DVD Review

DVD Cover for SWAMP THING: The Series Volume 2(2008).
© Shout Factory

Mania Grade: B+
DVD: Swamp Thing: The Series Vol. 2
Rating: G
Starring: Dick Durock, Mark Lindsay Chapman, Carrell Myers, Kari Wuhrer, Kevin Quigley, Janet Julian, Heather Thomas, Jacob Witkin
Written By: Tom Blomquist, Steven L. Sears, Jeff Myrow
Directed By: Walter von Huene, Chuck Bowman, John McPherson
Distributor: Shout Factory
Original Year of Release: 2008
Extras: An Exclusive Interview with Swamp Thing Co-creator Berni Wrightson
Buy it now!

SWAMP THING: The Series Vol. 2

By: Robert T. Trate
Review Date: Friday, July 18, 2008

When last we saw Swamp Thing (Dick Durock), aka Alec Holland, he had just foiled another one of Dr. Anton Arcane’s (Mark Lindsay Chapman) horrific scientific nightmares. His friend Will Kipp (Scott Garrison) and his step-mother Tressa (Carrell Myers) had taken in a young woman named Abigail (Kari Wuhrer) who had strange psychic abilities. Abigail was a good natured soul but her past was shrouded in mystery. However, the lingering subplot still existed in what had happened to Tressa’s son, Jim (Jesse Zeigler). The last we heard of him he was still a prisoner in one of Arcane’s South American mutant labor camps.

This volume was narrower in terms of stories than what was seen in the previous DVD collection (see Mania’s review of Vol. 1). In the previous episodes there were many monsters of the week and environmentally conscious episodes. The subplot of Arcane’s mutants, his benefactor “the General” and his obsession about bringing his wife back from her coma were great but never had any kind of payoff. All of these plots merely lingered like untied threads. Could volume two bring some resolution? Would the series and its multiple plots wrap itself up before its final episode?

Volume two created an interesting three arc storyline. Unfortunately, these arcs seemed like other shows form the era. Swamp Thing: The Series had the nature preservation and dark magic stories that were the ties to the Swamp Thing comic. The series was also extremely reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990) thanks to the addition of a scientist/ love interest for Swamp Thing played by Janet Julian. This plot was strung out over season two and three and was a welcome change to the monsters of the week episodes. It gave Swamp Thing a love interest and the hope that a possible cure was in the works. The other show which reared its ugly head (in a good way) and must have had some influence on the series was Freddy’s Nightmares (1988-1990). These episodes made Swamp Thing more of host to his show and a soothsayer to strange dark events that he wasn’t directly involved with. The gears often changed from tragic love story to odd tales involving side characters that nonetheless kept the show interesting.

Unfortunately for the series it lost the young and beautiful Kari Wuhrer early on. This was sad for two reasons. The character she portrayed was the love interest of Swamp Thing in the comic. Her early demise signified that this relationship would not develop. What was strange was how much back story had been developed for her and an interesting love triangle was beginning to form between her, Will and Swamp Thing. Losing Kari Wuhrer also hurt the show because she was a lot more fun to watch than a jolly green giant and a guy who gives swamp tours. Especially when she is running around in a tank top and daisy dukes.

The beauty and the beast arc is by far the best part to this volume. “Better Angels” is the episode that kicks it off and introduces Doctor Ann Fisk (Janet Julian). She was a former student of Alec Holland who is now under the indirect employ of Arcane. Her discovery of Swamp Thing and who he is happens several episodes later but when the scene does occur, both Julian and Durock play one of the best beauty and the beast scenes of all time. She’ll make him human again, literally, but it will only be for one episode. Swamp Thing: The Series Volume 3 hopefully will have more of this story arc.

The untied thread and dead horse of this volume was where was Jim Kipp? Tressa journeys back and fourth to South America trying to find him and in doing so removes herself from the central character of the show, Swamp Thing. Why Swamp Thing never journeyed to find Jim was perplexing. The writers could have found a way to get him there and save the day. Do you really need that much of a budget to do South America or a slave labor camp? This whole plot was a sore thumb to the series.

There was a resolution brought to one of the subplots from the first volume. One of Arcane’s reasonings for hounding Alec Holland was that he created this bio-regenerative formula that he needed to bring his wife, Tatania (Heather Thomas), back to life. It turns out that Arcane’s benefactor, the General (Jacob Witkin), had stolen the real Tatania and switched her for a comatose stripper. Arcane learns of this after is own version of the formula revives the stripper and he goes on a bloodlust for the General. It finally moved Arcane’s character in a new direction. This also gave Chapman an episode to show how Arcane had gone from loving husband to mad scientist.

As the Freddy’s Nightmares type episodes started to pop up there were many diversions from Swamp Thing himself. The first being about a rocker (MTV’s Adam Curry) who needs to learn about the responsibility and power his music carries. Later a dead couple emerges from the swamp to solve their own murders and the husband is played by Philip Michael Thomas (of Miami Vice fame). The Swamp Thing’s western and civil war episodes must be seen to be believed. Yet, the best and definitely the most surprising episode was “A Jury of His Fears” where Arcane dies and is in a purgatory of his own mind populated with the various characters of the show. His own genetic mutations sit on the jury and Will and Tressa sit as prosecutor and judge. Finally, in this tongue-and-cheek episode they address Arcane’s Yahoo Serious hairstyle and have Arcane play his own hair dresser. The episode looked as if Tim Burton himself directed it and was a great break from the normal Swamp Thing show.

The show plays out superbly in its twenty-two minutes and really is a comic book brought to life. If only it was as easy to head back to the store and pick up the last few episodes to finally see how it all ends. Waiting for volume three will be like waiting for the last trade paperback to finally be issued.

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