FX's The Strain is based on the book trilogy of the same name by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. The show opens when a plane has mysteriously landed in New York City, appearing to have no survivors. What the Canary Team at the CDC soon discover, however, is a bunch of bodies infected with the strain of a virus.

The team is led by Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), who struggles with balancing his family and his busy work life. He is joined by Dr. Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) and Jim Kent (Sean Astin). They try to figure out the truth even as they are shut down by those wanting to avoid panic and those who could possibly be involved in a cover-up.

They are met by pawnbroker Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley), who is not the simple old man he appears to be: he knows about the virus and that it's connected to an ancient race of vampires bent on taking over the city, and he has been fighting them for a very long time.

As the story moves on it changes shape as it becomes less about the virus and more about fighting the strigoi as they get closer to the source: the Master (Robert Maillet), who controls them.

I really enjoyed season one of The Strain. Having not read the novels, I had no idea what to expect. I like that it started out as a virus show and then turned into something completely different. You never know what's going to happen next or who's going to die, and I was surprised on numerous occasions.

The scripts are well written and the actors well chosen. By the end of the season there is quite an ensemble cast, and they all mesh together really well and are believable.

The series is very dark in tone and could partially be classified as horror, but it's also got science fiction in the mix, with a healthy dose of drama. I also enjoy that the storyline is continual and not a mystery of the week format.

The effects, both digital and practical, are well done and believable. The show has very high production values for being a series, from its detailed props, such as the ornate coffin, the disease carrying worms, the withering organs, and even the disgusting stinger. The makeup effects are also spectacular and creepy.

Whether you are looking for a new series to be drawn into or are already a fan of the show, I definitely recommend this collector's set. It comes with some great features as well as the bust of the Master.

Special Features:

The Strain Season One was released on Blu-ray previously, but the collector's edition features not only all of the previous features, as well as deleted scenes, a gag reel, teaser trailers, and a new feature "He is Here," but of course also includes the bust of the Master.

I suggest that you watch the full series before you watch the bonus features, as many of them contain spoilers about who gets killed, etc.

Disc One:

Trailers - When you first insert the disc there are a few previews for series to own: a promo for FX series on DVDs, and then ads to own Fargo, American Horror Story: Coven, and Sons of Anarchy Season 6.

Audio Commentary on Night Zero by Guillermo del Toro - Executive producer and director del Toro talks about the pilot episode, giving behind-the-scenes insight. He talks about the vampiric mythology he created, and what it was inspired by, as well as production information.

Deleted Scenes - 6:58 - Out of the first set of deleted scenes, mostly all of them would have been enjoyable additions and were most likely cut for time. One of my favorites was Setrakian threating a man in the jail cell. Some other examples include Jim Kent telling Nora that Sylvia (Melanie Merkosky) didn't make the medical trial and Gus (Miguel Gomez)'s dream.

In the Beginning - 14:11 - This bonus feature talks mostly about the mythology of the story as well as shows some behind-the-scenes clips of the actors filming.

Executive Producer Carlton Cuse talks about the incredible world that was created, and Del Toro talks a bit about the old world being buried under the new world. The crew also talk at length about using Eastern European Vampiric mythology and about creating the virus by basing it on science to help keep it believable. They also talk a bit about the worms.

The actors also touch on the details of the sets and the high production values, and the creative FX supervisors show and talk about some of the bodies and organs they created, including the stinger.

Disc Two:

Deleted Scenes - 6:03 - This is another good batch. Some examples of scenes include Nora talking to the secretary of Health and Human Services, trying to convince her of the contagious infection, Nora and Ephraim in bed together when Setrakian walks in, and one where Nora slaps Dr. Barnes (Daniel Kash).

A Novel Approach - 9:38 - This feature is about reimagining the novels as the series. The crew and cast talk amore about the mythology behind the vampires. They also talk about the pace of the series versus the books, and how some things were changed, added, or taken out, even characters, such as how the character of Eichorst (Richard Sammel) was actually a combination of two different characters, yet Dutch (Ruta Gedmintas) didn't exist in the original narrative. Another specific change they talk about was how social media and the digital age would affect things, and how Dutch played into that.

The also touch a bit on season two and how the scope is getting bigger.

Disc Three:

Audio Commentary on "The Master" by Carlton Cuse - Cuse talks about the season finale and gives more insights into the making of the series, including adapting the series from the novels and other parts of production.

Deleted Scenes - 11:33 - This is another set of great deleted scenes. Some examples include Nora and Setrakian looking at the maps while they talk about Ephraim, the group finding the nest of vampires and them pulling Setrakian away so he doesn't get killed, and Fet (Kevin Durand) and Setrakian going over the plan.

Gag Reel - 2:59 - The blooper reel is short but decent. It's mostly the cast fooling around and making mistakes. There's also a point where a crowd of extras cheer "Rudy" for Sean Astin.

FX Teasers: The Strain Season 1 - 2:11 - This feature is made of six brief promos.

He is Here - 9:22 - This feature focuses on the Master. The crew and cast talk about the character as well as the digital effects and makeup effects. The creature FX supervisors show how Maillet's makeup is applied, and they talk about how it's not a mask, and therefore his expressions show through. His nose is also digitally removed in post-production. The actor himself talks about keeping his emotions small.

Del Toro also talks about finally being able to create vampires the way he had wanted without limitations, and how his vampire creations are both scientific and gothic. They talk more about the mythology such as about how some of the strigoi the Master chooses to let retain a degree of consciousness. They tease a bit about season two as well.

Setrakian's Lair - 9:47 - This feature focuses on the set of Setrakian's lair and its props. Bradley gives a tour and talks about the space, as well as things such as the silver mirrors, the silver Setrakian melts for weapons, the nail guns he has adapted, and Miriam's heart.

Maestro also talks about some of the details of the set, such as the ancient maps and her sword. She talks about how the characters are becoming better fighters, and that she would love to take some sword lessons and learn a feminine style of fighting for Nora. She also talks about the difficulties of filming Nora's mother's brutal death.

Packaging:

The set comes with a small bust of the Master, which houses the disc set in the base, which can be removed. I was happy to discover that the discs are in a normal sized blu-ray case that you can fit on a shelf with other DVDs if you prefer.

The set contains three discs in the normal blue clamshell case with the extra flap in the middle for the second disc. The first disc contains four episodes, the second five, and the third disc contains the last four.

The set also comes with two inserts. One is just a promo for the series, and the other is an advertisement for the comic book series, along with a code to get the first two issues for free in the app or on the web.

I was disappointed that the only way to tell what is on the discs is to remove the wraparound cover of the case or remove the discs in front of it, because you can't read the list otherwise.