Season 1 episode 1 “CDC investigator Abby Arcane is sent to investigate a mysterious illness in Marais, where she and Matt encounter a creature born of the depths of the swamp’s terrifying secrets.”
What Was Good?
1. The episode starts with 3 characters on a boat getting up to some mischief, when we dive straight into the brutality from the swamp. It then, one by one kills them all, with extreme measures may I add. It was a solid introduction to show us a brief overview of just the horrors this season is yet to bring.
2. From that first boat scene, all the way to the disease the episode intrigues you from the offset. I love a pilot episode that draws you in from the very few minutes, just from the first 10 minutes I was engaged. The minute Alec Holland is mentioned, you just know who he is.
3. The scene with the dead guy that Abby is performing the autopsy on was so disturbing I was nearly behind the couch peeking over. as you can probably tell, I am not great with horrors at all so that was a scene I could have went my entire life without ever seeing. however, the detail, the effects were incredible. Truly frightening, it had me on the edge of my seat (well, on the edge of behind the sofa) as Alec still sits in there to try and fight it. He works his scientific mind, and manages to defeat it by setting it on fire and putting the fire out with an extinguisher.
4. The story with Abby’s school years had me curious. as a lady sits down and confronts Abby about the death of her daughter, shows that Abby is somewhat responsible. I love the mystery that surrounds the characters, and their histories. It just brings so much more to the table for the rest of the season. For me personally, I don’t understand the mythos of Swamp Thing, so this is all completely new to me, just like Doom Patrol, and the origins were so perfectly written.
We do find out a brief overview when Abby and Alec confess secrets to each other, but the results from the needles they found in the swamp return which promptly stops the conversation. Then Alec leaves the little house…
Queue the Holy Shit Moment…
What Was Bad?
As I was writing my notes, I was in despair trying to find a Bad as I feel 99% of shows have at least 1. However, me and fiancee both at the end said, “not a single bad from that”. Every scene told a story, and I loved that.
Holy Shit Moment
As Alec is investigating what seems to be what the three at the start were investigating, an odd man shows up shining his boat light on Alec, then fires two brutal shots into him. Also firing an explosive crossbow round onto the boat. Seemingly dead, he manages to crawl to a safe space where the swamp seems to heal him. like Venom’s symbiote, the swamp looks like it’s merging with him
Queue…
The Swamp Thing. Incredible. Truly incredible.
The Verdict
The Pilot delivered on every single front. For somebody that has never researched into Swamp Thing, the show truly intrigued me from the offset. A remarkable series to come from DC, and the Pilot showed us the series has the potential to be one of DC’s greatest TV works.
Rating: 9.1/10
