Cuse was showrunner, executive producer, developer, and writer of "The Strain", an FX drama series based on the vampire novel trilogy by co-authors Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Del Toro co-wrote and directed the pilot episode. Hogan also co-wrote the screenplay for the first episode and then worked as a writer and producer for all four seasons of the show. "The Strain" premiered on July 13, 2014. Cuse made his directorial debut with "The Strain"s third-season finale. Cuse and del Toro decided to end the series after the fourth season of their own accord, feeling it was the right time to bring the story to a close on their own terms. "The idea was always to do three seasons of the show when we sold it. Going into season four, it really felt like we needed to increase the storytelling velocity and finish the story."