The Strain: Guillermo Del Toro Reveals These Details About Season 2

By Joelle Renstrom | Updated 6 months ago

I was a little late to the Strain party, which, now that I think of it, would be a cool theme for a party. I’m imagining everything from vampires to viruses to old dudes with swords—doesn’t that sound fun? Perhaps something like this would be in order for season 2, because even though I watched most of the first season thinking the show couldn’t possibly have another season in it, I was wrong. And Guillermo del Toro recently dished on what’s coming for the next go round. Hold on to your hats (and probably your stomachs)!

There are going to be some spoilers if you haven’t watched season 1, you’ve been warned.

So just to recap, the season 1 finale leaves a lot of unfinished business for Eph (Corey Stoll and the gang—namely, the Master (does anyone else always think about Season 1 of Buffy whenever that name gets used?), who escaped from the big showdown, shocking everyone by climbing down the wall of the building in the bright sunlight. Oops, I guess that strategy is down the toilet, prompting Abe to admit that he doesn’t actually know how to kill the Master. Cue season 2, which is going to be full of hilarious ways to deal a real-death blow to a mega-vamp.

Oh, and there’s also the other pack of vamps, the ones with the hoods, who kidnap Gus and try to recruit him into their gang, because everyone knows Gus is the best. I’m sure this will end up being an unholy alliance, but I’m excited to see where it goes. I’m not excited to see how the Master uses Kelly to lure Eph and Zack, but I’m pretty sure that’s coming too. So those are three major plotlines we know we’ll be seeing in season 2. And now, here’s what del Toro has to add about the upcoming season.

They just started shooting last week after two months’ of prep. Del Toro is slated to direct the “prologue” of the first episode, the rest of which Gregory Hoblit will direct. Del Toro will also helm some “black and white Mexican wrestler B-movie pictures…because one of our characters is a masked Mexican wrestler.” Seriously? We’ve got some Lucha Libre action coming up? After having seen a night of Lucha Libre this summer in Mexico City, I don’t care how it fits in the plot—it’s awesome no matter what.

Del Toro also says that the upcoming season will be even more off book than the last, especially when it comes to introducing new characters. Eph is “going to a much darker place,” given what happened to Kelly, so that should be interesting. But if Kevin Spacey shows up, he’d better effing run. As far as the sets go, they’re “looking fantastic,” which isn’t hard to believe given how good they were in the first season. Other hints from the interview include Del Toro’s assurance that Gus “is going to grow into a really badass vampire hunter,” which has already really happened, but I guess this means he’ll be even more badass.

And how about this ominous statement: “It’s not going to get pretty. It’s not going to get comfortable.” Of course, no one would expect anything else, but del Toro hints that the characters will do “terrible things,” which I’m guessing means Eph (among others), given the “darker place.” Eldritch Palmer will also be having an interesting role in the second season, especially now that he’s got a spring in his step, but some desires left unfulfilled—namely, he doesn’t have a disgusting proboscis that springs out of his mouth.

So there you have it—enough teasers, I hope, to get you through the long winter wait until the premiere of Season 2. And if that’s not enough, season 1 was just released on DVD and Blu-ray.

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