Even though I thought the first season of the Guillermo del Toro-produced “The Strain” had a beyond flaccid ending, the first half of the season was good enough to get my attention for a second bout with Nazi-NYC vamps.

The first teaser aired during last night’s NFL NFC Championship game, which promised that “The Strain” return this summer. Also, it gives us a taste of what to expect…

Says the trailer, “The battle has begun. Evil is spreading. Fight or die.” Now, it sounds like the entire city will now be aware of the virus and vampire plague, but will it just turn into “The Walking Dead” with vampires? That’s not really what I wanted from the show – but I have to put my faith in del Toro.

Max Charles, just seen in American Sniper opposite Bradley Cooper, has been cast in the part as a regular, replacing Ben Hyland, who played Zach Goodweather in Season 1. “West Wing” alum Ron Canada also landed the recurring role of the crisis-bungling NYC mayor.

“When a freak virus kills all but four passengers on an airplane at JFK, Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), head of the Center for Disease Control’s “Canary Team,” is immediately called to the scene. With help from a mysterious Holocaust survivor (David Bradley), “Eph” and his colleague (Mía Maestro) uncover the outbreak’s ties to vampirism. Now, the only way to stop the terrifying disease from wiping out mankind is to face its source – a sinister supernatural creature known as “The Master” – whose evil intent seems more powerful than any other force on Earth!”