5 takeaways from the series premiere of Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing finally premiered on DC Universe and we have the scoop on all the major moments from the series premiere right here.

After more than a year of waiting, the James Wan-produced DC series, Swamp Thing, has finally premiered on the DC Universe app. The story begins with Abby Arcane’s journey home to Marais, Louisiana after receiving news about a new infectious disease borne from the swamp.

A young girl collapses in class and no one knows what’s causing her sickness. Even more strange, she is found with suspicious swamp goo on her pillow. Let’s explore the five biggest takeaways from the series premiere.

5) Susie Coyle is patient zero

The reason Abby Arcane gets called back to her hometown of Marais, Louisiana, is because young Susie Coyle falls ill in the middle of her classroom. Little does anyone know, the reason may have something to do with her father’s literal entanglement in the local swamp.

As a proficient doctor, Abby arrives in Marais to help figure out what is infecting Susie. Her initial investigation into Susie Coyle’s illness puts her directly into the path of Alec Holland, who is also snooping around the CDC in the hopes of finding proof to back up his theory about what is happening in the swamp.

4) Alec formerly worked for Avery Sunderland

Avery Sunderland is one of the most influential men in Marais, Louisiana. The Sunderlands are old money and considered royalty in town. Avery hired Alec to investigate the swamp for the “betterment” of Marais. Alec was meant to further Avery’s agenda of finding anything in the swamp that could be utilized for medicine or fertilizer.

Of course, it becomes evident by episode’s end that Avery’s intentions may not be as noble as he claims. We don’t yet know what occurred between Avery and Alec exactly, but it is clear that Avery was displeased, perhaps because Alec didn’t get him the findings he wanted or because one of his experiments went awry under Alec’s supervision.

3) Abby is responsible for Shawna Sunderland’s death

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Why did Abby leave Marais all those years ago without so much as a visit? She used to be best friends with Maria and Avery Sunderland’s daughter, Shawna. Abby and Shawna spent every day together in high school and then two nights before graduation, Shawna died. When asked about it by Alec, Abby states she killed her. But I think we can safely assume there is more to it than that.

However, if you ask Maria Sunderland, she would whole-heartedly agree. Maria verbally berates Abby and blames her for her descent into alcoholism and her almost-divorce. She also threatens Abby and tells her the second Susie starts to get better she has to leave town. Abby never argues with Maria, so it’s clear she does blame herself for Shawna’s death. I’m guessing it was an accident of some kind where Abby was the one in charge, maybe drunk driving.

2) Someone is spreading the mutagen through the swamps

Swamp Thing opens with a terrifying sequence of three men getting slaughtered in the swamp. One man gets impaled by a tree branch that shoots straight out of the swamp water in a scene straight out of Evil Dead. The other falls into the water, and the vines invade his body. The third man, who we later learn is Eddie Coyle, actually escapes. But only for a short time.

The second he gets home that night he is also killed by the animated vines. It is his body that Alec, Matt, and Abby find when investigating the Coyle home. As for what the three men were doing in the boat, to begin with, they were dumping growth-enhancing mutagens into the water. This is clearly what Avery Sunderland is truly doing in the Marais swamp waters. And it is his deadly experiment that got all these men killed and started a new disease in the process.

1) Alec Holland transformed into Swamp Thing

All episode I was waiting for the fateful moment Alec Holland would be turned into Swamp Thing. It occurs at the very end of the episode after he and Abby realize what was happening with the spread of the mutagen. In the process of trying to prevent further spreading in the swamp, Alec is attacked by a mysterious man in a shroud.

He shoots Alec and throws a stick of dynamite into his boat. Somehow, Alec survives this, but as he tries to swim away, he gets throttled by the vines. But he doesn’t die. Instead, the vines merge with his body and create the monstrosity we know as Swamp Thing. Abby arrives just in time to see him emerge from the waters.

New episodes of Swamp Thing stream Fridays on DC Universe.

Will Alec be a guardian over the swamp and try to stop those who are contaminating it? Will he be evil and spread the infection further? Will he attack Abby? Can he turn back into his human self? And what happened between Abby and Shawna? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!