Swamp Thing – Brilliant Disguise

By starrymag | December 7, 2020

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

Abby (Crystal Reed) is looking at a very human Alec (Andy Bean) for the first time in a while. She doesn’t understand how this is possible. Alec believes that the pollen she inhaled has a hallucinogenic property. He was thinking about how much he missed human connection and now here they are. They’re both pretty blown away by the development and Alec tries to break the ice by offering Abby food. At first he just looks for crackers in his old apartment, but the swamp offers plums and mangos in the form of branches coming through the window. Some of the fruits don’t grow in Louisiana. Alec explains that he was just worried about Abby being hungry, so the swamp provided fruits. Also, he explains that he can hear the plants and trees talking to him. He says there’s so much beauty, but also death in the rot and decay within the swamp. Abby demands to see the rot and charges ahead. Alec isn’t thrilled about this idea because of the potential danger, but Abby is undeterred.

 

At the Roadhouse a troubled Matt is pouring over an application to transfer. Liz (Maria Sten) notices his distress, but he’s not really in the mood to share the reasons he’s considering leaving town. However, he want to talk about Alec. Matt (Henderson Wade) tells Liz he knows everything. Unsure of how much Abby shared, Liz plays dumb at first. But Matt tells her he’s seen the swamp creature version of Alec and he knows that Abby is bent on helping him. Liz and Matt have known each other since third grade, so she presses him on his unusual mood. He says that Abby told him there’s a darkness coming out of the swamp. Matt isn’t afraid that Abby’s delusional. He is afraid that she’s right.

 

Maria (Virginia Madsen) is out of the hospital and Avery (Will Patton) comments that the medication the doctors prescribed has really lifted her spirits. She’s cooking in anticipation for a dinner with the researchers and a potential investor later that day. Their conversation is interrupted by Lucilia (Jennifer Beals). She tells Avery she needs to borrow him for a moment. Once they’re out of earshot Avery starts chastising Lucilia because he told her never to come to his house. This is interrupted by Lucilia throwing him against a wall. She confronts him for blackmailing Matt into putting the explosives into Alec’s boat. Not helping the situation Avery says he should’ve known the “mama’s boy” couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Lucilia doesn’t understand why he couldn’t have just done his own dirty work. She tells him she’s always known Avery is a snake, but she didn’t realize he’d turn on her. Then, she adds that everything he touches goes to hell, but he’s going to help her clean up the mess he’s made.  They’re going to the swamp to kill Alec once and for all.

 

Speaking of Alec, he’s having a nice walk through the swamp with Abby. She comments that she lived in Marais her entire life and she’s never seen it so lush. There are plums and other fruits and flowers blooming everywhere. Alec tells her that there are unseen forces at work, which leads to them talking more about the green. He says that the green is filled with peace and harmony, but there’s also the rot which is filled with death and is threatening to take over the green. They’re interrupted by the trees wailing. Alec says the trees are in pain and shows her the depleted parts of the swamp. Alex says that the toxins and chainsaws]\ have taken a toll and the swamp is lashing out in anger. Abby wants a sample, but Alec fears the danger to Abby. Abby is undeterred and marches ahead.

 

Maria goes to visit Dr. Jason Woodrue (Kevin Durand). She’s got some questions about his research. At first Dr. Woodrue assumes she needs him to break down the science for her, but Maria gets the science. She’s just confused about why the way he’s presented the research suggests the medication they’re proposing is flawless and reminds him of Daniel’s psychosis. Dr. Woodrue says every medication comes with side effects. Maria asks if he’s confident he can deliver what the proposal promises. Dr. Woodrue isn’t really taking her seriously at first, but Maria says until Avery returns he answers to her. With that said, he says yes.

 

Avery and Lucilia are stocking up on ammunition in the swamp. At first Avery is confused about the need for all the fire power against a mild mannered biologist, but Lucilia reminds him that Alec’s body has changed. Then, she decides to ask why he felt the need to kill him. The gist is that Alec was brilliant, but he asked too many questions.

 

Abby goes for the sample and there’s a persistent buzzing in the air. Alec tells her they’ve got to go because the darkness knows they’re there. At this one of the branches reaches up and grabs Abby’s arm. Alec pulls it off, but Abby is still left bleeding and they decide to make a run for it when some of the trees start coming down.

 

Caroline Woodrue (Selena Anduze) helps Jason Woodrue get ready for the dinner. She wishes Jason would reconsider and come back to the university with her. But Jason says the cure for her Alzhimer’s is in the swamp. However, Caroline says they are a long way away from knowing that for sure. Jason isn’t giving up.

 

On the other side of the swamp Avery and Lucilia are still hunting for Alec. Or are they? Avery turns his rifle on Lucilia. He believes she lured him out here to kill him. Avery says he knows she’s not the forgiving type and asks why he shouldn’t kill her. Lucilia explains that it is because she’s the only person who sees and knows him. She doesn’t have to appeal to his better angels for long because Matt comes along and knocks Avery out. Lucilia says they’re going to kill him on the swamp because they don’t want to leave behind evidence.

 

It’s time for dinner and for obvious reasons Avery is MIA. But the show must go on because Nathan Ellery (Michael Beach), the investor, has arrived for dinner.

 

Elsewhere Abby is in bad shape. She’s shaking and sweating and the branch that bit her left her with a flesh eating virus. Alec wants to take her to the hospital, but Abby says they won’t make it in time. So, the alternative route is to bring a plant from Japan to cure her. Alec points out that it’s an ocean away, but Abby thinks he can bring it here. With some focus he does and she eats it. Unfortunately, the infection isn’t relenting.

 

On the water Matt and Lucilia are ready for their execution. Before the big moment Lucilia tells Avery he crossed the line by turning her son into a murderer. Although, Avery has a trump card – can Matt live with killing his own father? Yikes. Apparently when Matt was born Lucilia said he was someone else’s son, but Avery did a DNA test behind her back. Matt is more than a little shocked by this and starts demanding to know why his mother lied to him all these years. Avery uses the distraction to stab Matt in the shoulder. Lucilia shoots Avery and he falls into the swamp. Matt wants to know if he’s dead. Excellent question.

 

Abby is writhing in pain and Alec says there’s a war inside her body between the cure and the green. He says he can try to coax the cure to grow. He shifts from being the human Alec to the swamp creature and starts the process.

 

Avery still isn’t at dinner and Nathan is getting antsy. He says that Avery called in every favor he had and was promised innovative research. He’s ready to call it quits and leave, but Maria saves the dinner. She seems to have a science background. Maria pitches the project by explaining that the drug Woodrue is working on brought a man out of what doctors said was an irreversible coma. Nathan is intrigued and seems willing to invest.

 

Alec is watching over Abby and she’s feeling better. She’s in bed while he dresses her wounds and starts to revert back to his creature form. The pollen is wearing off and Alec laments that it was fun being human for a day. Abby suggests they try to live in the now and kisses him.

 

In their home the Woodrues talk about the success of the evening.  They were given a lab and full funding. Jason says that Caroline will be the first person to benefit from the testing. Caroline mentions she enjoyed dinner, but wonders who the other couple at the table was. She forgot the reason they were at dinner. More of her memories are fading away.

 

Lucilia walks a bleeding Matt to the Sutherland mansion. He’s in pain and still wants to know why his mother lied to him. She admits she made a mistake and was ashamed. Also, she didn’t believe Avery was a good male role model. When they get to the door Lucilia says she didn’t have anywhere else to go. Maria lets them in but says this wasn’t a part of the plan. Lucilia responds she didn’t expect Avery to stab her son. Maria wants to know if Avery is dead. Lucilia confirms it and offers Maria a drink. She’s not sad but not happy either. Also, as a gentle reminder Maria is a recovering alcoholic so the whisky is ill advised. Lucilia tells her to go by the station and file a missing person’s report. However, Maria tells Lucilia this is the last time she wants to see her. They had a common goal not that it’s been reached; she wants her out of her life.

 

Alec and Abby talk about the future at the swamp. Alec says that there’s a battle within the swamp and maybe he was turned into the creature to be a hero. Abby wonders where that leaves him. Alec says that as a human he could not have saved Abby, only the creature could have. He thanks her for what she’s done, but tells her to go live her life. Shifting back into the swamp creature (Derek Mears) for her own good, he tells her to go and not come back. With that Abby leaves.

 

Driving out of town Abby calls Liz. Liz wants to know where she’s been. Abby explains she’s been saying goodbye to Alec, who has lost hope. She’s determined to help him but she’s going to need the full resources of the CDC. So, she’s heading back to Atlanta. Abby is not sure about anything except that she has to find a way to help him.

 

In the final shot of the episode we see Avery crawl out of the swamp and then pass out.