Swamp Thing S01 E04: Curse of the TREE ZOMBIE! (review)

During this weeks episode of Swamp Thing, I was even more convinced that Avery Sunderland fired the rocket launcher that blew Alec Holland up in the Swamp in episode one. He’s resorted to even more dubious tactics since then and now there’s a little girl involved!

Spoilers ahead

This week we pick back up in the Marai swamp in Ocheo Forks. We’re introduced to a new character named Todd. He and a friend or his dad, I’m not sure, are searching around the swamp for something rare.

They find it, but not before a Tree Zombie jumps down, attacks Todd from above, and scratching his arm. Apparently, it wasn’t an actual Tree Zombie, just a dead corpse with a strong fear demon attached to it.

Todd ran away and went to work the next day as if nothing happened. He works with Liz (the town reporter) and her father Delroy at their restaurant. Unfortunately for Delroy, Todd starts hallucinating that a snake is on his arm.

Todd starts stabbing at his arm with a knife and eventually shoves his arm down the garbage disposal until he faints.

He dies, but not before scratching Delroy and transferring the curse of the Tree Zombie to him.

Alec is still in the swamp. The leaves, trees, and vines are communicating with him. They tell him that the swamp has darkness in it.

When I heard this, I began to think that Alec is in the swamp, but he’s not the Swamp Thing. There are two entities in the swamp. One is Alec and the other is whatever haunted the Tree Zombie and caused Todd to lose his mind.

Abby, being the curious doctor she is, goes to visit Ocheo Forks where Todd was exposed to the Tree Zombie and runs into Alec. He’s still in his feelings about her dancing with Matt last week, but he entertains her anyway because … love.

They agree to work together to find out:
a) What is happening to him.
b) Remove what is terrorizing the town.

Alec gives up a sample of his DNA for research. However, I think Abby makes a terrible decision when she lets Dr. Woodrue help her with the research.

I understand he’s a biologist, but he’s definitely on Avery’s payroll so this can not end well.

“This ‘Thing’ belongs here in the swamp” – Alec Holland

Back in town, Delroy experiences his haunting. It’s a recount of when his mother was killed by burglars when he was a boy. He almost shoots Liz, Abby, and Sheriff Lucilia but no one dies. Lucilia does get scratched next and ends up freaking out at the towns fish fry hosted by Avery and Maria Sunderland.

Lucilia thinks her son has been shot in the line of duty and starts pointing guns at everyone. Luckily, Abby gets scratched next and takes the haunting back to the swamp.

Abby is not immune to the hauntings and starts to freak out while being attacked by a man with no face. But, Alec is just in time and takes the haunting away from her. He puts it back on the corpse and leaves it there.

I wonder why he didn’t move it somewhere else. Someone could easily come to the same area and get exposed to the haunting again. But I guess we’re not supposed to think about that.

Alec and Abby save the day and the town is safe for now. The patients in quarantine can go home, no one is haunted, and little Susie Coyle is being adopted.

By whom?

Avery and Maria Sunderland!

Avery conned Maria into funding his research with Dr. Woodrue under the assumption that he is trying to make sure the “Green Flu” is fully out of Susie’s system. And he didn’t stop there! He paid off her uncle so that he would not claim her or speak to her again.

Not to mention, he burned the body of Haas (the banker) and buried him in the swamp.

What a dubious, dubious man.

Ms. X (the psychic, witch doctor) can sense a storm coming to affect the destiny of this town and everyone in it. While talking to Daniel (also known as Blue Devil) Ms. X states that Daniel made a bargain to stay in the town of Marai until called upon.

Could he have made that bargain with the Conclave? Haas made it seems like a secret organization, but we didn’t get any more information about what it is this week.

Theory

The same reason Daniel is in Marai, is the same reason Avery is obsessed with researching the swamp.

Alec tells Abby that the swamp is poisoned and now it will bring death. Is the Conclave the reason that the swamp has been poisoned?

During my first analysis of this show with episode one, I asked if this series was worth saving. Honestly, if the suspense and craziness keep building up as it has been, I think so. We’ll see what happens next!

Review: Swamp Thing S01 E03 | Avery in financial ruin, Holland’s new powers