The Strain

The Strain sucks. I'm going to stop watching this crap. But it does have some lessons to teach.

The male lead is a pathetic beta who does everything his wife asks in order to save his marriage & his reward is that she moves her boyfriend into his house! In couples counseling he lays out all the hoops he jumped through, showing all the wrong things to do:

beta moving on

I've done everything you've asked me to in order to get us back together again. I quit drinking. You wanted time alone so I moved out, against my own wishes. I've jumped through every hoop. Tell me what you need.
Our time apart has only clarified things for me. It's allowed me to make room in my life for Matt. We're going to be living together now and...
Matt, the Sears guy you were talking about, at my house?
Matt is an operational manager.
At Sears.
Yeah, and you know what, he gets straight 'A's at his job, too. But at home, he's present.Unlike you, he's always here for both of us.

The boyfriend isn't safe from her either, which is why you should never date a single mom.

No, you shut your mouth and you listen to me. This is my family, my life. I invited you in, you are a guest and you need to start acting like one.
A guest?
Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I acted too quickly.
No no no. We know what we're doing here, ok? I'm here. I'm here because I love you. I'm here because I'm trying to protect this family. We're way past me being a guest.
I need to go to work.
We're not done here!
I am.

She got rid of one beta just so she could find another beta & she treats him as such. The only good part of the show is when the Nazi calls out the prisoner on his victim mentality & shows him that people rationalize that they "have no choice" when they actually do. You always have a choice.

So, tell me, A230385 Do you think we Germans will outlast our predecessors? Please. Speak freely. Ha! Ha!
I think the Third Reich is in its death throes.
Very likely. But suppose A new Reich rose from the ashes of this one led by a new fuhrer, who's able to deliver everything Hitler promised and more.
I think that would be a very sad day for humanity.
Quite the opposite, my friend. It's what humanity craves: a strong leader, - a visionary
Visionary? Hitler is a megalomaniac who declared himself dictator.
Wrong! Hitler was elected democratically! He went before the Reichstag. He asked the elected representatives of the people to grant him extraordinary powers! And they did by an overwhelming majority!
Because they were terrified.
Yes! Terrified of democracy! They had lived through the chaos of the Weimar Republic: governments gridlocked by parties and bickering! They realized Plato was right. The republic can only be led by a philosopher king with the wisdom to look after the needs of the many.
Unless you are a Jew.
Ah You see? This is the problem. You take all of this too personally.
After the murder of my family, I suppose I do.
Oh, the nobility of the victim! I see. You comfort yourself with the fantasy that you're morally superior to me, but you're not. First day you arrived, I asked if anyone was a carpenter, and you eagerly threw up your hands! And from that day on, you've labored here, working on behalf of the Third Reich!
I had no choice!
Yes, you have! But you're afraid of the choice. The alternative. Here.
(Nazi puts loaded gun on table between them)
Let me make it clearer to you. If you're quick enough, you might grab my pistol. You're going to die anyway when the trains stop. Why not go down fighting? Right here, right now? Don't you want to try? It's much easier to do nothing, isn't it? Safer.
(Jew does not pick up gun)
If that God you believe in really existed, what do you suppose he would think of you?

So are you going to choose to make your life better? or whine about being a victim?