The Strain

The Best Episodes of The Strain

Genres:Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaMystery
Network:FX

Every episode of The Strain ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Strain!

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...
Episodes
46
Avg. Rating
7.0
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
7.1
6.4
6.8
7.6
6.6
6.4
5.8
7.4
6.9
6.5
6.7
7.6

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  1. 9.0/10(1.2k votes)

    #1 - Ouroboros

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    S4:E7

    With his health failing, Setrakian ignores Eph's warnings and pushes himself to the limit in his quest for victory and revenge; Fet and Quinlan race back to Manhattan, while the Master seals off the city and prepares to eliminate them all.

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    Director:Thomas Carter
    Writer:N/A
  2. 8.3/10(919 votes)

    #2 - Extraction

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    S4:E8

    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.

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    Director:Paco Cabezas
    Writer:N/A
  3. 8.3/10(1.1k votes)

    #3 - The Last Stand

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    S4:E10

    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.

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    Director:J. Miles Dale
    Writer:N/A
  4. 8.0/10(911 votes)

    #4 - Belly of the Beast

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    S4:E5

    Fet and Quinlan track a convoy carrying their prized nuclear weapon; Eph and Alex search for clues to uncover the Master's plan for the fate of the human race; a familiar enemy traps Dutch, who encounters an old friend as well.

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  5. 8.0/10(899 votes)

    #5 - Tainted Love

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    S4:E6

    Fet and Quinlan must figure out how to get the nuclear bomb back to New York, while a desperate Eichhorst draws near; love-struck Zack tries to learn more about his new crush, but makes a devastating discovery.

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    Writer:N/A
  6. 7.9/10(836 votes)

    #6 - The Traitor

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    S4:E9

    An unexpected guest brings old conflicts to the surface, dividing the heroes and threatening the group's trust; with questionable new intelligence in hand, the group launches a make-or-break final assault on the Master.

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    Writer:N/A
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  8. 7.6/10(23 votes)

    #7 - Creatures of the Night

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    S1:E8

    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.

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    Director:Guy Ferland
    Writer:N/A
  9. 7.6/10(1.1k votes)

    #8 - The Worm Turns

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    S4:E1

    Out of the ashes of humanity’s nuclear war, Night Eternal has begun. Haunted by the atrocities committed by his son, Eph abandons NYC for Philadelphia. His solitude is cut short when he encounters new fighters who rekindle his drive to fight back. Tasked by Setrakian, Fet and Quinlan search for a new means of stopping the Master.

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    Director:J. Miles Dale
    Writer:N/A
  10. 7.6/10(881 votes)

    #9 - One Shot

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    S4:E3

    Quinlan and Fet discover that stealing a nuclear warhead isn’t easy when they encounter an unexpected enemy. Eph and Alex concoct a new weapon to use against the strigoi. Frustrated with his seclusion, Zack discovers a love interest.

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    Director:Kevin Dowling
    Writer:N/A
  11. 7.5/10(884 votes)

    #10 - New Horizons

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    S4:E4

    Dutch is forced to make a deal with Desai, while she plots to escape a strigoi breeding facility; Eph and Alex seek to uncover the dark secrets behind the Partnership's new plan; Gus and Creem face off against a gang encroaching on their turf.

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    Director:Kevin Dowling
    Writer:N/A
  12. 7.4/10(23 votes)

    #11 - For Services Rendered

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    S1:E7

    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.

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    Writer:N/A
  13. 7.4/10(21 votes)

    #12 - Last Rites

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    S1:E12

    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.

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    Director:Peter Weller
    Writer:N/A
  14. 7.4/10(22 votes)

    #13 - The Master

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    S1:E13

    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.

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  15. 7.4/10(897 votes)

    #14 - The Blood Tax

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    S4:E2

    Imprisoned as a subject in a strigoi breeding program, Dutch is desperate to escape and find Setrakian. Gus recruits his cousin for the inside job that will put his gang at the top of the new world’s underground economy, but Creem is suspicious of his business partner’s ambitions.

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    Director:J. Miles Dale
    Writer:N/A
  16. 7.3/10(14 votes)

    #15 - The Battle of Central Park

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    S3:E6

    Fet strikes hard at the heart of the strigoi army while Justine embarks upon a risky mission to drive the strigoi out of Manhattan once and for all. Gus and Angel fight for their lives and their freedom but are faced with a moral dilemma.

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    Writer:N/A
  17. 7.2/10(21 votes)

    #16 - The Third Rail

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    S1:E11

    Setrakian leads Eph, Fet and Nora in the hunt for the Master’s lair. Left behind at the pawnshop with Mariela, Zack risks his safety for Mariela's sake.

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    Writer:N/A
  18. 7.2/10(13 votes)

    #17 - Do or Die

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    S3:E9

    NYC is falling. Eph and Dutch frantically race to finish their new device to stop the Master before the city is overrun. Justine, Gus, and Angel fight in one last stand to stop the spreading virus. Palmer extracts vengeance for past wrongs but may have crossed the line.

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    Writer:N/A
  19. 7.1/10(43 votes)

    #18 - Night Zero

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    S1:E1

    When a plane lands in New York City with everyone on board dead, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, head of the CDC’s Canary Project, and his team are called upon to investigate. Harlem pawnbroker Abraham Setrakian races to the airport, convinced that what looks at first like a mysterious viral outbreak might be the beginning of something infinitely more sinister.

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  20. 7.1/10(22 votes)

    #19 - Occultation

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    S1:E6

    After warning Kelly to leave the city with Zack ahead of the spreading plague, Eph is arrested by the FBI. Eichhorst has one final job for Gus, while Setrakian realizes that the coming eclipse is the tipping point for virus infection and the beginning of the end.

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    Director:Peter Weller
    Writer:N/A
  21. 7.1/10(13 votes)

    #20 - White Light

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    S3:E8

    The Master's voice proves to be more powerful and potentially fatal than Eph or Dutch anticipated. Fet and Setrakian track down the cargo from the Egyptian vessel and realize they may be in over their heads. Quinlan strikes a deal with the Ancients, but a last minute betrayal proves deadly.

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    Director:T.J. Scott
    Writer:N/A
  22. 7.0/10(24 votes)

    #21 - Runaways

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    S1:E5

    With Nora gone, Eph reluctantly joins Setrakian's quest in hopes of gathering enough evidence to warrant a citywide quarantine. Fet encounters the unexpected inside the subway tunnels, and a medical emergency threatens Palmer's master plan.

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    Director:Peter Weller
    Writer:N/A
  23. 7.0/10(20 votes)

    #22 - Dead End

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    S2:E11

    Dutch fights for her life against Eichhorst as Fet, Nora, and Eph frantically search the city for her. Setrakian confronts an old acquaintance on his search for the Occido Lumen, while Gus helps the Guptas escape across the border to safety.

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  24. 7.0/10(14 votes)

    #23 - The Fall

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    S3:E10

    Humanity teeters on the edge of destruction. The Master finally reveals himself, initiating the end game of a battle in which there can be only one winner. Eph, Fet, Setrakian, and Dutch must overcome their personal differences in a last-ditch effort to vanquish the strain.

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    Director:Carlton Cuse
    Writer:N/A
  25. 6.9/10(29 votes)

    #24 - Gone Smooth

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    S1:E3

    Eph and Nora fight to save Captain Redfern's life before coming face-to-face with the horrifying effects of the virus. A spike in rat attacks signals Fet that something inexplicable is happening deep below the city. Released from jail, Setrakian begins his own merciless plan to stop the spread of the disease.

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    Director:David Semel
    Writer:N/A
  26. 6.9/10(18 votes)

    #25 - Quick and Painless

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    S2:E5

    Eph changes his appearance to leave the city while Nora is left as the reluctant parent for Zack. Dutch and Nora make a deal with Justine to secure Fet's release from jail.

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    Director:J. Miles Dale
    Writer:Liz Phang

Best Episodes Summary

"Ouroboros" is the best rated episode of "The Strain". It scored 9/10 based on 1211 votes. Directed by Thomas Carter and written by N/A, it aired on 8/27/2017. This episode scored 0.7 points higher than the second highest rated, "Extraction".