DC's 'Swamp Thing' TV series promises to leave you looking over your shoulder in gripping horror
Spoiler Alert
'Swamp Thing' is straight up scary. And when one of the executive producers is James Wan, the brains behind 'Insidious' and 'Conjuring', expect nothing short of shivers. DC has already dished out some impressive shows in the form 'Titans' and 'Doom Patrol', and now with the 'Swamp Thing' series, the DC Universe is expanding to new grounds. What hits you while watching the first episode is the tone. It's dark, it's gritty and it gives you the unshakeable feeling that something nasty is lurking around the corner.
Much like the trailer suggests, the show centers around a place called Houma in Louisiana where people are falling sick and dying mysteriously. Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) plays a CDC investigator who returns to her hometown to find a solution and teams up with biologist Alec Holland (Andy Bean) to figure out what trouble is brewing in the swamp.
The first episode takes its time and does a splendid job in establishing that there is something grisly in the town. Starting from a young girl falling sick to a corpse going full-zombie, there is enough horror to send chills down your spine but the show still manages to keep you glued to your screens. The thing, in all its glory, isn't exactly your average hulking, gross monster, but instead, comes across as a defined beast that has an element of eeriness to it.
'Swamp Thing' is almost believable. Don't be surprised if you, at some point, come across a swamp and have an unshakeable feeling that something might just suck you in. It is commendable that the creators have managed to emulate this feeling of fear and heightened tension in the live-action thriller series.
The pilot, however, starts off slow and maintains its steady pace until the final few minutes of the episode, similar to other series' pilots that reveal an origin story. Reed is convincingly impressive as a troubled detective seeking to get over the fact that she couldn't save a loved one in the past. The show also mirrors the 'Lexcorp in Superman' storyline with a similar evil organization choking the city that demands an investigation.
Again, with the somber tone and the Swamp Thing in itself setting the platform for a good show, the few damp squibs in the series are the unnecessary conversations and the flashbacks that could probably have come in a bit later in the storyline. Nevertheless, the slow buildup is to probably add to the aesthetics. You can never tell.
DC Universe has dished out quality content so far. We can never forget the 'Titans' and if anything, 'Swamp Thing' shows a lot of promise and potential of becoming a staggering hit show. 'Swamp Thing' comes to the DC Universe on May 31.
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