Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Swamp Thing, “Long Walk Home”, Review!

Morning in the swamp, there is the wounded Avery Sunderland.  He uses his knife to carve into a tree.  There is footsteps.  His triangle carving is healed by the tree.  At the CDC headquarters of Atlanta, Georgia.  Abbie has brought samples to get analyzed with Harlan.  He mentions the new assistant director.  She is Dr. Palomar played by Adrienne Barbeau!  The actress played Alice Cable, the love interest of Alec Holland, in the first Swamp Thing (1982) movie.  Dr. Palomar is disappointed that Abbie has not kept up with daily reports.  Abbie brings up that she believes the disease is still present in Marai.  Avery limps through the swamp hearing movies and is confused by distortions.  He sees Sheriff Cable standing in front of him.  She takes out a shotgun.  He pleads for his life.  The shotgun blast is imaginary as is Sheriff Cable when he reaches out to her.  She sends out vines from her mouth, kinda obvious horror imagery.  

SWAMP THING -- “Long Walk Home” -- CRYSTAL REED, ADRIENNE BARBEAU -- Photo: Fred Norris/ 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. - © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment


In bed is Matt Cable, wakened by a phone call while he recovers from his knife wound given by Avery.  His mother, Sheriff Cable, wants him at the station.  At the CDC, Abbie is frustrated that Harlan didn’t protect her.  She leaves him.  At the lab, Jason Woodrue is studying a microscope.  Nathan Ellery enters wanting to discuss his work.  He has ordered a mobile biological lab.  Ellery wants Jason to look over the proposal for the lab.  Jason admits finding the specimen is a challenge.  Night, Avery staggers through the swamp.  He sees himself as a young kid.  His father calls out for him cutting wood.  The son tells his father that a tree has special powers.”  Sunderland hacks at the tree with his axe.  The tree starts to bleed and vines drag him as Avery tries to pull him away.  The vines drag Sunderland into a fire and Avery cries over his father’s death.  He collapses and then sees the shadowy figure of the Swamp Thing!  


Abbie returns to her apartment and flicks on the lights to get a glass of wine.  She opens a box marked Marais with a doll and other mementos.  Harlan has a brought a veggie pizza and a bottle of wine.  He picks up the doll.  Her mother found her interest in little anatomy of the doll funny.  She starts to tell about the man she’s trying to help suspecting that the Green Flu is out there.  Abbie admits he is Alec Holland.  Avery wakes up in a bed, it is in the lab, he pulls some vines from his shotgun wound.  Swamp Thing is there and Avery realizes that it is Alec Holland.  Avery thinks that the swamp took his father and daughter.  The Swamp Thing says that the swamp has been damaged and mentions the Darkness.  He says the Green saved him.  He corners Avery who shouts at the edge of the bed.  At the police station, Matt Cable sits at his desk, he has to filled out his road accident report.  Sheriff Cable calls him in her office to tell him to be careful.  He brings up his adopted father who left his mother because of Avery.  


SWAMP THING -- “Long Walk Home” -- DEREK MEARS -- Photo: Fred Norris/ 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. - © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment


Harlan can’t believe Abbie’s story that Alec has transformed since he was in an explosion.  He trusts Abbie over what he saw in Marais and will oppose Dr. Palomar.  Harlan is walking and taken by two men to a car outside of Abbie’s apartment!  Avery tries to say he tried to help Alec.  He thinks that Swamp Thing is talking about Dr. Arcane and starts to work out their relationship.  Avery brings up Dr. Woodrue.  Swamp Thing sends Avery from the lab and says that there is a boat for him.  He promises to bring Jason to a meeting place the next day, but the Swamp Thing isn’t there.  Abbie tries to use her card to gain access to the Infectious Study room.  She is told by Dr. Palomar to walk with her.  She finds that Harlan was reassigned to Bangladesh.  Abbie is taken to a board room with Nathan Ellery who want to discuss Alec Holland with her.  Ellery says that he has to brought in for treatment.  He wants the cooperation of Abbie and doesn’t identify himself.  Abbie walks away.  She calls to leave a message to Harlan.  


Avery enters limping into Woodrue’s house.  Catherine leaves as Jason checks Avery’s wounds.  He says he was in the swamp.  Avery reveals that the Swamp Thing was a scientist, Holland, Jason believes he healed Sunderland.  He tempts Avery with visions of the Swamp Thing’s regenerative cells.  Walking through the dark swamp is Avery and Jason.  They hear the voice of the Swamp Thing.  Alec knows Woodrue’s work.  He wants to get back to being human.  Jason says that he has to take him back to the lab.  Swamp Thing becomes suspicious and leaves when Avery appears.  Hunters with rifles surround the Swamp Thing.  He tries to warn them.  The mercenaries try to use smoke, Jason uses a shotgun on him, and the Swamp Thing is frozen by the mercenary charges.  Abbie finds that Swamp Thing is missing!  This episode focuses on Avery Sunderland, it seems the Green would know he is a threat to Alec, but spares and heals him.  The larger danger is with Nathan Ellery, but he seems less ruthless than Sunderland.  There is a loss of focus with Daniel Cassidy, Xanadu, and now Liz Tremayne missing.  


Three Vines out of Five!  


#SwampThing, #LongWalkHome, #DrPalmer, #AdrienneBarbeau

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