Swamp Thing has debuted on the CW, based on the Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson comic book, set in the dark bayou with some vines that are rising up against people! The character was introdd in House of Secrets #92 (1971) before appearing in his solo title dealing with the supernatural. The series took a literary turn with Alan Moore and artists Stephen Bissette and John Totleben starting with Swamp Thing #21 (1984).
Wes Craven wrote and directed the Swamp Thing movie in 1982. Seven years before Tim Burton’s Batman. This was about the time that the sequel, Return of Swamp Thing (1989) directed by Jim Wynorski, director of low budget, campy movies. The Swamp Thing (1990-1993) was developed for television by Joseph Stefano who adapted the Robert Bloch novel, Psycho (1960), for Alfred Hitchcock. The pilot is directed by Len Wiseman, director of the Underworld movies.
The series is produced by James Wan and developed by Gary Dauberman, who wrote the Annabelle films, and Mark Verheiden, a comic book writer who also wrote for the Constantine (2014-2015) series. The series premiered on the DC Universe on May 31, 2019 and was quickly cancelled. It may have new life with the CW. The pilot opens at night at the swamp with a boat of men tracking a signal. They drop boxes into the dark river and find that the boat engine has died.
Then, the boat is rocked and vines pull one of the men into the dark water. We get a Jaws-like shot of the man swimming until he is pulled under! Then, there is an Evil Dead pov of vines crawling towards them. Another throws an explosive in the water sending the vines shrieking. The boat is lifted from the water by vines and one man is pierced through by them! The survivor, Eddie Coyle (John Bishop) reaches the shore and then sees the vines closing in. The music by Brian Tyler is moody, but not evocative of the bayou, I want jazz, some saxophone or even a banjo.
We get “48 hours later”, a class is going over fairy tales, a girl, Susie (Elle Graham) coughs and starts to bleed from her nose, she tries to get the teacher’s attention, but collapses! Graham starred in Stranger Things as Sara Hopper. This shifts to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a young boy shouts in French waving a machete to protect his sister. He is trying to ward off a health care worker in a hazmat suit, very close to our frightening times.
Another worker enters and takes off her mask, this is Abby Arcane, played by Crystal Reed. The actress had the part of Sofia Falcone in Gotham (2017-2018). She speaks softly in French to the boy to help his sister. Abby takes up the young girl and later is met by her co-worker, Harlan Edwards (Leonardo Nam) about the hemorragic fever. Nam played Lutz in the Westworld series. He gives her a report that she has been recalled back to Louisiana by the CDC. They are driving in her former hometown, Marais, Louisana, in a jeep.
Abby is given the case and announces the plan to the hospital staff. In the hospital room, Abby looks at the ill Susie and a strange, tiny branch on her pillow. She sees a man looking through files, this is Alec Holland, Andy Bean plays the character. Bean was in the dramedy Here and Now. His scientist is more intrusive than the original character and there isn’t any sparks between Bean and Reed, maybe he needs to be more swampy. He is escorted out of the hospital.
Abby drives over to the Coyle house, she is joined by the police officer, Matt Cable (Henderson Wade). He also played a police officer, Sheriff Michael Minetta in Riverdale (2018-2019). Cable is also brash, kinda breaking into the house without permission, and shouting out Coyle’s name. Neither of the male leads are strong. They hear sawing noises and Cable draws his gun. It is Alec sawing to take a sample with headphones on. He points out Eddie Coyle who is covered in vines! The police are investigating the house and Alec explains to Abby that he was hired by Avery Sutherland. He wants to take her to his lab out in the swamp.
They take a boat out to his lab, she points out his designer flip flops showing he is not a local, the lab is a large log cabin built over the water. Alec has been tracking a mutagenic strain that has been spreading around the swamp. He places Spanish moss in a container and a few drops of the sample causes the moss to almost burst out of the container. Abby gets a call that Coyle’s body is ready to be examined. At the Marais Town Hall, there is an emergency meeting, Alec is there watching, attending is Avery Sunderland (Will Patton). He was in the Shots Fired criminal drama.
Sunderland tells the town that he lives in Marais and also notes his wife, Maria (Virgina Madsen). The actress was Madeline Hawthorne in American Gothic and also Helen Lyle in the horror movie Candyman (1992). There is also scientist, Jason Woodrue (Kevin Durand), Vasiliiy Fet was played by Durand in The Strain, and also blind fortune teller, Xanadu (Jeryl Prescott). She was Jacqui in The Walking Dead. I’m familiar with all of the characters and who they will turn out to be in the story. The show is slow paced, Alec’s transformation is in the opening of the movies, but also offers more in the moody horror. Swamp Thing is gradually paced, needs a stronger cast, but has some terror from the Little Shop of Horrors vines!
Three Vines out of Five!
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