Summary
“Stay Strong” is full of mind games as Rasmus and Sten try to assume control of Apollon.
This recap of Netflix series The Rain season 3, episode 3, “Stay Strong” contains important spoilers.
We comprehensively covered the season — check out the archive.
The opening of The Rain season 3, episode 3, “Stay Strong“
Jean has given up all hope and tells Kira that Simone is dead. He’s sick and tired of everything but Kira is adamant that they should kill Sten. Later on in the episode, Kira tells Jean to stop feeling sorry for himself — she has a point; everyone is in the same sh*t situation and have all lost someone. Suddenly, Daniel reaches their campfire and states that his father is going to kill “her” (referring to Simone). Kira approaches the father with a rifle and Simone is freed from a tight situation. Simone tells Kira that Daniel’s group have something to stop Apollon — the flower extract. Parts of the group have finally found Simone in “Stay Strong” and there is a new objective.
Try a new patient
Sten wants Rasmus to give a terminal cancer patient the virus to try to save her. The patient claims she is not afraid. Sten says if it works, he will have the virus next. We are finally seeing the end objective of Sten’s plans and they feel sinister and underhand.
We should use the extract on Rasmus
Simone uses the flower extract on parts of the woodland that has been impacted by the virus and it works — it turns back to green. Jean is slightly cynical and then Daniel confirms they’ve never used the extract on people. Simone reminds Jean that Rasmus is the virus. Meanwhile, Martin tells Patrick that Simone is dead and that he gives up.
I’m in charge here claims Sten
Sten tells Rasmus that they are both frustrated at wanting to make the world a better place which is why he created the rain to try to save everyone — “But it didn’t turn out that way”. Sten states he is happy he created Rasmus. Rasmus states that it has to be Martin who has the virus next. But it’s clear Sten is not happy with Rasmus’s resistance; Sten shows a live video of Sarah getting approached by a flamethrower — fire hurts the virus.
Rasmus collapses to the floor as he’s connected to Sarah who is feeling the flames. Sten announces that he’s in charge, not Rasmus. Sten states that as long as he does what he says, Sarah will be okay. He asks Rasmus to give the terminal cancer patient the virus. The villain in the story is trying to regain control, sensing that Rasmus has stronger leverage. “Stay Strong” sees a micro cold war.
Heading out
The Rain season 3, episode 3 shows the insistence Simone has to make sure that the solution she has managed to find is brought to a wider cause.
Simone takes it into her own hands and gets Jean to keep Daniel’s family in the motorhome as she heads out with Daniel. They look at the source of the extract at the abandoned swimming baths. As Daniel gets more extract he explains how he cannot touch the prickles. As he takes more, the flower reacts.
Giving Olivia the virus
Back in the lab and Sten tells Rasmus to give the patient Olivia the virus but he refuses, stating he doesn’t want to kill more people. Stan’s guards use the flame thrower again and tell Rasmus to give her the virus. Rasmus has no choice and uses the virus on her.
Olivia is dead and Fie thinks the dosage was too high but suddenly, her hands begin to move and she wakes up. It worked. Sten asks Rasmus to give the virus to him but Rasmus suddenly feels strange and he has to leave the room.
When he leaves the room, it’s clear he was pretending and he asks a nurse where Martin is. Rasmus frees Patrick and Martin and then he returns to Sten, claiming he feels better.
The flower attacks
Daniel continues to extract the liquid from the plant. The flower reacts again and attacks everyone so they have to leave the building urgently. Meanwhile, Daniel’s family’s motorhome is attacked by someone. Simone, Daniel, and Kira rush back to see what the commotion is about. They’ve been found. Daniel’s father has been hit by an arrow. Simone and Daniel try and help the father and clean the wound caused by the arrow. Kira returns and she’s upset as she shot one of the attackers — they were children.
I love you like my own son
Sten tells Rasmus that as soon as his immune system is compromised, he can have the virus. He tells Rasmus he loves him as if he were his own son. Rasmus doesn’t think Sten loves him, rather he loves the concept of him — he doesn’t think Sten should live forever; Sten has to lie down from feeling weak. Sarah enters the room and Sten realizes he’s been set up. Rasmus puts his hands on Sten’s body and kills him with the virus. As he did it before his immune system was empty, Sten died. Rasmus has not assumed control — he holds the key to everything in his mind and now he can decide what to do with himself. It’s a pivotal scene in season 3.
The ending of The Rain season 3, episode 3, “Stay Strong“
Daniel has found Simone’s tracker necklace and gives it her — there’s a brief moment between the two before Simone puts her necklace back on. It’s a weird tension, making audiences wonder what it is all about.
Fie thinks they need to monitor Olivia first before using the virus on others to see how she reacts. But Rasmus doesn’t understand what the hold up is. Martin says he is ready. Martin asks Olivia how it feels to have the virus inside her. She says you can feel everything — “It’s like being a part of something”. Rasmus states that Martin wouldn’t be doing this if Simone is alive and that he misses her. Meanwhile, Patrick sees that Simone’s tracker is beeping.
Back at the motorhome, Luna is missing and everyone panics. At Apollon, Patrick runs to where Martin is and sees it’s too late, Rasmus is giving him the virus. Episode 3 is full of mind games as Rasmus and Sten try to assume control of Apollon.
