Swamp Thing | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Based on | |
Developed by | |
Starring | |
Composer | Brian Tyler |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Production location | Wilmington, North Carolina |
Cinematography |
|
Editors |
|
Running time | 42–60 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | DC Universe |
Release | May 31 – August 2, 2019 |
Swamp Thing is an American superhero television series created by Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden for DC Universe, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The series follows medical doctor Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) encountering the eponymous Swamp Thing (Derek Mears), a plant-elemental creature who fights malevolent forces around a Louisiana swamp.
The series premiered on May 31, 2019, and consisted of 10 episodes. Shortly after its premiere, DC Universe announced that Swamp Thing had been canceled. The remaining episodes were released on DC Universe until the series' conclusion on August 2, 2019. The series received positive reviews from critics, particularly for the series' horror elements and practical monster effects.
Abby Arcane returns home to Marais, Louisiana, [1] to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, where she develops a bond with disgraced scientist Alec Holland. After Holland tragically dies, Abby discovers the mysteries of the swamp and that Holland might not be dead after all. [2]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [14] | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Pilot" | Len Wiseman | Teleplay by : Gary Dauberman & Mark Verheiden | May 31, 2019 | T33.01008 |
In a swamp outside of Marais, Louisiana, three men hired to drop cases of mutagen accelerator into Bayou Swamp are attacked by plants, with only one of them surviving. Days later, the survivor's daughter, Susie, comes down with a mysterious illness that has been spreading throughout town. CDC doctor and former resident Abby Arcane, is sent to help. She reunites with childhood friend turned policeman, Matthew Cable, before meeting with Alec Holland, a disgraced scientist hired by businessman Avery Sunderland, to investigate further. The pair find the survivor's body overrun with a plant creature, though Alec kills it. After meeting up with Abby's reporter friend, Liz Tremayne, and being accosted by Maria Sunderland, the pair find the mutagen cases. While waiting for the results, Alec and Abby bond, revealing he had manipulated test results to prove himself right and she was responsible for killing Sunderland's daughter, Shawna. After getting the results, Alec departs alone to find more of the cases, only to be violently killed and taken by the swamp. Abby rushes to find him, only to be scared off by a mossy creature. | |||||
2 | "Worlds Apart" | Len Wiseman | Mark Verheiden & Doris Egan | June 7, 2019 | T33.10352 |
The police investigate Alec's death, but disregard Abby's claims. Maria meets with Madame Xanadu, who advises her against finding her daughter's spirit and that she should put her regrets to rest. She refuses to however, later resting on Shawna's bed next to her daughter's corpse. Not long after biogeneticist Jason Woodrue and his wife, Caroline, arrive in Marais, the former meets with Avery, who berates him for the mutagen spreading disease instead of cultivating the swamp for land development like he wanted. Jason disagrees, claiming it is incapable of doing so, but Avery forces him to investigate the disease regardless. Susie dreams of a plant-like creature clawing at its body and feeling how scared it was. She later escapes the hospital and into the swamp, where she sees two men dumping more mutagen and killing an officer. One of the men, Munson, spots her and gives chase when she flees, only to be killed by the creature. Abby catches up to them while looking for Susie, who says the creature is Alec and he is confused as to what is happening. | |||||
3 | "He Speaks" | Deran Sarafian | Rob Fresco | June 14, 2019 | T33.10353 |
Munson's body is resurrected by killer insects. Abby confides in Liz that the "Swamp Thing" is Alec. Abby later breaks into Alec's lab and finds what he was working on. Munson attacks her, but she is saved by the Swamp Thing, who orders the insects to release Munson. Abby tries to reason with Alec, but when he says the disease is fighting to protect itself, she realizes that antibiotics make it stronger and uses immuno-suppressants to temporarily save the infected. Liz confronts loan officer Gordon about him secretly paying Avery, but he denies this. He later demands Avery return the payments or else he will talk. Matt's mother, Lucilia, interviews Avery about Alec's death, hinting at their past relationship. Shawna's ghost confronts Maria about Avery's infidelity. Avery attempts to procure funds from Maria's inheritance, but she denies him. Meanwhile, Daniel Cassidy expresses his desire to leave Marais, learning from Xanadu that change is coming. Liz's girlfriend discovers a piece of Alec's boat. When Gordon threatens to expose the Conclave, Avery kills him. | |||||
4 | "Darkness on the Edge of Town" | Carol Banker | Erin Maher & Kay Reindl | June 21, 2019 | T33.10354 |
A young man named Todd discovers a corpse hidden in a tree and unknowingly becomes infected. While working for Liz's father's, Delroy, Todd hallucinates and kills himself in the resulting panic, though not before scratching Delroy. Abby meets with Alec and obtains a sample of his tissue to study, with Jason's assistance. Delroy begins to hallucinate a mysterious man and panics. While Lucilia, Liz, and Abby restrain him, Lucilia gets scratched. While Avery holds a celebration for the "plant flu's" end, Maria attempts to get closer to the recovering Susie. Abby investigates the area where Todd was infected, finding the corpse and a hotel key. Liz looks up the hotel and learns of a similar incident in the past wherein the final victim vanished into the swamp. Abby theorizes they did this knowing they were infected. At the party, Lucilia sees a vision of Matt dying and attempts to shoot his "attacker" before Daniel disarms her. She scratches Abby, who rushes into the swamp. As she hallucinates a tall, faceless man trying to kidnap her, Alec arrives and cures her before returning the disease to the corpse before confirming Abby's theory. Avery and Maria decide to take care of Susie instead of her uncle. | |||||
5 | "Drive All Night" | Greg Beeman | Franklin Rho | June 28, 2019 | T33.10355 |
Swamp Thing meets a mysterious being, who tells him that the ghosts he has been seeing were events witnessed by past trees. Susie is possessed by Shawna's ghost and lures Maria to the swamp. Abby follows Maria and tries to save her, but Maria nearly drowns Abby, who manages to swim away. Shawna's ghost tries to drown Maria in turn, but Swamp Thing saves her. With Swamp Thing's help, Abby discovers that Shawna was killed by an evil force that pulled her underwater. Avery threatens Liz to stop investigating Alec's death, but she refuses. Daniel tries to leave Marais, but his arm bursts into blue flames at the border. Jason searches Alec's lab and finds giant footprints that lead to a piece of vegetation. After analyzing it, he concludes that it has the same genetic material as Abby's sample. Jason later tells Avery that a large creature is living in the swamp and that he needs it alive so he can study it. Avery obliges, offering the name of someone who can help him. | |||||
6 | "The Price You Pay" | Toa Fraser | Tania Lotia | July 5, 2019 | T33.10356 |
Avery's trackers try to capture Swamp Thing, but he defends himself against them. Lucilia sends Matt to investigate, who tracks down Swamp Thing in the process and fights him. Abby stops them, revealing to Matt that the creature is Alec. Matt confesses to Lucilia that he killed Alec on Avery's behalf to protect her. Liz tells Abby that the thugs who attacked her and Daniel were sent by Avery. When Abby confronts Avery over Liz's allegations, he hints at possible retribution. A comatose Daniel remembers the deal that he made with the Phantom Stranger that resulted in his being trapped in Marais. Jason manages to awaken Daniel, but his experiments on him almost transform the failed actor into a blue devil-like monster before Caroline sedates him. Xanadu visits Daniel and relieves his pain. Swamp Thing grows a hallucinogenic flower that makes Abby temporarily see him as Alec. | |||||
7 | "Brilliant Disguise" | Alexis Ostrander | Conway Preston & Rob Fresco | July 12, 2019 | T33.10357 |
Abby and Alec head to a rotted area of swamp. While she is collecting a sample, the darkness attacks and infects her with bacteria. Alec takes Abby back to his lab, where she is saved by the Green. Lucilia tells Avery that Alec is still alive and asks him to help her take Alec down before he comes for them. While searching the swamp, Avery betrays Lucilia and steals her shotgun. Just as Avery is about to shoot Lucilia, Matt surprises him and knocks him out. When Avery wakes up, he tells Matt that he is his father, and Matt gets angry at Lucilia for not telling him. While he is distracted, Avery stabs him. Lucilia shoots Avery in the leg, causing him to fall into the swamp. Alec tells Abby that his transformation is serving a higher purpose, and that she should move on with her life and not come back anymore. Abby goes to the CDC in Atlanta to try to find a cure for him before it is too late. An injured Avery emerges from the water and onto the shore. | |||||
8 | "Long Walk Home" | E. L. Katz | Doris Egan | July 19, 2019 | T33.10358 |
A wounded Avery wanders through the swamp. Losing blood, he begins to hallucinate. Swamp Thing finds him, brings him to the lab, and helps him recover. Abby is denied access to her sample results. Afterwards, she is confronted by the Conclave. Harlan is kidnapped after leaving Abby's apartment. Avery returns the next day with Jason to "help" Swamp Thing, though he has also secretly brought Conclave mercenaries with him. Swamp Thing tries to make them leave, but the Conclave manage to capture him. Sensing that Swamp Thing is in danger, Abby heads back to Marais, but arrives too late. | |||||
9 | "The Anatomy Lesson" | Michael Goi | Teleplay by : Mark Verheiden Story by : Noah Griffith & Daniel Stewart | July 26, 2019 | T33.10359 |
At a secret Conclave facility, Jason conducts research on Swamp Thing, discovering that he can function without vital organs. As payback for trying to kill him, Avery bribes a judge to commit Maria to a mental institution. Upon further examination, Jason deduces that Swamp Thing is actually a humanoid plant that absorbed Holland's memories after he died. Abby and Liz locate the facility. Daniel recovers and the Phantom Stranger shows him a vision of Liz and Abby being hunted and killed by Conclave security. Inspired, he decides to become the Blue Devil. Abby and Liz are able to free Swamp Thing while the Blue Devil takes out the guards, but Jason manages to escape. Returning home, he finds Caroline has overdosed. Swamp Thing returns to the swamp and retrieves a skeleton. A horrified Abby looks on as Swamp Thing confirms the body belongs to Alec. | |||||
10 | "Loose Ends" | Deran Sarafian | Teleplay by : Erin Maher & Kay Reindl Story by : Rob Fresco | August 2, 2019 | T33.10360 |
Despite recovering Alec's body, Abby tries to make Swamp Thing believe that Holland's spirit resides within him. Nathan and his men attack, but Swamp Thing kills them, sparing only Nathan. Swamp Thing has one last conversation with Alec. Jason performs an experiment on himself to save his wife. Xanadu visits Maria in the mental institution and gives her closure, though at the cost of her sanity. Avery tries to reconcile with Lucilia, but when she refuses, he stabs her and dumps her car in the swamp with her in the trunk. After talking with Liz, Daniel is finally able to leave Marais. Swamp Thing and Abby decide to remain in Marais to combat the encroaching darkness together. Matt arrives at the station, only to find his fellow police officers dead. Jason, mutated by his experiment, attacks him. |
In May 2018, DC Universe gave the production a script-to-series order. Mark Verheiden and Gary Dauberman were attached to write the first episode of the series and executive produce alongside James Wan and Michael Clear. Rob Hackett served as a co-producer. Production companies included Atomic Monster and Warner Bros. Television. [2] Len Wiseman directed the series' first episode in addition to serving as an executive producer. [15]
Despite being released on DC Universe, the series does not exist in the same fictional universe as the service's other live-action series, including Titans and Doom Patrol . [16] On June 6, 2019, the series was canceled one week after its premiere aired. [17]
In September 2018, Crystal Reed and Maria Sten were cast in the main roles of Abby Arcane and Liz Tremayne, respectively. [3] [7] Jennifer Beals was also cast in the recurring role of Sheriff Lucilia Cable, although she would later be revealed to be part of the main cast. [10] More series regulars were later revealed, with Jeryl Prescott cast as Madame Xanadu, [8] Virginia Madsen as Maria Sunderland, [4] Will Patton as Avery Sunderland, [9] Andy Bean as Alec Holland with Derek Mears as the Swamp Thing, [5] Henderson Wade as Matt Cable, [6] and Kevin Durand as Jason Woodrue. [11] Ian Ziering joined the cast in the recurring role of Daniel Cassidy / Blue Devil, [13] and Leonardo Nam was cast as Harlan Edwards in a recurring role. [12]
Principal photography for the series commenced in early November 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina, and wrapped on May 6, 2019. [18] [19]
In April 2019, production for the series was unexpectedly cut short due to creative differences with DC Universe's parent company WarnerMedia, thus reducing the original episode order from 13 to 10 episodes. [20] Further reports stated that the series was canceled due to budget shortfalls after the expected level of tax rebates offered by the state of North Carolina were substantially reduced. [21] A representative from DC Universe said that the streaming service was being re-evaluated and that there were no plans for a second season. The spokesman did not elaborate explicitly on why specifically the show was canceled. [22]
Mears described the cancellation as a "heartbreaker" and felt the decision to cancel the show showed a "lack of respect" on DC's part. He added that members of the production had been told up until the cancellation "how amazing everything was... So it's a weird nebulous space that we're all in now because we don't know officially why that would happen, or why they canceled it". [23] In mid-2019, a movement with the hashtag #SaveSwampThing began spreading on social media shortly after the series was cancelled in an attempt to save the series. Mears also showed his support of the movement. [24] With The CW network acquiring the broadcast rights to the series, The CW president Mark Pedowitz did not rule out the possibility of renewing the series for a second season, [25] but in January 2021, Pedowitz said it was unlikely the series would return on The CW and also commented that there was a slim possibility of Swamp Thing appearing on other Arrowverse series, such as Legends of Tomorrow . [26]
Swamp Thing premiered May 31, 2019, on DC Universe. [27] Despite being canceled not long after its premiere, DC Universe continued to release the remaining episodes of the series, with the finale being released on August 2, 2019. [28] Swamp Thing: The Complete Series was released digitally on December 2, 2019, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 11, 2020. [29]
In 2020, The CW acquired the broadcast rights to the series. [30] It began airing on the network from October 6 [31] to December 22 in the same year. [32]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 92% approval rating based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 7.32/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "By leaning into the horror of it all, Swamp Thing swims deep into the trenches of this strange world and returns with a scary good TV show." [33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 69 out of 100 based on reviews from 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [34]
David Griffin, writing for IGN , said the series properly "honors the comic book origins" of Swamp Thing and praised the performance of Crystal Reed, Virginia Madsen, and Will Patton, as well as the film-making style of Wiseman. Griffin particularly praised the Swamp Thing's practical suit and found that any CGI used was not distracting. [35] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter praised the creepy atmosphere and found the cast performances to be strong enough to carry episodes even when the monster was not on screen. [36]
In a more mixed review, Kevin Yeoman, writing for Screen Rant , approved of the "nausea-inducing practical effects" reminiscent of John Carpenter's The Thing but criticized the writing and pacing and found the decision to not reveal Swamp Thing until the final moments of the pilot episode to be frustrating. [37] Joel Keller of Decider found the horror elements made up for generic characters and an uninteresting mystery plot line. [38]
The series was nominated at the 2019 Saturn Awards for Best Streaming Superhero Television Series. [39] Matthew Llewellyn as music editor on "The Anatomy Lesson" was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Music Score and Musical for Episodic Short Form Broadcast Media award at the 2019 MPSE Golden Reel Awards. [40]
Before the cancellation of the Swamp Thing series, there were plans to introduce Justice League Dark and create a spin-off series based on that team. [41]
Swamp Thing, as depicted in the series, makes a cameo appearance in the Arrowverse crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" through archival footage of Mears as the character. The event depicts Swamp Thing as being set on the world of Earth-19. [42]
Swamp Thing, as depicted in the series, makes a cameo appearance in the Titans episode "Dude, Where's My Gar?" via archival footage. [43]
Swamp Thing is a superhero and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several different incarnations throughout his publication. The character first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century. The character found perhaps its greatest popularity during the original 1970s Wein/Wrightson run and in the mid-late 1980s during a highly acclaimed run under Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. Swamp Thing would also go on to become one of the staples of the Justice League Dark, a team featuring magical superheroes.
Abigail Arcane Cable Holland is a fictional comic book character in the DC Comics Universe. She is the spouse/partner of Swamp Thing and the mother of Tefé Holland. Holland's psychic powers include empathy, telepathy and telekinesis. She first appeared in Swamp Thing #3 and was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson.
Matthew Joseph Cable is a character appearing in DC Comics' Swamp Thing series. Introduced in Swamp Thing in November 1972, he was created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. Years later, the character dies and is later resurrected as Dream's raven in Neil Gaiman's rendition of The Sandman.
The character the Swamp Thing has appeared in seven American comic book series to date, including several specials, and has crossed over into other DC Comics titles. The series found immense popularity upon its 1970s debut and during the mid-late 1980s under Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. These eras were met with high critical praise and numerous awards. However, over the years, the Swamp Thing comics have suffered from low sales, which have resulted in numerous series cancellations and revivals.
The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. The series were developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns, Ali Adler, Phil Klemmer, Salim Akil, and Caroline Dries. Set in a shared fictional multiverse much like the DC Universe and DC Multiverse in comic books, it was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast and characters that span six live-action television series and two animated series.
The 2016–17 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 2016 to August 2017. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2015–16 season.
Riverdale is an American television series based on the characters of Archie Comics. The series was adapted for the CW by Archie Comics' chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and is produced by Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios, in association with Berlanti Productions and Archie Comics. Conceived as a feature film adaptation for Warner Bros. Pictures, the idea was re-imagined as a television series for Fox. In 2015, development on the project moved to The CW, where the series was ordered for a pilot. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The 2017–18 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 2017 to August 2018. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2016–17 season.
A.P. Bio is an American television sitcom that premiered on February 1, 2018, on NBC as a mid-season replacement. It aired on NBC for two seasons until June 13, 2019, and moved to Peacock for its subsequent seasons. The series is focused on the everyday lives of the faculty and students of the fictitious Whitlock High School. Mike O'Brien created the series and is a recurring writer. O'Brien is also one of the executive producers alongside Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, and Michael Shoemaker. It is set in Toledo, Ohio.
The 2018–19 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2018 to August 2019. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2017–18 season.
Mr. Iglesias is an American sitcom that premiered on Netflix on June 21, 2019. The series stars Gabriel Iglesias who executive produces alongside Kevin Hench, Joe Meloche, and Ron DeBlasio. In August 2019, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on June 17, 2020. The second part of the second season premiered on December 8, 2020.
DC Universe was an American subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) and digital comics service operated by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Networks, both divisions of WarnerMedia. Launched on September 15, 2018, the service featured a streaming library of animated series and films based on DC Comics properties, new original television series adapted from DC properties, as well as a rotating back catalogue of DC Comics publications, and online community features. In 2020, the service won the Webby People's Voice Award for Media Streaming.
Alec Holland is a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics. He is most notably a character in the various Swamp Thing series.
Batwoman is an American superhero television series developed by Caroline Dries for The CW. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, it is part of the Arrowverse television franchise. The series premiered on October 6, 2019, and ran for three seasons until March 2, 2022, before its cancellation on April 29. The first season follows Kate Kane, the cousin of vigilante Bruce Wayne, who becomes Batwoman after his disappearance. The second and third seasons focus on former convict Ryan Wilder as she protects Gotham City in the role of Batwoman.
The 2019–20 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2019 to August 2020. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2018–19 season.
The 2020–21 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2020 to August 2021. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2019–20 television season.
The 2022–23 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2022 to August 2023. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2021–22 television season. The schedule was affected by strikes undertaken by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, marking the first television season since the 1959–60 season that was affected by two simultaneous strikes; however because the strikes commenced in May and July, respectively, programming impacts on the 2022–23 season itself were limited in comparison to previous television seasons affected by Hollywood labor disputes as the next season was affected even more.
Berlanti Productions is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell.