Swamp Thing episode 6 review: Sad superhero and a sinister saga

Swamp ThingIn Marias, “The Price You Pay,” for fame, success, or revival isn’t exactly as advertised; and Swamp Thing episode 6 proves it.

Swamp Thing has been teasing us for a while. With the impending captured Guardian of the Green arc turned supervillain origin and the various secondary arcs, the series is using comics to hook us. Knowing the general premise of what is to come only jump-starts that tingly feeling you get before a big scare in a horror flick you’ve seen dozens of times, but always find new ways to appreciate it.

Even though we have an inkling of what’s going to happen each week, Swamp Thing still makes comic lore new and intriguing. This week’s harvest of comic parallels gives us a sad titular hero and a few fully fleshed out big bads.

Unlike other episodes, which build their first few moments from its episodic predecessor, this week doesn’t kick us off from the parking lot brawl. It starts with more some indirect comic callouts that set the frightening tone for the rest of the episode. Alec and Abby’s pseudo-connection while they’re miles apart in that first scene shows how Alec is becoming increasingly more enveloped by the Green. Even as he embraces his new form, he never loses that connection with Abby.

Indirectly showing that Alec and Abby can communicate with each other via the Green — or at least sense one another’s presence at this point — episode 6 opens with a testimony to why the two protagonists are so in sync. Their slow-growing love story is one of the many things that make a Swamp Thing tale so riveting. It’s these opening moments that hint at Alec’s willful departure from his old life referenced in the final act. However, the chase and the accidental fight scene in the forest foreshadows another character’s transformation.

Sure, the official hunt for the live sample (e.g., Swamp Thing) last week first nudged at the classic comic arc. But the hunter mentions that Avery wants to see the “thing” alive: a key clue to the laboratory meet-cute between Avery (General Sunderland), Swamp Thing, and Alec. From what we gather from the comics, that meeting doesn’t go so well for Avery, but it does lead to Woodrue’s big breakthrough.

Strangely, we hope the series won’t give Avery his comic karma just yet. Avery builds an utterly diabolical villain, particularly in this episode. Throwing out flippant threats, Avery’s arrogant demeanor and power plays allow our frustrations to fester — creating the perfect villain. But Avery isn’t the only antagonist who went to Marais’ Bootcamp for bad guys this week.

As a notorious Swamp Thing nemesis, Matt Cable is rounding out to be more than just a convincing villain. He makes us want to fight him… which is a good thing for a bad guy. The series really excels at making us hate the villains, but love the actors who portray them. So what was the scene that made us fall in love with hating Matt this episode? The one where he gave his mother grief over her ledger with Avery, after she had covered up her son’s homicide with another homicide.

Seriously, you couldn’t even say, “thanks,” Matt? His whole argument with his mom, which he somehow turned into making him seem like a martyr — albeit a nonsensical one, makes him a sturdy contender for the second big bad of the series. Between Matt, Woodrue, and Avery, and some of the fallen and TBA villains, there isn’t a shortage of evil in the swamp. However, we can’t just focus on the baddies (even though we totally could, if space allowed). Or at least we can’t focus on the bad baddies of the episode forever.

In an episode about evil, the unexpected developing hero is a devil; and “The Price You Pay,” isn’t just a love story about Abby and Alec. It’s a love story to Dan Cassidy’s comic origins.

From a brief synopsis on how he got contracted to play the Blue Devil to his journey ahead, the series gives us just enough detail to know what iteration of Dan Cassidy this is and what to expect next. With such a powerful ensemble cast, the directors and writers know how to weigh Blue Devil’s narrative without overpowering the Green central plot.

The title of the episode might be a bit redundant, but it’s a multi-purpose title nonetheless. On the surface, it addresses the price Dan paid for fame and a promotion to a lead role and the big blue transmutation he’s about to embark. Yet, it also nods to Woodrue’s narrowing deadline and the price he’ll pay to abide by Avery’s demands.

Though Xanadu helped temporarily alleviate Dan’s pain, Swamp Thing is still reeling in a lot of emotional turmoil this episode. And “The Price You Pay” uses this to draw a slight comparison to some somber comic panels.

Swamp Thing’s commonality with the Green subtly references a comic moment where Swamp Thing renounces his identity and memories of Alec Holland. Alec Holland isn’t dead just yet, but judging by his internal conflict and his gravitation toward the Green, it won’t take long for Swamp Thing to put Alec to rest.  All of this, despite the bittersweet glimpse of the real Alec Holland at the end of the episode.

More than just an ode to the decades of Elemental comics, this episode proves Swamp Thing doesn’t need to recreate panel-by-panel stories to develop the lore and to get comic book accuracy so right

Understanding the essence of the Alec/Swamp Thing dynamic and how it should fit with this storyline, “The Price You Pay” illustrates the toll of the main hero’s transformation. And it comes at the cost of burying his old self.

Although unlikely, hopefully, the DC Universe show will bring an uplifting Swamp Thing comic moment to life. (Or better yet, the platform will reinstate the series that should’ve never been canceled.) We’re simple: We just want to see Swamp Thing and Abby happy even for a fleeting moment.