“Gone Smooth” has one of the best cold opens I’ve ever witnessed. We’re given the intimate details of how Herr Eichorst puts himself together accompanied by a piece of classical music that makes everything feel elegant. The old Nazi bastard needs a lot of work and the cinematography lingers on closeups and uses a soft focus until it reveals its full hand in a horrifying fashion.

The CDC is now an interested observer in the whole affair. The military has taken the surviving passengers and Jim begins to lose his shit. Sean Astin gives his best performance yet, but he’s still a patsy who’s getting pushed around in almost every scene.

This episode belongs to the survivors from the plane. Who we watch as the virus starts to take greater hold on their bodies. The physical transformation is happening at an alarming rate, and thanks to the cold open we know what to expect, but the transition isn’t pleasant.

The pest control services desk is bombarded with calls. Vasily gets a weeks worth of extermination requests in one day but despite having a list of places to go, he’s got to see some asshole stock broker who comes first. The story again serves to show why Vasily will be the best man on the ground as this outbreak really kicks into high gear, but moreover it shows that he’s the only one close to actually figuring out what’s going on.

The CDC only spend a few moments wondering why an entire morgue of bodies disappear before going back to see their favorite airline pilot. He’s got those nasty worms in him, and Captain Redford isn’t going to make it. Ephraim gives him false hope, showing that he’s either compassionate or an asshole.

Jim’s whole struggle feels way too convenient to be believable. His struggle is a classic storytelling device to show a man torn between his good nature and deceiving his work to help the woman he loves most. I just don’t buy it and it feels forced. Hopefully he gets a swift and painful death.

Abraham Setrakian gets a little more screen time this week and we watch as he plays a feeble minded man who is capable of so much more. David Bradley gives a great performance with his bold confidence and foreboding nature. He’s just too busy selling doom to those who won’t listen. He sounds slightly insane but we know he’s the only one who’s actually got the hang on what’s going on.

I wish I could care about Eph’s family troubles but we don’t know enough about his relationships other than the fact their broken. Child actors are such a horrible plight in television, they never feel like real characters and every line of dialogue feels melodramatic which isn’t helped by the somber music in the background. All the dialogue here is groan worthy and it’s the worst part of the show so far.

Right about the halfway point this week is where I can pinpoint a distinct change in tone for the show. Eph’s family struggle is behind him. Abraham is done sowing doom, and the survivors really start to fall apart. Everyone starts poking a little too much and the true nature of virus starts to rear its ugly head. It’s not particularly terrifying just yet, but builds to an incredible last ten minutes as everything converges into a point of no return.

The coverup of the airline is cemented. The survivors transformations are grisly, and dizzying. Which leads into a final scene where Jim stupidly approaches a full blown vampire Captain Redford. It leads to a great demonstration of the Vampire’s physiology and power in the series that people have been waiting for and gives way to a perfect final shot that gives us the most terrifying visual of the series thus far: Corey Stoll’s insanely tussled hair piece.

Stray Thoughts:

–       The dick falling off – gah, really got to me. Every man’s worst nightmare.

–       Wanted the little girl vampire to jump out, but the scene in her house was good enough.

–       Vasily is still the best story here by far.

–       I still hate Nora. Is it possible her acting got even more wooden this week?

What did you think of “Gone Smooth?”