MovieChat Forums > The Strain (2014) Discussion > What a dumb litte brat...

What a dumb litte brat...


so the little dumb head caused the end of the world, because his dad killed his vampirezombiemother, that a few moments before wanted to suck the life out of him? and wanted to suck the life out of eph?

the boy is beyond retarded stupid!

and btw. all eph can think of is... the little dumb head that just caused the end of the world as a matter of a irrational act? c'mon, writers!?

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He was looking for him the beat the crap outta him! #againstchildabuseUNLESSitszack

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i was hoping Eichorst would find no further use in him and drink him up. I hate that kid. The little sociopath.

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I cant decide if I hate the father or the son more: they both should have died a long time ago. I really hate them.

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First poor Nora, who loved him like his own son, then that nice man who wanted to help him, even Zack should've known his mother could not be saved. I'm not yet a mother, and while I do understand his love and loyalty to his mother, he should've known by this time his mother was already long gone and would not want him to pine over her the way he is now.😷I hope he can somehow make this wrong right though still, it is a very harsh lesson for a kid to learn.

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I am starting to think the writers actually want the viewers to fully DESPISE this little piece of *beep* I swear, this kid is the worst thing on television since boy bands era..

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i like everything about this show, except for that kid.

I didn't get hisstoryline at all, untill that last episode. Wasn't done well at all btw, the kid can't act.

I found it also curious that Eph would walk towards him and demand the detonator, like he wanted the dumb little brat to press it.

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Its more like he couldn't imagine his son would do something so stupid.

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Yep. This.
I guess the master had it right, Zach has a dark heart, little creep.

Zach's the first kid character I almost despise. Contrast Carl on TWD telling his dad to chop off his arm to spare the others in the group and comfort his dad through the pain, and this selfish little jerk ending the world over a monter's more than deserved death. Zach's so despicable.

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Dark heart? He did it out of love and grief for (what he thought was) his mother. To me he's deluded more than actually malicious.

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Love? Yeah, just wow. How Zach's behavior can be excused is beyond all tenets of morality and decency IMO.

When a person's response to dealing with grief and so-called love is to nuke the world after all the killings he's seen Kelly commit, then "dark heart" doesn't even begin to describe it. Zach is evil.
Right, so he was in such grief he takes off with Eichorst instead of asking his dad to comfort him. Lol, whatever.

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It is on purpose. Zack IS EVIL. You are supposed to hate him. He is little mister prince of darkness...

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As much a Zach annoys me, he's still a child caught up in an incredible emotional draining nightmare. Did you seriously expected him to not react to his mother being killed right in front of him? Even if he truly understood how gone beyond help she was (and The Master didn't really allowed for that, having her under his control all this time), you'd still have Stockholm Syndrome at play, here.

Ephram *beep* up BIG TIME by no taking the detonator away from him. But then, was else it's new?

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Yeah right, sorry but the kid is just the dumbest person the is, it was best he would he died in the first season.

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i like everything about this show, except for that kid.

I didn't get hisstoryline at all, untill that last episode. Wasn't done well at all btw, the kid can't act.

I found it also curious that Eph would walk towards him and demand the detonator, like he wanted the dumb little brat to press it.


No it's like "i am dumb when i see my kid and i think with my ass", just like what will Smith said in I Robot "You must be the dumbest, smart person in the world",

That son of his is the dumbest person i have ever seen, first because of him Nora Martinez is killed by his vampirezombiemother, then his vampirezombiemother kills a kid (is sucking him dry), he runs away and his vampirezombiemother try to suck him dry, then later he becomes best buddy's with the master and his vampirezombiemother and Thomas Eichorst, who no one likes, but the kid does and trust him, then he sees the blind child vampirezombie kill a guy, and then because his dad kills vampirezombiemother he kills millions or even billions, he is the dumbest most stupid kid i ever seen in a tv show, and why use a kid that can't even act, also stupid.

I wish the kid died in the first season.

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What the...? If he was so emotional he would have attacked Eph wit his own fist, or shout, or something. But petulantly use the detonator?? Why? Why did he want everybody to die? It nakes zero sense. Besides, the kid has ordered a vampire pet to kill a human that only wanted to help him, ao he has been a murderer before his mom was killed. He just evolved to mass murderer. He is the worst.

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true det

_________
Sawdust in the bread.

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It wasn't his mother anymore. He saw her sucking kids dry for dinner. She got him a pet "spider-kid." She kept him trapped in a sewer. She nearly sucked HIM dry on a few occasions. I think the reason most people hate Zach is that he's completely oblivious to the fact that his mother is no longer his mother and is instead a monster. Um...make that was a monster. How much more is needed before he understands? Traumatized or not. Stockholm Syndrome or not. How much could it take for someone to say, "Yeah, these aren't the good guys?" The fact that he's sided with the "munchers" time and again makes him just as evil.

And Eph didn't have a chance to take the detonator away. The little brat set it off as soon as Eph moved toward him. I'm really hoping Zach gets his comeuppance at some point.

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You keep going about logic when kids are anything but, nevermind heavily traumatized ones. Even if Zach could truly understand what it means to become a strigoi, he also saw Kelly was capable of retaining some of her former self and that's all that mattered in the end. We've seen time and time again full grown adults struggling to let go of it's zombified families (the father on Night of the Living Dead, Hershel an co. in The Walking Dead... and were talking flesh decaying, rotting corpses here!), why do you expect different from a kid who actually has proof her mother was still in there (even at the end, Kelly's memories triumphs over her new nature, sparing Ephram)? Kids are also incredible adaptable. By the time that guy tried to "help", the underground was Zach's new normal.

Furthermore, Ephram's actitude right after offing Kelly it's so tone deaf it's baffling. Instead of trying to comfort his son or explain what he did it, he acts as if everything will be okay now (HOW? HIS MOM IS LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR, HE JUST LOST EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE HE HAD AND VAMPIRES ARE ROAMING THE EARTH JFC), totally disregarding Zach's feelings EVEN THOUGH HE JUST SAW THEM CALMLY WALKING SIDE BY SIDE INTO THE ROOM. Surely that should have alerted him Zach was not exactly being held at gun point, but rather staying with her because he wanted...? It doesn't matter how you try to spin it, in the end, Ephram's absolute lack of empathy and father's instinct it's what did the world in.

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The actor is 12yo, so I'm assuming that is Zach age, by that age its literally mentally retarded to do the things he has done and not only mentally retarded, but evil in the core as well.

It would be one thing if this was a 6yo or 7yo little child, but at 12yo assuming same age for actor and character, than he is an evil moron! You can't excuse that level of retardation.

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You keep going about logic when kids are anything but, nevermind heavily traumatized ones.


You can't possibly be serious, I hope.
Many kids may not be logical but it doesn't mean that they're evil either.

Exactly, that's how many serial killers and evil people become full blown evil.
Contrast Gus who was raised in a bad neighborhood and could've been full evil but isn't because something in him is still good. Then, Zach who was loved and raised well is like this.
Anyway, this is how many serial killers and evil people become evil. After they've been traumatized, if they had that propensity to be sociopathic, and heartless to start with then they become more of that evil. Regardless of any trauma, Carl on TWD for example had to kill his mother himself to spare her from becoming a zombie, yet Carl would never nuke the world out of grief. He chooses to help others instead.
Please, Zach is a bad seed. That's why nuking the world is his way of dealing with a monster getting killed in self-defense mind you.

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Ephram's actitude right after offing Kelly it's so tone deaf it's baffling. Instead of trying to comfort his son or explain what he did it, he acts as if everything will be okay now (HOW? HIS MOM IS LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR, HE JUST LOST EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE HE HAD AND VAMPIRES ARE ROAMING THE EARTH JFC), totally disregarding Zach's feelings EVEN THOUGH HE JUST SAW THEM CALMLY WALKING SIDE BY SIDE INTO THE ROOM.


Yeah, right, sure, it's Eph's fault. Lol.
He's the problem not the little monster who just nuked the Earth, and caused Nora's death just because he's a little a-hole.
Zach's heartless, selfish, & evil just like Eldritch, both cut from the same cloth.

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You keep going about logic when kids are anything but, nevermind heavily traumatized ones. Even if Zach could truly understand what it means to become a strigoi, he also saw Kelly was capable of retaining some of her former self and that's all that mattered in the end.

I disagree. Let’s say Zach truly believed that was his mother. His mother was trying to kill his father; the father ends up killing the mother, so the son nukes that planet. Too much of a disconnect for me to think Zach wasn’t acting in self-interest. He knows what right and wrong is and chose to do wrong. If he would have shot his dad, I could see your argument. Blowing up the city, no dice.




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Furthermore, Ephram's actitude right after offing Kelly it's so tone deaf it's baffling. Instead of trying to comfort his son or explain what he did it, he acts as if everything will be okay now


Because Eph didn't understand his son's severe level of stupidity.

Ever since the end of season 2, Eph was under the impression that his son understood what was going on and that he was kidnapped by his vampire ex-wife. Even Nora's misleading words of "she took him" instead of "he chose to go with her" led Eph to believe that his son was a prisoner. Kelly also came to Eph and made a deal to trade Zach for the lumen, so there was no reason for Eph to think Zach went willingly.

This was the first time in like... 3 weeks that Eph saw his son, and he fully believed he had just rescued him from the vampires who had been holding him prisoner. He didn't know that Zach was helping his mother with her human makeup, he didn't know that Zach was playing fetch with a kritter kid, he didn't know that Zach ordered his pet vampire to kill a human, he didn't know that Zach was on board with nuking the city.

He just saw his son who he had been trying to save for weeks. He reacted normally, his monster of a son was the one who acted poorly.

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He just saw his son who he had been trying to save for weeks. He reacted normally, his monster of a son was the one who acted poorly.


Yep. Couldn't agree more.

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there was no reason for Eph to think Zach went willingly


He just saw them calmly walk into that room side by side. Kelly wasn't holding Zach back in any way, yet the kid never attempts to "escape" from her and just yell for them to stop fighting when Kelly ambush his ex.

Ephram fails so hard at reading people and acting accordingly I CAN'T EVEN.

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Zach is wrong in the head, in many ways. Ephran was injured, loss of blood, after a grueling fight against a disgusting creature, wearing his wife's face. He still remained fairly calm in that situation and tried to also calm his spoiled/retarded/evil/dimwitted/ungrateful brat of a son.

Zach's response ? Nuke em'. Nuke em' all. Let thousands/millions of people die, because he lost his bloodsucking, innocent people murdering, children murdering scum of a strigoi guardian.


Truly, your lack of logic is amazing.

_________
Sawdust in the bread.

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I agree Eph was completely tone deaf, he has always been stupid with human interactions. But the kid reaction is not normal, not logical. Besides, he has made a pet vampire kill a human before the loss of his mom. That says he is evil.

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I agree Eph was completely tone deaf, he has always been stupid with human interactions. But the kid reaction is not normal, not logical. Besides, he has made a pet vampire kill a human before the loss of his mom. That says he is evil.


I agree Eph's not the most perfect of people, far from it but he is a good dad who loves his son. Given the circumstances, Eph's reaction to finding the son he was grieving for weeks was normal IMO, as the other poster mentions.
Eph does have issues with human interactions, but here Eph is not the problem, his ignorance of his son's true evil, and stupidity are his downfall.

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Sorry, but a 12-year old kid, given the facts that were already presented to him right before his eyes would have to know better unless he was a moron.

Furthermore, Ephram's actitude right after offing Kelly it's so tone deaf it's baffling.


Not really. He didn't have time. It went directly from defending himself from HER ATTACK, into Zack having a temper tantrum. She was hurling that sucker appendage at him right in front of Zach after moments ago threatening Zach himself. Why wouldn't Eph have immediately assumed this wouldn't have been enough to finally convince his moronic kid that this wasn't his mother any longer? He wasn't privy to any of the brainwashing that was going on when they had him captive in the dungeon. Exactly what was the best time in that sequence for a tender heart-to-heart?

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Furthermore, Ephram's actitude right after offing Kelly it's so tone deaf it's baffling. Instead of trying to comfort his son or explain what he did it, he acts as if everything will be okay now


Didn't Zach just watch his mom trying to eat his dad????? It wasn't like Eph walked in the room and slaughter his mom. Kelly was doing her best to eat Eph in front of Zach.

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he reacted by nuking the whole city 



If I don't reply, you're probably on my ignore list for something I forgot already

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Technically he didn't nuke the whole city. The blast exploded in the bulk of the ocean (?) and some of it reached the city, but I must assume only the outer reaches. Otherwise there would be no survivors at all.

But yeah, the kid is deranged.

_________
Sawdust in the bread.

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You're actually trying to make excuses for Zach's behavior? Lol. Ok, whatever, but wow, just wow!

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First off, children have grown faster than him from war so maybe it's time he puts his big girl's pants on and stop acting like a fucking brat.

Second, he should have known better than to even think that thing was his mother. Is he that much of a moron?

Third, how exactly is detonating that bomb going to make his double dead mother come back to life?

He's even more of a douchebag than his Dad is. I hope he dies a slow death

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I think Zach can best be summed up this way: He essentially spurns his father's affections time and again yet cozies up to a Nazi officer.

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yah the kid doesn't make sense. He even sets off a nuclear bomb knowing full well what it is and what it means in terms of human lives. Characters like him usually get redeemed in stories but I don't see it for Zach. He's just really pathetic.

🐬 ma ink

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I think its quite obvious that he is being groomed for a future host for the master.

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I rather hope he is turned into one of those spider walking seeker kids...

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I mean in all honesty he may not have known it was a nuke. It was never explicitly told to him. And he clearly isnt the brightest nor emotionally stable child.

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He knew exactly what it was, he was there when his mother was given the detonator and told it was the Master who was to flip the switch.

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He knew exactly what it was, he was there when his mother was given the detonator


Of course he knew what it was.

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Please correct me if I am wrong, but I only remember Eichorst telling Kelly to save the detonador for The Master and nothing more, at least in front of Zach. As far as I understand, Zach only knew activating that thing would further his mom's side plans and upset his father, not nuke the whole city (does he even understand what a nuclear bomb would entail? The world has already gone to hell in a handsbasket from his POV, how much more damage can a simple bomb do in a world overrun by creatures of the night?).

I am also under the impression Zach's supposed to be younger? A child's actor age rarely if ever corresponds with that of his character's, and he certainly does act younger. (Not that it means anything in the friggin' apocalypse, are you going to keep ignoring how by all means "good" ADULTS react under the same conditions?)

Again, Ephram kill Kelly right in front of their son without sparing a second thought to Zach's feelings. In contrast, Eichorst told him to protect his mom (and generally acted like a new partner to her) and later offered him his condolences. It might not make a iota of sense to you and I am certainly not saying it was okay, but Zach's reaction DOES make sense from a traumatized kid's POV!

Zach acted on impulse like he was supposed to. Ephram acted like a dumb giant piece of sh!t by no anticipating it so, yes, it's mostly his fault by being a poor piss excuse of a father.

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As far as I understand, Zach only knew activating that thing would further his mom's side plans and upset his father, not nuke the whole city (does he even understand what a nuclear bomb would entail? The world has already gone to hell in a handsbasket from his POV, how much more damage can a simple bomb do in a world overrun by creatures of the night).


And, what part of the plan did Zach believe this would fulfill? He even told his dad he knew what it was, and pushed the button after his dad told him not to.
Did he even look remorseful or surprised after the nuclear aftershock, and did he look surprised after going unto the street and seeing what he'd done? Err, NO!!
Seriously, no amount of trying can white wash what Zach's done.

Kid's just evil as The Master called it.

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Again, Ephram kill Kelly right in front of their son without sparing a second thought to Zach's feelings


Well, she attacked HIM first. While she's shooting that sucker all over at him, what was he supposed to do? Stop and explain, "I don't really want to kill her, but don't you understand this clearly isn't your mother anymore?" Then spend 10 minutes having a tender conversation with Zach, making sure he'll understand why he's going to shove a knife into his former Mother's head?

No. He was getting attacked by just another muncher and it was time to dispose of it, just like any other. Why should she have gotten special treatment. She was already long gone. There's no cure. She instigated. In what possible world would Eph's response not be the sensible and instinctual response?

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Please correct me if I am wrong, but I only remember Eichorst telling Kelly to save the detonador


Yes, the detonator. What are detonators for ?

I am also under the impression Zach's supposed to be younger? A child's actor age rarely if ever corresponds with that of his character's, and he certainly does act younger. (Not that it means anything in the friggin' apocalypse, are you going to keep ignoring how by all means "good" ADULTS react under the same conditions?)


Adults may react cowardly, may react in threatening manner, but this kid decided that it was okay to set off a bomb, cause he feewings got hurt. Whaa, whaaa. Reminds me of a toddler who just won't shut up crying and wringing after he didn't get his candy bar.

Again, Ephram kill Kelly right in front of their son without sparing a second thought to Zach's feelings.


Who gives a $hit about some brat's feelings, honestly ? In the heat of a fight ? She was actively trying to infect the good doctor (of course his son is too braindead to see the bigger picture/ or even that for that matter). Surely Eph had time to consider the lil' $hitter's fragile mindset and feelings, while trying to fend off a parasite inhabiting his rotten wife's body ?

(and generally acted like a new partner to her)


Ew.

Zach acted on impulse like he was supposed to. Ephram acted like a dumb giant piece of sh!t by no anticipating it so, yes, it's mostly his fault by being a poor piss excuse of a father.


Im honestly curious... You some kind of soccer mom/super mom ? Only these kinds of people would actually think like that. The good doctor, fatigued from loss of blood, injured, after a near death experience, tries to calm down his petulant child. Naturally, the little evil SOB reacts by destroying a part of the city, dooming mankind etc etc.

It's the father's fault ? Are you high?

_________
Sawdust in the bread.

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He had all the reaction of someone who knew perfectly well what it was. I am wondering if he thought he would die too when he detonated the bomb

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Honestly this dumb little *beep* has to suffer the worst death in TV history.

He is worse then Geoffrey or any other *beep* on TV at this point.

I honestly hope eph goes mountain on his ass and cracks his skull open.

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I've never wanted a character to die as much as I have wished it on Zach. Second choice would be Carl in The Walking Dead...... biggest. idiots. ever.

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