History NightmareFuel / TheStrainTVSeries

* Compared to [[Franchise/{{Twilight}} more]] [[Series/TheVampireDiaries romanticized]] [[Series/TrueBlood depictions]] of vampires in fiction, the vampires in this show are portrayed more on the lines of [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] with their proboscis like appendages they use to kill their victims and copious amounts of BodyHorror.

** Special mentions should go to the virus itself and how it works. Basically, you can become a vampire two ways: You either are attacked and bitten by a vampire, which results in a potentially painful, slow transformation, or you are come into contact with one of the lovely little parasitic worms that transmit the virus. The worm will quickly and painfully bite its way through your skin, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. In either case, there is absolutely nothing you can do to cure yourself or anyone else of the virus once they are infected.

* Eichhorst's [[LooksLikeOrlock true face]] is immensely disturbing.

* The Season 3 finale, "The Fall", ends with [[spoiler: the Master's nuke destroying the Statue of Liberty, the resulting cloud of dust and ash blocking out the sun. The last shot of the season is hordes of strigoi, now unhindered by the light, swarming the streets of the city.]]

* How the Ancients feed: Basically, it consists of a naked man being chained up in the middle of their chamber. Not only do the Ancients feed on him, they use their stingers to "whip" him. What's particularly horrifying about this scene is that Setrakian and Gus, both of whom are badass vampire killers, have to watch from the sidelines, completely powerless to intervene.

* The suicide bomber strigoi blowing themselves up and spreading their worms everywhere in 3x04.

** In the same episode Gus [[spoiler: feeding his infected and turned mother with his own blood.]] Crosses directly into TearJerker territory.

* The Season 3 premiere gives us Navy SEALs descending into the tunnels under New York. At first they have little problem, but then [[spoiler: they're attacked by the Master via HellIsThatNoise]]

* The Season 3 premiere gives us Navy SEALs descending into the tunnels under New York. At first they have little problem, but then [[spoiler: they're attacked by the Master via HellIsThatNoise]]

* The blood factory seen in the Season 2 finale. It's not even in action yet, but the meat hooks, cages, and floor drains give a pretty terrifying glimpse of what's to come.

* Vaun's [[spoiler:apparent death by burning, as Palmer uses UV lights to herd him and his team into a pit in the floor completely surrounded by the same lights. He can only scream at Gus to run, as he knows he can't escape. The scenes of the vampires writhing in agony makes it that much worse.]]

** Not to mention how fast the little buggers move. You thought the full grown vamps were scary? Oh, just you wait.

* Eichhorst "welcoming" a group of blind children and their (also blind) teacher, [[spoiler: who are later converted into Feelers]].

* How the Ancients feed: Basically, it consists of a naked man being chained up in the middle of their chamber. Not only do the Ancients feed on him, they use their stingers to "whip" him. What's even particularly horrifying about this scene is that Sektrakian and Gus, both of whom are badass vampire killers, have to watch from the sidelines, completely powerless to intervene.

* Any time UV light and someone infected are put together. Not only do we get all the {{Squick}} of seeing a worm crawling under their skin, but there's almost always dozens.

* Any time UV light and someone infected are put together. Not only do we get all the {{Squick}} of seeing a worm crawling under their skin, but there's almost always dozens. [[spoiler: or there's thousands, and ever square inch is infested with the little squirmy bastards. If you see someone in the final stages of infection don't be surprised if you have the sudden urge to itch everywhere at once.]]

* The Master's face is even worse than Eichhorst's.

* In a more mundane variation of terror, there's Setrakian's UnstoppableRage after the Master escapes from his grasp. It can be genuinely disturbing to see the calm and collected old man explode into homicidal rage, shouting and screaming incoherent threats as he smashes the Master's coffin apart in rage.

* The scenes of Abe, Eph, Nora and Fet crawling through a tiny, tight tunnel in the vampires' lair. It's even worse with Fet because [[spoiler:he gets stuck while vampires are crawling up after him]].

* The Master's face is even worse than Eichhorst's.

** The scene where [[spoiler:she meets a fellow vampire in the alley]] is supremely creepy, mainly because of the inhuman movements the other chap makes while turning his head.

* How [[spoiler:Kelly]] is turned. EyeScream and {{Squick}} aplenty. [[spoiler:In the middle of fighting off an infected Matt - with the blades from a blender, no less, she's attacked by one of his worms which wriggles into her eye. We're next treated to a lovely lingering shot of the worm making itself at home. After turning, she promptly goes and eats her friend and her friend's young son.]]

* How [[spoiler:Kelly]] is turned. EyeScream and {{Squick}} aplenty.

* Eichhorst being turned. The Master slowly slices his arm open with a fingernail while Eichhorst screams in pain, and then inserts a ''very'' long worm into the cut.

*** Special mentions should go to the virus itself and how it works. Basically, you can become a vampire two ways: You either are attacked and bitten by a vampire, which results in a potentially painful, slow transformation, or you are come into contact with one of the lovely little parasitic worms that transmit the virus. The worm will quickly and painfully bite its way through your skin, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. In either case, there is absolutely nothing you can do to cure yourself or anyone else of the virus once they are infected.