DC has been producing exciting work on television since the end of 2018. Having signed series such as Titans, Doom Patrol, and Black Lightning, DC has provided its audience with what it couldn’t with movies for a long time through its television series. For this reason, Swamp Thing, which is part of the craze, was also expected among the series. The expectation was, frankly, high. One of the main reasons for this was DC’s successful change of direction, and the other was its producer James Wan. Another reason that increased the expectation was the first adaptation dedicated to Wes Craven. The result was as expected, honestly. A very successful and high-quality work. However, Swamp Thing has an interesting feature that differentiates it from the others. The series was canceled before the first episode was even aired. I will address why such an effort came to this situation in the third paragraph, but let’s first talk about the story.
Swamp Thing has a slightly different structure compared to other superhero cartoons. There is no life-saving superhero or superpower fighting evil in the story. Alec Holland, who works on mysterious events that occur in a swamp full of toxic substances, finds himself as part of the swamp after an unfortunate incident. Alec, who turns into a walking plant thanks to the “thing” that sticks to him when he falls into the swamp, enters a different dimension. While trying to escape from those who are trying to catch him in the swamp, he tries to unravel the secrets of the marsh and what happened to him with Abby Arcane.
With James Wan as the series producer, it was guaranteed that the content would be different from other shows. James Wan is known for spending serious money on his projects. Swamp Thing was filmed using the CinemaScope technology, rarely found on TV. They spent almost 80 million dollars for the series’ first season, which is a massive amount for a TV show. To give some context, Game of Thrones, which ended in 2019, cost 90 million dollars for its final six episodes. DC didn’t hesitate to spend 80 million dollars on the show because the city where they shot the series promised them a tax refund. However, it was later discovered that there was a file error, and only 14 million dollars would be refunded instead of the promised 40 million dollars. Consequently, DC canceled the series before the first season even started, saying that they were a niche channel, and these kinds of amounts were beyond their budget. How interesting is that? They said, “We can’t achieve the same quality in the second season, so let’s not make it.”
The series is really high-quality. Every aspect of the series, from its effects to cinematography, oozes quality. While visual and technical achievement is not necessary to me if it is not supported by a good script, this series is also quite successful in terms of its story. Like Titans and Doom Patrol, it has a tight energy in every episode and a flow that keeps the audience engaged until the end. It is evident that James Wan has had a hand in this.
Swamp Thing is a comic book series that began in 1971 and was renewed in 1972. The show is based on the 1972 series with some changes. For example, they found Alec Holland’s transformation into Swamp Thing a bit boring, so they wanted to add a new story. Although they do not change the fact of what Swamp Thing is, the way it happens has been slightly changed. They have filled the content with the deep state and some paranormal stories, taking Swamp Thing away from its original theme of “the protector of green,” and it works quite well. I’m not sure if we’ll see a second season, but we can say that they’ve done an excellent job with Swamp Thing.
In short… Swamp Thing is indeed a high-quality series, as promised. It is so good that we may not get to see its second season at the same level of quality. James Wan, who is usually the producer of abysmal movies, has finally succeeded in producing a successful work. DC once again demonstrates how persistent it is in launching new series and repeating the same success in each one. I can easily recommend the first season, hoping the second season will return “one day.” You won’t be disappointed and will enjoy it all the way through.
Cast & Crew
cretors: Gary Dauberman, Mark Verheiden
starring: Crystal Reed, Virginia Madsen, Andy Bean, Derek Mears
USA | 2019 | 10 EPISODES |