave me the opportunity to excel.
That's what I'm doing with you.
I want you to work for me, Miranda.
Be my special liaison between myself and the ward.
I've seen these women.
They respect you.
They will listen to you.
So you want me to be the mouthpiece for your bullshit? Excuse me? You know, the "B-positive living facility" that all the infertile women disappear to? Now, that is a very spacious, very accommodating place.
Barely a downgrade from the luxury of this place.
Sure.
What about the babies? What's going to happen to the first one when it's born? Let me assure you, those babies are of unbelievable value to the Partnership.
They will want for nothing.
So they can eventually end up as breeders, like us? Okay, I'm a very pragmatic person, Miranda, and I'm getting a sense that you are, too, so why don't we cut all the bullshit, okay? Just be honest.
So, this whole post-Illumination new-world crap, it's not really my preference.
But, hey, it's the world we're living in now, right? Now, does that mean I don't understand why some people might be resisting it? No, of course not.
I'm not an idiot.
But these people, they're delusional.
And, quite frankly, they're selfish.
You think people trying to resist this nightmare are selfish? Yeah, I do, actually.
They're putting their own misguided sense of righteousness above the well-being of all of humanity.
If, instead, they would follow, I don't know, my example, maybe put all that energy into actually helping one another, then it wouldn't be such a nightmare, would it? No, it, uh it actually would be pretty great, right? So, what do you say? You gonna help me, Miranda? No.
Thank you.
Guess I'm not as civic-minded as you are.
Quite the misanthrope, actually.
(Laughing) Misanthrope? All right.
I guess that's your call.
Well, I hope you end up on the right side of things, Miranda.
Because the sad thing is, these delusional people? They don't exactly thrive in the new world.
Anyways, you know where to find me.
Still no fever.
I think you're out of the danger zone.
Just keep him clean, let him get some rest, he should be fine.
Thank you.
I don't know what we would have done.
Thank you.
So, uh, food and supplies? Help yourself.
So, is this really the only reason you came with us? What other reason would there be? I don't know.
It just seems like - maybe you're more - (Banging on door) - It's Roach! Alex! - Roach! Roach! What happened? Are you Are you okay? Right after the bomb went off, we got attacked by strigoi.
I had to hide out by the river until I was sure - I wasn't being followed.
- Where's Wilkins? He didn't make it.
- They captured him? - No, that's the crazy thing, they just drained him.
It's weird, right? I didn't think they were doing that anymore.
They only do that when there's a purpose.
After they've turned him, they'll have access to all of his memories, every piece of information he had.
He'll be a part of their collective consciousness.
They drank him to get to the rest of you.
You need to go.
They could be on their way here right now.
You heard him.
Let's pack up.
Fast! - Where are you headed? - It's fine.
We have other hiding spots.
And did this Wilkins know about them? Shit.
If he knew about them, they're all blown.
I've got a place you can go.
But we need to go now.
Guys, come help me get these bombs out.
No, it's not enough time.
- Take the propane.
- But we need them.
Go.
I'll handle it.
- Right, guys, come on! Let's move it! - Over there! I've got your stuff.
(Snarling) (Beeping) (Shrieking) - Let's get out of here.
- One second.
(Snarling) Okay.
We can go now.
(Soft sobbing) Is everything all right in there? - Miranda? - Yeah.
(Toilet flushing) Hey.
I'm bleeding.
Oh, shit.
I'm so sorry.
This is the second time for me.
If Desai finds out about this one I'm gone, just like Krystal.
It's okay.
It's okay.
We just we should just think for a minute.
You need to help me, Miranda.
My next exam is in less than a week.
Okay, follow me.
Come on.
- Come on.
Come on.
- What is this? I can't take two.
- There's barely room for one! - You're only taking one.
- For now.
- Wait, what do you mean "for now"? - You're taking me next week.
- You've gotta be kidding me.
I'm not doing this twice.
Yes, you are, or do you want me to speak to Mr.
Desai? Oh, you bitch.
Yeah, I've heard worse.
This is your air tube.
If you hide it here, they'll never be able to see it from the outside.
- Okay.
- Remember.
The Olympian Club, West 54th Street.
When I get out, I'm gonna come find you there.
- It's gonna be okay.
- Okay.
Look, if I'm not back outside in two minutes, they're gonna come in here looking for me.
(Banging) I can't do it! I'm sorry! I can't breathe in there.
Hey.
Hey, it's okay, it's okay.
Yes, you can.
You just need to stay calm and breathe slowly, okay? No, you go.
I'm not leaving you here while you're in trouble.
Okay, seriously, I need to leave! This is your last chance! Go on.
Hey! Hey, hey, hey! - Help me! - Shit.
I can't be here.
I can't be here.
I've gotta go! I've gotta go! - Wait! - No! You're not listening to me! Okay? I need I just found two of your patients in the medical storage room.
This isn't what it looks like.
It's we we were just trying Jeremy, care to explain? I didn't touch them.
Is this true? - Take him away.
- Oh my God! Oh my God! No! No! No! She set me up! She set me up! She was trying to escape! I didn't do anything! She blackmailed me! I didn't do anything! This is bullshit! - I didn't do anything! - You ladies better come with me.
Mr.
Desai is gonna have a few questions for you.
Come along! Let's go.
Right, when she gets back you give her this bag.
- You've gotta take this one.
- We've gotta get 'em up as fast as possible, okay? Yeah.
You stick somebody up there, they can see anyone coming from either direction.
And if you get in trouble, there's exits everywhere.
- I take it you've stayed here before? - Yeah, yeah, it would have been perfect, except I didn't have enough fuel to keep warm.
But, with your supplies, you should be golden.
All right? Good luck.
Listen, why don't you stay with us? Help us? - I'm good where I am, thank you.
- I don't believe that.
Hey, I've seen you.
You're a fighter.
So why the hell aren't you fighting? - Fighting cost me my kid.
- Yeah? I lost a kid, too.
So did Roach.
And Sway, he lost his whole family.
You think that means we should all just lie down and give up? It would do about the same amount of good.
That's bullshit.
All right.
Nobody here is gonna say this to you, so here goes.
You're just provoking them and getting people injured and killed.
You're not going to win.
We just need to show people that the strigoi aren't invincible.
If we can inspire just one single person - to put down their stupid Partn - Trying to inspire people? - That's what you're doing? - Yes! Then you need to be smarter.
You need to think bigger.
Anybody can plant a bomb under a bus, but those big Partnership buildings? I saw them pumping tankerfuls of blood into the pipes.
If you could find a way to put something poisonous into that blood, you could take out thousands of strigoi and they wouldn't know what hit them.
You should be doing things like that, instead of messing around with random bombings.
Okay, let's do that.

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