DC Universe's 'Swamp Thing' Ends with 'Loose Ends'

Swamp Thing is the third live-action show on DC Universe, following the releases of Titans and Doom Patrol's first seasons. While those two shows take place in the same universe, Swamp Thing is kept more self-contained. While it may not be as great as Doom Patrol, it has been well-acted. Crystal Reed plays Abby Arcane, who witnessed tragedy in her past and investigates a virus in the swamp. She gets the help of scientist Alec Holland (Andy Bean), but then events result in the creation of Swamp Thing, whose human side is conveyed convincingly by Derek Mears. Even though the pacing was slow at times, the great acting makes it a shame that it got cancelled after the first episode premiered. DC Universe did release all ten episodes, and they advertised the last one as a series finale. But it does not feel like a series finale because it leaves loose ends, keeping fans wondering what could have been. This will be discussed in the spoiler section, which will be marked.

Tone

The Swamp Thing comics have had stories that really get into the fantastical and the supernatural. Sometimes, Swamp Thing went up against demons, werewolves, and the undead, varieties of monsters with amazingly illustrated designs. Other times, he time traveled, encountering such things as dinosaurs and medieval nights. He even went through a space travel arc and has encountered aliens. Compared to all of that, DC Universe's Swamp Thing feels more grounded as it explores mysteries of the swamp and the people around it. Thankfully, it is not campy like the Swamp Thing films of the 80s. It is a horror-based show, with really convincing effects, but it never gets too "out there." Such elements were arguably some of the best things about the comics, and perhaps audiences would have seen more of that had the show been allowed to continue (Werewolves would have been interesting, given that Crystal Reed already starred in MTV's Teen Wolf.).

SPOILERS

One of the questions going into the show was whether or not it would incorporate the twist that Alan Moore added to Swamp Thing's identity. Prior to Moore taking the reins of the comics in 1984, it had been established since 1972 that Swamp Thing was scientist Alec Holland transformed. But in the Swamp Thing story titled "The Anatomy Lesson," it was revealed that Swamp Thing was pretty much a mutated plant that had the memories of Alec Holland, with the corpse of Holland still lying in the swamp.

The twist was right there on the poster for the DC Universe show, which shows Swamp Thing carrying Alec's corpse. For those familiar with the twist, the poster might have been a bit of a spoiler. But for those unfamiliar with the twist, it may not have revealed anything to them. In any case, the penultimate episode, "The Anatomy Lesson," did a great job adapting the story of the same name, and Swamp Thing's reaction to the revelation was very believable. And it was nice whenever the show gave Andy Bean a chance to come back as Alec Holland, whether it be via a hallucination or an imaginary conversation. Alec remains important to both Abby and Swamp Thing.

The final episode of the show is titled "Loose Ends," and it's a title that's agonizing to read because it really does leave loose ends. Namely, the post-credit scene of the final episode shows that Jason Woodrue has become the villain Floronic Man. And it hurt to see because of how good he looks. Despite the knowledge that the show was cancelled, the tease was left intact. It is good that fans got to see the character, but it's really unfortunate that there will not be a continuation of this. Especially after seeing how committed Swamp Thing and Abby Arcane are to helping each other out.

Conclusion

DC Universe's Swamp Thing could have done more to be closer to its comic book roots, but it had potential, and its cancellation will leave fans wondering, "What if?" What's interesting is that John Constantine made his debut in the Swamp Thing comics, and both characters had their shows cancelled with only one season. Fortunately, fans got to see Matt Ryan reprise his role as Constantine in the Arrowverse. It would be great to see Derek Mears reprise his role as Swamp Thing somewhere, but it seems like this is probably the end of the line. We have these episodes to remember, but the cancellation of this show is a huge loss.