FX's 'The Strain' Season 2 Recap: Episode 2: Will Corey Stoll, Mía Maestro Lose "By Any Means?"

The Season 2 of The Strain continues on FX. Based on Guillermo Del Toro's bestselling novels, published by Dark Horse Comics, in Episode 2, are Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) and Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) ready to fight The Master By Any Means?

Kelly Goodweather (Natalie Brown) starts sniffing at her new vampire children, touching their faces. None of them are her son Zach, which angers her. This is why Kelly kills one of the vampire children by breaking their neck. 

While Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) goes over his books, he remembers his younger days when he first met Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde), who was bound to a wheelchair. Palmer has info on the latest whereabouts of The Master's cane. With revenge on his mind, Abraham hesitates before shaking hands with Palmer.

Young Abraham finds out the location of the cane, which is in possession of a former Nazi tormentor, who poses as a pawn shop collector. When the two recognize each other, Abraham chases after his Nazi tormentor across the streets. His enemy manages to get away but Abraham gets his hand on the Master's cane. 

In the present, Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand) and Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) head on out for some vampire killing. At a gymnasium, they use one of the silver grenades to ambush the sleeping vampire nest. Fet strips down naked and jumps into the swimming pool as he gets busy with a nude Dutch. 

While Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde) gets his assistant to write a speech for him, Thomas Eichorst (Richard Sammel) meets with Gabriel Bolivar (Jack Kesy). The Master is in incredible pain since his last confrontation with Abraham. Bolivar is next in line as The Master has special plans to use his body. 

Eph and Nora have been experimenting nonstop on the latest infected patients. Before he straps their patients in to their stretchers, Eph needs a drink to dull his emotions. Eph continues to run lab tests, even earning the nickname Mr. Frankenstein, but each of the results end in failure. 

Nora though thinks she is crossing the line, which is why she asks Abraham for guidance. They will do anything to stop The Master, just like Eichorst killed the Nazi tormentor to protect The Master. Abraham has seen much worse men out there, which is why he doesn't consider Nora one of them.

Zach (Max Charles) is acting like a brat again to his father; wondering why he hasn't cured his mother yet. Eph doesn't know if his son is too young to understand or handle the moral complications that run with his experiments. The answer is both as Zach puts his grimy hands on the his father's medical chart just as he's making headway. 

After giving a rousing speech at his food shelter, Eldritch Palmer meets with Abraham in the present day. Palmer looks tense when Abraham mentions the cursed book. He then orders his bodyguards to take down Abraham, but Fet manages to block their efforts as they make their getaway. 

Kelly goes back to her house and finds clothes of Zach. She lets her new children sniff out the clothes to get Zach's scent. She then orders her children to hunt down her missing son. 

Readers, what did you think of By Any Means?