At the NYC command center, a reporter Bella interviews Justine. Bella warns that the NY bureau shut down two days ago. In the interview, Justine insists that they're making progress throughout Manhattan. Bella points out that they have confirmed reports of chain gangs conscripted to the fight, and Justine says that she has no idea what the reporter is talking about. She's asked about a man, Ben Green, who was arrested and committed to a chain gang immediately... and most don't survive. Furious, Justine orders them to turn the camera off and says that they're fighting for their lives, and Bella says that she's documenting the fall of NYC.
Eph examines Quinlan's injured and points out that Quinlan didn't die when the Master died. He notes that he doesn't have Zach back and finishes removing the bullets from Quinlan, and complains that he has nothing.
Vasiliy has a drink to celebrate the Master's demise, but Abraham says that they still have work to do. He finally takes a glass and they toast their victory, and Vasiliy asks what is next. Abraham says that without the Master's controlling intelligence, the strigoi are on their own. The exterminator admits that they still have work to do, just as Eph comes in and pours himself a drink. He says that Quinlan will survive, and Vasiliy asks how Quinlan talked him in to stealing the Lumen. Eph says that Kelly offered him the book for Zach, and admits that he helped Quinlan take the book. Vasiliy is furious that Eph teamed up with Quinlan against them, and Abraham says that Eph had no right to take the Lumen. The exterminator punches Eph, and Abraham tells him to leave.
Out on the streets, Eph goes to the taxi and a trigoi charges him. The doctor shoots it down and pumps more bullets into it, and then walks off.
The next morning, Eph is sleeping at his lab when there's a knock at the door. It's Dutch, and he lets her in. She uses the bathroom and claims that she was just in the neighborhood and decided to stop in. Eph realizes that she's drunk, and Dutch says that she's gonna lie down because she's sick.
In his room, Zach hears something and goes to the door. A hungry strigoi and breaks in, desperate with hunger. Kelly arrives and breaks its neck, and tells Zach that things have changed. She says that she'll protect him and hugs him close. She starts to sting him, but Eichhorst arrives and demands to know what's going on. The German is furious that the Master is dead, and says that they must strike back.
Quinlan wakes up and finds Abraham with him. The old man wonders if Quinlan was wrong about his dying if the Master dies, and reports that the strigoi are feeding but no central intelligence. He wants to know for sure and Quinlan says that there's only one place they can go for an answer.
At the high school, the patrolman rouse the prisoners. Gus and Angel are among them, and they pick oiut five men. Angel has his silver crucifixes with him, and they let him keep them. Gus wonders where they're going, and the cop in charge dmits that she doesn't know. The five-men squad compare notes as they eat and realize that they were all conscripted.
Justine meets with Captain Kowalski and complains that she was ambushed in the interview. Kowalski says that they're doing what is necessary and the prison system has collapsed. She wants to see the chain gangs for herself and they drive off.
The officers tell the chain gang that their job is to clear the tunnels and they're not getting guns. Gus wonders what happens if he refuses to go in, and the head patrolman says that if he doesn't then he'll shoot. Unimpressed, Gus says that he has no problem going in but the others aren't prepared for it. Despite that, the officers send the chain gang into the tunnel and follow a breeze. Strigoi attack them and sting one prisoner, and the other two run. Gus and Angel retreat with the other two prisoners.
Gus warns the officers that the creatures aren't working together, just as Justine and Kowalski arrives. She asks Gus if there's anything he wants to say about how things are being running, and he says that she can see for herself. She realizes that the officers are threatening him and complains to Kowalski as they leave.
Eichhorst selects several more human strigoi, including two of Justine's employees, and says that they've been selected for a critical task. They barely respond, and Eichhorst promises them a great feast if they feed. He has one police officer step forward and cuts open his chest, then plants a C4 charge inside and closes it up.
Vasiliy meets with Justine and Kowalski, and says that he and his people took out the Master. He tells them that now they need to make a big push with everyone they've got and sweep the city clean.
Dutch tells Eph that she can't sleep without drinking, and she dreams of Eichorst's dungeon. Eph gives her some pills to help her sleep and stay awake, She asks about Zach, and Eph figures that the strigoi have no reason to keep her alive. He tells her that he's pissed everyone off, and Dutch notices his taser. She wonders if it will work, and eph figures that it will. Dutch asks what he's going to do next, and Eph admits that he doesn't have a plan.
Quinlan and Abraham tell the Masters that he cut off the Master's head. The Ancients tell him that the Master is formless and is powerless, and demand the Lumen. They refuse to tell Abraham anything more, and Abraham says that he saw a red worm leave the Master's body. The Ancients explain that the red worm is the essence of the Master's being, and when he takes a host he will be just as powerful as before. Quinlan is furious that they didn't tell him and prepares to kill them, and the Ancients' dayhunters surround him. After a moment, Quinlan lowers his sword and says that the Ancients are just awaiting the end of their days. He says that they will never see him again and leaves with Abraham.
The two strigoi enter the command center and the captain walks toward Justine's office. Vasiliy is there as well, and the other strigoi prepares to set off the C4. The exterminator sees the officer and yells for everyone to get down, just as the strigoi detonate themselves and their worm fluid flies everywhere. Vasily removes his jacket and helps Justine, and can only watch as one worm enters her eye socket. He burns it dead with UV light and the men call for a doctor: Eph.
Eph and Dutch arrive and Kowalski has Eph examine Justine. Vasiliy sees Dutch and goes over to her. He points out that she's wearing his shirt and Dutch says that Eph let her stay at Vasiliy's place. She admits that she lost all of her friends, and explains that Nikki left NYC with her mother. Vasiliy says that he lives at the hotel where there's fewer opportunities for disappointment, and agrees to let Dutch continue staying at his place. He tells Dutch to take care of herself and goes back to work.
Eph tells Justine that they'll have to wait two hours until they know for sure she isn't infected. He admits that no one else with a worm in their eye has survived, and Justine asks him to give her some time alone. Outside, Eph asks Vasiliy if he think she got the worm. Vasiliy admits that he isn't sure, and Kowalski comes over and says that three other checkpoints got hit. The exterminator tells Eph that his and Quinlan's plan didn't work out so well and walks away.
Later, Eph checks on Justine and prepares to examine her. She says that once she lost her husband on 9/11, for a few hours they didn't know how many survivors there would be and everyone waited. She takes out a gun and tells Eph that she's ready. As he checks her with a UV light, Justine says that she considered going to her favorite spot but didn't want to make big public thing of it and leave a mess for someone else. Eph finally tells her that she's clean and Justine kisses him in relief. He tells her to thank Vasiliy, and Justine says that she's having a moment of extreme clarity. Kowalski comes in and Justine tells him that she needs to pay someone a visit.
That night, Eph and Dutch drink to Justine's second chance. She suggests that they gout and loot for drinks and dinner, and Eph agrees.
Justine goes to the news station and has her men wait outside with Bella's staff. Once they're alone, Justine tells Bella that what she's doing is undercutting the war effort and causing her and her people more harm. She then tells her men to clean the place out and arrest Bella.
Eph and Dutch get into the taxi, and strigoi attack them. Eph casually tasers one of them, but it stands up and the Master speaks through it, saying that Eph failed. He says that Zach is always with him and tries to sting Eph, and he kills the strigoi.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 19, 2016