HMTL Recap and Review -Swamp Thing: S1E2 – “Worlds Apart”
It is regrettable that Swamp Thing was not renewed by DC Universe before the second episode aired. More to the point, it is regrettable that the show was not renewed, period. The second episode of Swamp Thing is a strong expansion of the pilot. Of course, it presents a great deal to chew on.
The Story so Far
There are two major plot-threads to track during this episode.
Abby and Alec
Reeling from the apparent death of Alec Holland, Dr. Abby Arcane continues her CDC work in Marais. The illness from the swamp is still spreading. Local police have also tied up a solid source of information by turning Alec’s lab into a crime scene.
She finds comfort with Liz Tremane and meets Liz’s partner, Margeaux. Abby and Liz then seek out potential leads for Alec’s information. Abby visits Avery Sunderland (Will Patton) in an attempt to gain access to the lab he funded for Alec’s research. Avery ultimately refuses to grant the CDC access to the research as it is all proprietary. However, he and Abby find some form of reconnection regarding the death of Avery’s daughter, Shawna.
Abby and Liz later make their way to the room that Alec rented from Daniel Cassidy (Ian Zierling). Cassidy is a former actor and video-store owner. Abby finds some video logs from Alec and watches them for evidence. Ultimately, she finds herself missing him. During this time, she learns that Susie has fled the hospital into the swamps.
Susie has a mysterious connection to the Swamp Thing and seeks him out in the swamp. However, she accidentally witnesses a game officer being murdered by two men hired to retrieve the mutagen dispersal devices. Fleeing from the particularly malicious of the pair, she is rescued by the Swamp Thing in a particularly brutal sequence.
Abby tracks down Susie who is with the Swamp Thing. On a boat with Matt Cable, Susie reveals to Abby that the Swamp Thing is frightened and alone. She also says his name is Alec.
A Family of Secrets
Regarding the Sunderlands, Maria (Virginia Madsen) consults Madame Xanadu (Jeryl Prescott) about the pain of losing her daughter. Maria has been dealing with it for years. Trying to help, Xanadu uses her powers to bring comfort. Yet, the balance of good and evil has shifted in the swamp. Xanadu warns Maria to move on from her pain. She does not, however. At the end of the episode, she is seen with a manifestation of the long-dead Shawna, in her bedroom.
Avery, meanwhile, is using his power in town to clean up the mess that came with the mutagen research. Concerned the research is responsible for the illnesses, he summons two of his consultants. These two are Caroline and Jason Woodrue (Selina Anduze and Kevin Durand). He tasks them, the inventors of the accelerant, to determine if the accelerant is at fault for the local illnesses.
What Stood Out
Swamp Thing’s second episode is a strong follow-up to the pilot that continues what works about the show. The show is all in when it comes to the mutilation and mutation of bodies both to and around the Swamp Thing. One particularly grizzly sequence features a psychic connection between Susie and the Swamp Thing. In shock and pain, he tears away chunks of his form, which Susie feels. Each tear is visceral and has amazing Foley work.
Relationships between characters are also developing at a solid pace, even as new characters are introduced. The scene between Abby and Avery is excellent and provides a genuine bit of catharsis with some menace. This week features Abby working with officer Matt Cable who is still very much nursing a flame for her, even after she left Marais. Naturally, there is some tension there that does not manifest at the most appropriate time.
The key relationship that develops here is, oddly enough, Abby and Alec. Abby doesn’t quite know how she felt about the rogue scientist, but the scene where she watches his video logs is incredibly sweet. It makes for a good way to keep Andy Bean on the show, even as Derek Mears takes over as the Swamp Thing.
The death of the man who was chasing after Susie is also incredibly gross and satisfying. With any luck, the show will be able to keep up that intensity throughout the remainder of the series.
Final Verdict on Swamp Thing
“Worlds Apart” serves to wrap up the basic narrative of the pilot episode in a very satisfying way. It also establishes the new normal of the show with the Swamp Thing quickly being introduced into the action as a violent and mysterious force. The show is also not being weighted down by questionably written relationship drama and instead, these characters are proving to be quite compelling.
The show is still quite dark, visually, and that could be a problem in the long run. We’ll see.
(4 / 5)
Deep Roots
Two particularly significant DC Comics connections appear this week in the form of Daniel Cassidy, also known as the Blue Devil. Jason Woodrue, also known as the Floronic Man, also makes his first appearance. How far the show is willing to go with their storylines remains to be seen, however. We are likely not going to see an empowered Daniel Cassidy, though wrapping up the season with the origins of the Floronic Man would make a lot of sense.
The show also presents a much different, more voodoo-oriented take on Madame Xanadu. They have also made her blind as well. Her scene with Maria Sunderland was a real treat, so this should be a great interpretation of the character, despite being outside of the comics wheelhouse.
Please continue to join us each week for the remaining episodes of DC Universe’s Swamp Thing.
Movies n TV
Luiso Berdejo’s Feature-Length Debut, or The New Daughter
The New Daughter (2009) is a PG-13 horror film & Luiso Berdejo’s feature-length debut based on John Connolly’s short story of the same name.
The New Daughter (2009) is a PG-13 horror film and Luiso Berdejo’s feature-length debut. The film is based on John Connolly’s short story of the same name. The New Daughter stars Kevin Costner, Ivana Baquero, Samantha Mathis, and Gattlin Griffith. As of this review, the film is available on VUDU Free, The CW, Hoopla, Tubi TV, Freevee, and Plex, with additional purchase options.
John James (Kevin Costner) moves his children to a rural South Carolina town to start anew after his wife leaves him. Louisa James (Ivana Baquero) can’t stand this change, and Sam James (Gattlin Griffith) doesn’t understand why his mother isn’t with them. But after finding a burial mound, their attitudes suddenly switch. As John uncovers more of their new home’s history, he realizes there’s much to fear.
What I Like About Luiso Berdejo’s Feature-Length Debut
Despite its 2009 release date, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films nominated it for the Saturn Awards’ Best DVD Release in 2011. As Luiso Berdejo’s feature-length debut, the film manages to hold an audience with a tight script and direction.
The acting sells this ominous mystery, which might otherwise become obscure amongst others in the genre. In particular, Kevin Costner’s John James and Ivana Baquero’s Louisa James center The New Daughter around their characters’ strained father-daughter relationship.
Ultimately, The New Daughter thrives in its atmosphere and execution. If we take the film plot point by plot point, The New Daughter doesn’t break the mold. Between Luiso Berdejo’s direction and the writing of John Travis and John Connolly, however, the film executes this uncomfortable tension that invests viewers.
Last update on 2025-01-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
It’s in The New Daughter‘s execution where it haunts its audience. There’s this uncomfortable powerlessness as John attempts to protect his family against the horrors in the mound and its corrupting influence.
The ending might seem uncommitted, but I would disagree. The film executes a balance between hope and horror that leads to ambiguity but doesn’t leave the audience dissatisfied. A bolder film might conclude with an unhappy ending, but The New Daughter gives a sliver of hope in its dark ending.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
A cat dies in the film. The act isn’t shown, but I understand this can be a dealbreaker. In loose connection, there are also animal carcasses.
There’s a loose and underdeveloped connection to Native American mythology, following along the idea of “Indian (Native Americans) burial grounds.” While this initial thought proves inaccurate, it still holds familiar plot points that might irk some.
There are some strange decisions revolving around Louisa. Needless to say, a part of the plot revolves around her beginning puberty. While nothing is explicit, the creatures require a mate, which suggests sexual assault.
What I Dislike about Luiso Berdejo’s Feature-Length Debut
The aesthetic of the burial mound doesn’t seem particularly noteworthy. This becomes a problem when it looks like any hill in a forest. I don’t particularly see how the James family recognizes this as something strange and worth fixating on. As the film progresses, there are obvious reasons, but the aesthetic doesn’t execute this strangeness.
As addressed above, the premise remains familiar and safe, perhaps too safe. A family moves into a rural home, escaping a past withheld from the audience. The mother is out of the picture, and the father struggles to connect with his young daughter. I don’t subscribe to the idea that these are lazy points, but it might seem formulaic with how thick it dominates the film’s beginning.
Final Thoughts
The New Daughter is an impressive feature-length debut but one with notable flaws. There’s a familiarity and safety in the plot that hinders what could have been. However, the ominous mystery and acting provide the needed execution to create a haunting experience. If you’re looking for a horror following a terrified family against supernatural creatures, The New Daughter delivers.
(3.5 / 5)
After taking a week off, Dexter Original Sin is back. And while no piece of art can ever be entirely perfect, this was as close to perfect as I think we can expect.
The story
We start this episode right where the last one left off. Dexter, with a body in his trunk, finds his dumping grounds swarming with cops. So, keeping his head as cool as ever, he pulls out his forensic badge and pretends he’s supposed to be there. Then, he feeds the remaining arm from his second kill to the alligators before anyone can print it. But, not before Angel recognizes a distinct ring on the hand’s finger.
Jewelry really will be the death of Dexter.
While he might have gotten himself out of that mess, he still has a body to deal with. He decides to take it to a dump in broad daylight. Sometimes he acts like he wants to get caught. But then, maybe he does.
Meanwhile, the police are still looking for whoever kidnapped Nicky. There’s a horrific scene in this episode in which the poor kid has his finger chopped off. But this finger might well be the evidence that Miami Metro needs to catch the kidnapper because Dexter notices a sense of hesitation before the cut on Nicky that wasn’t present on the first little boy.
He also finds a drop of blood that doesn’t belong to Nicky.
Once again, it all comes back to blood.
What worked
As I’ve watched this series, and after consuming all of the rest of the work this franchise has offered us, one thing has become more and more clear.
Harry Morgan is a terrible human being.
Let’s just take this episode as an example. We see him strongarming a CI that he had an affair with, threatening to stick her in jail and drop her kids into foster care if she doesn’t keep risking her life for him. We then see him go home and lecture his wife, who he cheated on, for not forgiving him fast enough. And we know how this all ends for the Mosers. We know that Laura ends up dead and Harry takes the baby he liked, leaving Brian to the horrors of the foster care system.
- Michael C. Hall (Actor)
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The thing is, we were never supposed to like Harry. More and more I realize that Harry is the bad guy. He’s the antagonist of Dexter. And as I’m rewatching the original series, I see clearly that he’s been the bad guy from the start. And I think that’s such a brilliant idea.
Not quite as cool, but still impressive was the serial killer advice scene in this episode. Dexter, struggling with where to hide his dead bodies, researches how other serial killers have done so. We see him talk to Ed Gein, David Berkowitz and John Wayne Gacy. This scene brought the absurdity of the series to the forefront. Our main character admires these men. These monsters did horrific things. And we still, somehow, against all decency, like him.
Let me also just say that Scott Reynolds who played Gacy did a fantastic job. The body language and line delivery were just so creepy. For someone who wasn’t on screen for more than a few minutes, he knew how to make a killer impression.
Finally, I want to applaud the twist in this episode. But, as always, I want to do so without giving it away! I will only say that there is a large reveal regarding the person who killed the judge’s son and abducted Nicky. And, I have to say, I didn’t see it coming. It was amazing and raised so many questions. Questions I cannot wait to have answers for.
Honestly, everything in this episode worked. It was well-written, well-acted, and well worth my time. My only complaint right now is that there are only three episodes left.
Of course, it’s usually the last episode of a Dexter show that ruins the whole thing. Let’s see if they can avoid that this time.
(4 / 5)
After the last episode of Goosebumps, I was concerned. I wasn’t sure where the season was going, and I worried I wouldn’t like it.
Thankfully, this episode got the story and my interest back on track.
For the most part.
The story
We begin our story with a flashback from Alex, finally finding out why she was sent to Juvie. She was at a party that resulted in a house fire, through no fault of her own. Rather than helping her, Alex’s mom Jen simply assumes she set the fire and refuses to help her. So, you know, ACAB.
When Alex gets back, she wants to clear her name. So she decides to find Murph, the person who actually set the fire. To do this, she needs a car. So she decides to borrow Trey’s car.
You know, the car that is currently infected by the homicidal sewer spores.
What worked
One thing I’ve enjoyed about this season so far is that no one’s really at fault here. Yes, some of them are doing dumb things. I wouldn’t consider Trey breaking into Anthony’s basement and wrecking stuff to be a great decision. But I can also see how he got there, and why he was pushed to that. I love how we have the opportunity to see the motivations of almost every character.
I also enjoyed how Alex’s character is being filled out. She is compassionate, funny and brave. I think she’s going to end up being my favorite character this season.
On that note, a lot of this episode revolved around Alex and her mother. This was important, as we needed to round out the cast. However, I appreciated that we got that focus while still moving the storyline along for the characters we already have established. It’s sometimes hard to strike that balance when we’re not telling a story in a linear fashion. But I think they pulled it off.
What didn’t work
As much as I love the Alex/Cece relationship, I don’t love how Cece is being portrayed.
Maybe I just don’t like Cece.
She is too perfect. She is too charming. Everyone likes her. And several times in this episode she batted her pretty eyes, tossed her blond hair, and got people to do things for her. While I am amused that Alex weaponized this, it’s also irritating. I’d like to see less pretty privilege.
Finally, in this episode, we saw this demonic or haunted spore (or whatever it is) transition from a car to, of all things, a cup of coffee.
What even is this thing? What are the dimensions? What are the rules? What the hell is it doing?
Suspension of disbelief can only take us so far. We have to have a set of rules for the world for us to buy into it. I can buy a sentient spore. I cannot buy it jumping from living creature to car to coffee cup.
Do better.
Even so, this was a really fun episode. I’m enjoying the story so far, and I’m interested to see how long it takes everyone to get the parts of their story together so they can see the whole picture.
(3.5 / 5)
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