Swamp Thing Episode 8 recap: A new villain emerges

Abby’s trip to Atlanta doesn’t go as planned. Back in Marais, Alec must face the Conclave on a new episode of Swamp Thing.

If you thought Avery would be down for the count, then you haven’t been paying attention. The opening of this episode of Swamp Thing shows Avery making his “Long Walk Home” as he traipses dizzily through the woods.

The swamp is hell-bent on making him suffer for what he’s done to the area. Like Abby, he’s forced to see macabre hallucinations, like Lucilia with creepy-CGI vines popping out of her face. He falls, screaming, and I can’t say I blame him.

Abby’s Trip to Atlanta Doesn’t Go as Planned

Initially, Abby shows up in Atlanta hoping to use the full force of the CDC labs to run her samples and figure out how to cure Alec. She hits a speed-bump almost immediately when newcomer, Doctor Palomar (oh hello there, Adrienne Barbeau!) isn’t happy with her work.

Palomar knows Abby has been spending all her time down in the swamp. The only ally she has in Atlanta is Harlan (remember him?). She and Harlan hang out, and Abby tells him everything about Alec. Probably not the best move on her part.

Harlan is attacked by the Conclave while leaving Abby’s apartment. Next time we hear about him, it’s from Palomar who claims he boarded a five a.m. flight to assist on a nasty breakout of dengue fever. Yeah, I’m not buying it.

To make matters worse, Nathan Ellery arrives and corners Abby in a meeting room. The sample Abby brought is now on lockdown and Ellery wants to know all about her friendship with Alec. Specifically, he wants Abby to help them bring Alec into the lab.

Abby is unwilling to betray Alec, so she tells Ellery to back off (in more colorful language), and takes off back to Marais to warn him.

Swamp Thing — “Long Walk Home” — Photo Credit — Fred Norris / 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

Alec Has His First Run-In with the Conclave

It must be Avery Sunderland’s lucky day. Alec finds him and keeps him safe from the swamp, which clearly wants him dead. Alec wouldn’t mind if Avery died either (he is responsible for Alec’s current Swamp Thing predicament after all), but he’s more empathetic than Avery could ever be.

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For a moment, it almost seems like Avery could be turning over a new leaf. He offers to bring Dr. Woodrue back with him, and together, they can figure out a way to return Alec to a normal man. He saved Avery’s life, and now Avery would like to return the favor.

It’s sad because there is a part of Alec that might even believe him or want to believe him. But Avery is a snake in the grass, as always. The moment he is with Woodrue, it doesn’t take much to convince him they should capture Alec. As Woodrue points out, “why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?”

Of course, Woodrue doesn’t want to “save” Alec. He wants to experiment on him for his wife’s sake but also for his scientific gain. For the first time, Woodrue truly begins to feel like a threat.

Avery and Jason head back to the swamp to meet up with Alec. But he doesn’t agree to go with them, and they sick their Conclave cronies on him in an ambush. Alec holds his own for a while with some spectacular action sequences, but ultimately they subdue him with a dose of liquid nitrogen.

By the time Abby returns to Alec’s swampy quarters she finds him gone and nothing but a small trace of him left behind. It looks like it’ll be up to her to rescue him this time!

New episodes of Swamp Thing stream Fridays on DC Universe.

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