Scripted series · FX
The Strain
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Kevin Durand
Vasiliy Fet
46 eps
Miguel Gómez
Augustin 'Gus' Elizalde
46 eps
Mía Maestro
Dr. Nora Martinez
26 eps
David Bradley
Professor Abraham Setrakian
46 eps
Jonathan Hyde
Eldritch Palmer
46 eps
Richard Sammel
Thomas Eichorst
46 eps
Max Charles
Zach Goodweather
46 eps
Ruta Gedmintas
Dutch Velders
46 eps
Sean Astin
Jim Kent
14 eps
Rupert Penry-Jones
Mr. Quinlan
25 eps
Natalie Brown
Kelly Goodweather
46 eps
Jack Kesy
Gabriel Bolivar
20 eps
Inga Cadranel
Diane
4 eps
Jocelyn Hudon
Abby
5 eps
Jonathan Potts
Captain Doyle Redfern
3 eps
Isabelle Nélisse
Emma Arnot
3 eps
Steven McCarthy
Gary Arnot
3 eps
Nikolai Witschl
Ansel Barbour
5 eps
Regina King
Ruby Wain
3 eps
Alex Paxton-Beesley
Ann-Marie Barbour
3 eps
Katy Breier
Lauretta
3 eps
Leslie Hope
Joan Luss
4 eps
Pedro Miguel Arce
Felix
4 eps
Drew Nelson
Matt Sayles
6 eps
Francis Capra
Crispin Elizalde
4 eps
Anne Betancourt
Mariela Martinez
6 eps
Ben Hyland
Zach Goodweather
9 eps
Stephen McHattie
Vaun
4 eps
Ron Lea
Harrison McGeever
4 eps
Daniel Kash
Dr. Everett Barnes
8 eps
Roger Cross
Reggie Fitzwilliam
12 eps
Ron Canada
Mayor George Lyle
6 eps
Nicola Correia Damude
Nikki
4 eps
Lizzie Brocheré
Coco Marchand
9 eps
Parveen Kaur
Aanya Gupta
4 eps
Sugith Varughese
Naren Gupta
4 eps
Adriana Barraza
Guadalupe Elizalde
8 eps
Doug Jones
The Ancient
5 eps
Samantha Mathis
Justine Feraldo
13 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Strain actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Strain reads strongest on Character Depth, World Building and Bingeability.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
A high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage war for the fate of humanity itself.
The run
Seasons
4 seasons · 46 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
201457 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
201413 episodes
7.2IMDbSeason one begins the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the CDC Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph and his team wage war for the fate of humanity itself.
Best episode · S01E08 Creatures of the Night
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
201513 episodes
6.7IMDbThe transformation has begun in season two. New York City is falling to an evil epidemic and no one is coming to its rescue. Its citizens must fight or die. Now Eph and Dr. Martinez concentrate on creating a biological weapon, while Setrakian searches for an ancient book he hopes will reveal the strigoi's history...and possibly a way to kill them.
Best episode · S02E11 Dead End
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
201610 episodes
6.9IMDbNew York City is a battleground as humans fight for survival against the vampire apocalypse in season three. Though our heroes achieve small victories, they are not winning the war. Beset by personal conflicts – betrayal, disappointment, paranoia – the group splinters as the Master closes in on executing an irreversible transformation of the world.
Best episode · S03E06 The Battle of Central Park
Season 4 · Complete
Season 4
201710 episodes
7.4IMDbAs the final season begins, nine months have passed. The world has fallen into darkness, and the strigoi are in control. The Master and his minions have created an unsettling alliance in “The Partnership.” The majority of humans are now working for the strigoi, operating with a single understanding – collaborate or die. In the face of annihilation…do our heroes have what it takes to save humankind?
Best episode · S04E10 The Last Stand
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E08
Creatures of the Night
After discovering the potency of ultraviolet light against the strigoi, Setrakian gains a new and unlikely disciple. A quick trip to a Brooklyn convenience store turns into a deadly all-night siege.
- Directed by Guy Ferland
S04E10
The Last Stand
In the series finale, Quinlan devises a desperate plan, but the costs are enormous. Eph wrestles with his conscience, Fet undertakes a suicide mission, and Dutch and Gus dig in for battle as humankind makes its final stand against the Master and his Strain.
- Directed by J. Miles Dale
S01E07
For Services Rendered
Setrakian, Eph, and Nora formulate a plan to track down the Master using Jim as bait. Eichhorst and Setrakian’s pasts are revealed. At the Luss home, Neeva struggles to protect the children while encountering a mysterious stranger whose help she may not want.
- Directed by Charlotte Sieling
S01E13
The Master
Eph and Fet recon for an all-out assault that Setrakian assures them will finally kill the Master. Gus aligns himself with a strange new force, one that may swing the fight in an unforeseen direction.
- Directed by Phil Abraham
- Written by Guillermo del Toro
S01E12
Last Rites
Dutch returns with a plan to broadcast Eph’s warning about the vampiric plague. However, they face a new threat when Eichhorst launches his own attack against the pawn shop. Palmer receives a special visitor, and Gus gears up for the on-coming fight but discovers there’s another mysterious factor involved.
- Directed by Peter Weller
S04E08
Extraction
Reeling from loss, the heroes regroup; the heroes devise a new plan to track the Master through human collaborators, beginning at the blood farm with someone Dutch knows all too well.
- Directed by Paco Cabezas
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S04E05
Belly of the Beast
- Directed by Norberto Barba
- Written by Jeff Wadlow
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Writing
- Bradley ThompsonWriter
- Jeff WadlowWriter
- Chuck HoganWriter
- David WeddleWriter
- Carlton CuseWriter
- Regina CorradoWriter
Direction
- Guy FerlandDirector
- Gregory HoblitDirector
- Carlton CuseDirector
- Peter WellerDirector
- Jennifer LynchDirector
- J. Miles DaleDirector
Cinematography
- Colin HoultDirector of Photography
- Gabriel BeristainDirector of Photography
- Checco VareseDirector of Photography
- Mirosław BaszakDirector of Photography
Music
- Ramin DjawadiOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- HuluStreaming
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- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- ShudderStreaming
- Shudder Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Spectrum On DemandStreaming
- Shudder Apple TV ChannelStreaming
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