Swamp Thing (2019) s01e04 Episode Script
Darkness on the Edge of Town
1 AVERY: Previously on Swamp Thing ABBY: It's Harlan.
He's come down with the disease.
I need to get into Holland's lab and figure out what he was working on.
With any luck, it'll point me towards a cure.
DANIEL: Come on, Xanadu.
Break out those cards.
Give me one more reading.
XANADU: Eight years since you've come to Marais, and your cards never change.
This time they're reversed.
Is that good? Did someone new come into your life? Abby Arcane.
Do you think she's the one I'm supposed to be waiting for? Dr.
Woodrue, he just needs one more tranche of funding.
You need more of my family's money.
The answer is no.
AVERY: What are you doing, Maria? You're not cutting me off! I don't understand this disease and why it's fighting us.
SWAMP THING: Not fighting.
Fighting back.
The antibiotics are just making things worse.
Doctor, the BP is dropping.
I know you've been making off-the-books loans to Avery Sunderland.
I don't know what you think you've got, but it's complete and utter bullshit.
You gotta cover for that missing money.
You're gonna keep your goddamn mouth shut.
Or I could just talk to the press and tell them what I know about you and the Conclave.
- You son of a bitch! - [YELLS.]
[DOOR SHUTS.]
What are you waiting for? Shank him! Damn it, Avery! Get your ass over here! [GATOR GROWLS.]
Now open this bitch up! BURRITT: Come on, son! YOUNG AVERY: I can't.
I can't.
I know you can.
Look at its eyes.
Dead eyes.
Swamp eyes.
Not worth a second of mercy.
[BURRITT'S VOICE ECHOES.]
A second of mercy.
- Come on, son! - [GATOR GROWLS.]
Come on! [SIGHS.]
Worthless [GRUNTS.]
TODD: Hey, you don't think there's, uh, snakes up there, do you? There's snakes everywhere, kid.
Had one yelling at me yesterday.
About a house payment.
In there.
You see 'em? Behind the cottonwoods.
TODD: This is sweet.
You know how hard it is to find a stand of cypress that big timber hadn't pissed over first? [CHUCKLES.]
You gotta wait till you get 50 yards in.
[BRANCH BREAKS.]
We'll, uh We'll cut through this little shit, and, uh, make a path.
[CHAINSAW REVS.]
[CHAINSAW BUZZING.]
What the hell? - [CHAINSAW CONTINUES BUZZING.]
- Hey! Hey! Stop! Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop! [BRANCH SNAPS.]
[SCREAMING.]
TODD: It cut me! It's a fucking corpse! Let's get back to the boat! Come on! That way! [THEME MUSIC PLAYING.]
Swamp Thing 1x04 Darkness on the Edge of Town [UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
Sorry I'm late.
I got caught up on the water last night.
Butler dragging you around Ochee Forks again? TODD: Yeah.
DELROY: That place is nowhere to be after dark.
Don't worry.
I'm never going back there again.
[SIGHS.]
Ugh.
This damn cut! [GASPS.]
What's wrong? I saw something.
It was moving.
I don't see anything movin'.
Especially not those pots and pans, if you catch my drift.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Mmm-hmm.
DELROY: Liz, you got those cleaning supplies sorted? LIZ: Almost, Pops.
It bit me! It bit me! It bit me! - LIZ: Todd, what's going on? - [SNAKE RATTLING.]
[GASPING.]
- LIZ: Todd! - It's a goddamn snake! Hey! Todd! Todd! Hey! LIZ: Todd! What snake? - Todd.
- [SCREAMS.]
DELROY: Todd, stop, there's nothing there.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - Hey! - DELROY: Todd! - Get it off me! - Get it off me! - LIZ: Drop the knife! - [SCREAMS.]
Get it off me! - LIZ: Todd! No! [PANICKING GASPS.]
Back! Get back! LIZ: There's no snake! DELROY: Hey, hey! Todd! No! [SCREAMS IN PAIN.]
- [WHIMPERING.]
- [SNAKE RATTLES.]
DELROY: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! [TODD SCREAMING.]
[SCREAMING.]
LIZ: What did you do? - LIZ: Todd.
- [PANTING.]
Talk to me.
God LIZ: No, no, no, no, no.
Stay with me.
Hey.
- DELROY: Todd.
- LIZ: Hey, hey, hey.
Stay with me.
ABBY: Alec! I'm here to help you! I'm not leaving you here alone! Alec! Alec? Alec, is that you? [BRANCHES CREAKING.]
I want us to figure this out, Alec But we have to do it together.
[SIGHS.]
Can I have a tissue sample? Please? [BRANCHES CREAKING.]
Thank you.
Tell me what I've become.
Whatever you find.
I will.
Be careful coming back.
There's danger here.
[WHISPERS.]
What is happening to you, Alec? [DOOR OPENS.]
[SCOFFS.]
You've made a mistake in your data.
Excuse me? These numbers.
They can only refer to the thickness of a cell wall, which means you're describing a plant.
But the cell circumferences are round and irregular, more suited to something with mobility.
So it's either a plant, or an animal.
Now pick one.
And what if I told you my entries are accurate? Well, the last ten million years of biology would disagree with you.
As would I.
[WOODRUE SIGHS.]
Would you, uh Would you like me to take a look? Sure.
Well, this is This is plant tissue, but it's organized like animal tissue.
It fits no known phylum.
I assume that you, uh found this in the swamp? What are you, um, planning to do with it? Well, a full analysis.
I need to identify the chromosomal makeup, the genetic markers - Yeah.
- What? What? How extensive is your knowledge of bio-genetics? Botany? Well, you know, I'm an infectious diseases specialist.
Which is why you should allow me to analyze this sample, that's if you actually wanna know what it is.
Dr.
Arcane If I forced you to study my CV I know who you are, Dr.
Woodrue.
And I know that you're working for Avery Sunderland.
But what possible difference could that make? If I agree to this, I expect confidentiality and full transparency, whatever you find, you bring to me first.
I need to understand exactly what we're dealing with before I share these results with the rest of the world.
Why would I give a damn about the rest of the world? Excuse me.
Mr.
Cassidy.
Do you have a second job? Oh, no.
I just brought in some stuff for the kids.
They get a charge when the Blue Devil makes the rounds.
Huh.
That's kind of you.
Dr.
Arcane.
Have we met before? Before Marais, I mean.
I don't mean to sound weird, it's just I I don't know, I got this feeling, you know? Like - Déjà vu.
- Yeah.
- Déjà vu.
- Yeah, I don't I don't think so.
I'm pretty sure I would've remembered you.
- Anyway, I have to get inside.
- Right.
Sure.
So I'm supposed to be helping her, right? Right? Why am I asking balloons? Shit.
Shit.
I'm so happy you're feeling better.
You remember everything, huh? SUSIE: I can still see him in my head.
I'm scared for him.
And for you.
Don't be.
Okay? AVERY: Excuse me, everybody.
Maria and I are so happy that you're all feelin' better.
To celebrate the good news, we are inviting everyone who is able, to Marais Town Hall tonight, for an old-style crawfish boil.
- [ALL APPLAUDING.]
- MAN: All right! So you can invite your friends, you invite your family.
Hell, bring a stranger.
We'll kick off at sunset.
It's time to bust off the dust, and get this town movin' again.
[ALL APPLAUDING.]
- I'll be right back.
- Right.
Okay, sweetie, let's put this away.
Is this the little girl that was lost in the swamp? Yes.
Susie Coyle.
Susie, this is Mrs.
Sunderland.
I'm sure you have things to do.
Why don't you go on and I'll sit with her.
- Is it okay? - Yeah.
All right.
Oh.
What have you got there? I drew him more.
Oh, show me.
Oh, hey, Abby.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Good to see you, but I'm surprised.
I thought that the CDC had packed up tent.
Yeah.
Well, we're out of crisis mode.
But, uh, not ready to declare "mission accomplished" yet, so I see.
Is that little girl, she's waiting for Lee Coyle? Yeah, he should be here by now.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, ol' Lee is not exactly a model citizen.
Well, should I be worried? Man knows his way around a beer bottle is all.
[VOICE ON PA.]
Dr.
Arcane, you have a phone call holding.
Please come to reception.
I don't think I've seen Maria smile like that in months.
- I I should go.
I - Abby.
I'll see you tonight? Maybe.
You wanna tell me what all went down? We don't know.
One minute, Todd's washing pans, - the next - He's yellin' about a snake.
Puts his hand in the disposal.
What could make a man do something like that? Liz, you okay? We're all in one piece but pretty far from okay.
I'll be in touch.
ABBY: What can I do to help? Explain to me how a kid I've known since he was in diapers could go ballistic and cut himself up in my dad's kitchen.
Liz, there are Don't tell me it doesn't have something to do with that bullshit coming off the water.
You think he brought something back from the swamp? That's why I called you.
Todd was out there.
This green flu kicks up.
Your scientist friend coming back from the dead? Yes, but that doesn't mean that can be a strain I mean, we can be looking at a neurotoxin, a round-worm, there are a lot of other That can make him tear himself up like that? Oh, not again.
[LAUGHTER.]
WOMAN: No! No! Pops? WOMAN: No! Pops, what's going on? Hello? THUG: Where's the money? [STARTLED YELP.]
Oh, God.
[WHISPERING VOICE.]
Liz? Oh, no.
Mama! THUG 2: Get him.
- [CRYING.]
- THUG: Kill him! - THUG: Get the money! - [SCREAMS.]
THUG: Where's the money? Get away from me! THUG: Kill the Mom.
Get back! - ABBY: Liz! Liz! - [DELROY SCREAMS.]
Delroy, put the gun down! General.
Pops, what're you doing? There's nobody here! - THUG: Kill them all.
- You bastards! Get back! Get back! THUG: You are dead, kid.
[SHOTGUN FIRES.]
- ABBY: Delroy, put the gun down! - [GUN COCKS.]
[THUG MUTTERING INDISTINCT THREATS.]
Get back! Get back! Get away from me! [SHOOTS.]
[THUG LAUGHING.]
Get back! Get away from her! I see you, goddamn it! [SHOOTS.]
- Delroy! - [GUN COCKS.]
LIZ: What are you doing? Stop! Get away! Come on! Delroy, put the gun down.
Get away from me! There's nothing here! Put the gun down! There's no one here.
Lizzy, if he doesn't put the gun down Lucilia, no! Wait! Stop! - LIZ: Wait! Just wait! - [EMPTY GUN CLICKING.]
THUG: I'll come back and kill you.
[BOTH GRUNTING.]
No! No! Pops! [DELROY GRUNTING.]
LIZ: Stop! ABBY: Liz.
DELROY: I can't let them hurt her! - [DELROY GROANS.]
- ABBY: You're okay.
- [PANTING.]
- ABBY: You're okay.
Son of a bitch.
Delroy.
This is Sheriff Cable.
I need another ambulance at my location.
Abby, what the hell is going on? AVERY: Always liked that blue number.
It's a party.
Not a fire drill, Maria.
Participation is not mandatory.
I'm sorry, I just keep thinking about that little girl Susie and how she lost her father in the swamp.
Yeah.
Worst part's still ahead.
You know, I was just a little older than her when my old man passed.
Seeing that little girl, knowing what her life's gonna be like without her folks It all came back.
How the swamp took my old man.
The hard years after.
MARIA: You did all right for yourself, Avery.
You know, you lose your father when you're young, you spend your whole life trying to measure up and mostly comin' up short.
So I mean, today brought up some old baggage for me, I guess.
[CHUCKLES.]
Can you zip me up? Glad to.
And uh I'm so sorry Abby has kicked up these ugly memories for you, honey.
That's very sweet of you, Avery.
DELROY: Lizzy? I'm here.
[GROANS SOFTLY.]
Tell me I didn't hurt anyone.
The walls and windows need some love, but the people are all fine.
Do you remember what happened right before? All of a sudden, the place got dark.
Like I was stepping into a living nightmare.
It was the break-in again, sweetie.
Break-in at the Roadhouse? When I was 12, masked men broke in.
- [WOMAN SCREAMING.]
- [EVIL LAUGHTER.]
Grandma stood up to them.
So they killed her right there.
Never found out who did it.
Had nightmares for years but never nothin' like this.
Not while I was awake.
Todd told you he was in the water last night.
Did he tell you where? Pokin' around Ochee Forks.
Something must've happened because he said he was never goin' back.
Okay.
Get some rest.
All right.
What are you thinking? Alec told me that he could sense this danger in the swamp.
I mean, one thing that was drilled into us from med school on, is stick to science.
In the end, that's what's gonna give you answers.
But what's going on here is What are you gonna do? I'm gonna go try and find the source.
This thing, whatever it is, is being transmitted from person-to-person.
So, it's gotta come from somewhere.
[BRANCHES CREAKING.]
[BRANCHES CREAKING.]
- ABBY: Alec? - [RUSTLING.]
Alec? - [BRANCHES CREAKING.]
- [GASPS.]
Alec, is that you? Oh, my God! Jesus.
[PHONE CAMERA CLICKING.]
SWAMP THING: You shouldn't have come.
[ABBY GASPS.]
Alec.
How did you know I was here? I felt it.
There's a darkness here.
- A darkness? - Yes.
Is it connected to this body? It was.
But it's been released.
Two men came here last night and one of them was driven to take his life because of fear.
The same thing could've happened to him.
He died afraid.
Ancient viruses have been found lying dormant in mummified tissue.
It isn't a disease.
The swamp, it changes things.
If the organism that came from his body has been in the swamp for years, then it could still be out there.
The darkness always seeks a new host.
Another victim.
Another host.
Todd scratched Delroy, and Delroy Oh, my God.
Lucilia could be infected.
I'm sorry.
Look, I have to get back to Marais.
Abby.
This thing belongs here in the swamp.
AVERY: Everybody ready to have a good time? - [ALL CHEERING.]
- [COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
How'd I do? Oh, you're always good at reminding people all you've done for them.
Always nice to let people know who's buttering the bread, or the crawfish as the case may be.
What's Susie Coyle doing here? Oh, I thought she might enjoy it.
Her uncle's been having a hard time, and I said we might take little Susie for a night or a couple of days.
- AVERY: I know I should've - No, no, it sounds good.
Hello.
Hello, Susie.
I see you've met Nadine.
Why don't we grab some food? I've got a room over there.
We'll all get acquainted.
- What do you say, little Susie? - Yeah.
- Okay.
- [ALL LAUGH.]
Daniel.
How did you know it was me? What is it you want? Have you seen anything more? About my mission, whatever it is? I've been busy.
Come on, Ms.
X.
You just try, maybe you get a hint.
The truth is, Daniel, the cards aren't clear right now.
Not just about you.
About the future of this entire town.
What? Are you saying you lost your gift? All I know now is a storm is coming, Daniel.
Something big.
Something that will affect the destiny of this entire town, and everyone in it.
Something terrible is coming.
And this is when my cards change? Eight years ago, when you'd first come to Marais, you told me you'd made a bargain.
One that bound you to this town until called upon.
Right.
When the shit comes down, whatever it is, you're gonna be here to help, right? If I can.
But you've been called to a destiny.
Every hero's path is theirs to walk alone.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I couldn't believe your call.
You think Lucilia's next? I saw Delroy scratch her.
And that's how it's transmitted, Liz, from one infected person to the next through blood.
It's It's nothing like I've ever seen before.
I Did the name on that key mean anything? The Echo did a retrospective on 1930's Marais a while back.
The Hotel Esperos was a local boarding house.
And some very strange shit went down there.
What? The first incident was a World War I vet.
They found him on his boat raving about dirt caving in on him, like he was back in the trenches.
Like his own personal nightmare.
After he came back to the hotel, locals reported hearing screams and seeing strange behavior.
But it was spreading so fast the authorities had no clue what to do.
So he must've passed it on to someone else, and then it just went from person to person.
When did it stop? The last victim just flipped out and vanished.
Weeks later, they found his boat drifting near Ochee Forks.
I wonder if he knew he had the infection.
So he went to the swamp and killed himself so he wouldn't pass it on to anyone else.
Until Todd came along.
[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
You working the room, Ma? [DISTORTED.]
Why can't you ever just enjoy yourself, hmm? That's the reason why.
MATT: I'll take care of it.
Hey! Knock it off! BOY: Get in there.
[SCREAMS.]
Matt! BOY: Fuck him up.
Matt! - [CRIES.]
Matty! No! - [COUGHS.]
10-33, officer down! I need an ambulance! Oh, baby don't! No! Mama says no! Matty! Look at me.
Look at me.
Matty! Open your eyes! No! Matty! Matty, stay with me.
Matty! Lucilia! LUCILIA: Stay back! - Stay back! - [CROWD SCREAMS.]
- Lucilia! - Stay back! - Stay away! - Lucilia! It's okay.
- Stay back! - Lucilia! Listen to me! Stay back! I will blast that fucking smile right off your fucking face! It's not real.
It's not real! - Stay back! - Lucilia! ABBY: Matty is okay.
Lucilia, look at me! Look at me! This is not real! - Get away! - This is not real! You're sick.
You have to come with me.
- No! Get off of me! - Lucilia! You have to come with me! - Get off of me! - You have to come with me! Lucilia! - Lucilia! - [GRUNTS.]
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
- Hey.
- [PANTING.]
Matty.
Matty MATT: It's me.
It's okay.
- CASSIDY: Come on, Doc, we gotta get out of here.
- No, no! - I tried to stop him.
- I'm right here.
- Baby.
- Matt Matt! Get her to the hospital.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Come on.
LIZ: Abby! Liz! Don't touch me! It's in me.
That thing is in me.
I have to take it back to the swamp.
Alec? Alec! Alec? Alec? [STARTLING NOISE.]
[MAN WITH NO FACE HISSING.]
Abby I've been waiting.
Your mommy tried to take you from me, but I'm still in your dreams.
You thought they ended when she died.
[CRIES OUT.]
That I was gone forever! - [SCREAMS.]
- But you are still just a scared little girl, trying to hide from your past.
Don't fight it! - [SCREAMING.]
- Your mother wants to see you.
You wanted to understand the darkness.
I'll show you! [CHOKES.]
[STRANGLED SOB.]
[GASPING.]
[CHOKING.]
SWAMP THING: Abby! [GASPING.]
SWAMP THING: Abby! SWAMP THING: Let me take this from you.
[PANTING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[GROANS IN PAIN.]
ABBY: Alec! Alec! Alec What are you doing? [ALEC CRIES OUT.]
[BRANCHES CREAKING.]
SWAMP THING: He died to protect the ones he loved.
The darkness was never meant to leave him.
He took it back.
And now this place has taken him.
I don't understand.
How do you know all of this? The plants, the trees I think they're talking to me.
Maria, I just got off the phone.
Seems our sheriff came down with a bad case of food poisoning.
- High fever.
- Mmm.
She went off with Matt.
To have the doctors take a look.
She seems happy here.
[AVERY EXHALES.]
AVERY: It'd be nice to have a child in the house again, huh? You know I was thinking Her uncle and his wife already have four kids of their own.
Taking another one on would stretch them pretty thin.
You're thinking she should stay here? I could ask.
I just hope to God she's okay.
You know, the CDC raced out of here pretty quick in my opinion.
- Well, if I had - They left Abby.
Clearly they don't understand this green flu.
That's why I'm keeping Dr.
Woodrue on the payroll.
He's the only person who could find a real cure for this thing, make sure she's okay.
Oh, what I mean I'm sure that she is gonna be fine.
LEE: How's Susie? AVERY: What do you care, Coyle? It's made out to cash.
Better take it to a big bank in the city.
So what's this really about, Sunderland? Buying a kid like this? You don't love that little girl.
You know those commercials that they run asking for donations, to help some poor starving child overseas? There's a reason they don't put those on the radio.
See, if you want people to pony up, they have to see those sad, sick orphans, in order to open their checkbooks.
And Dr.
Woodrue is gonna get everything he needs to make sure little Susie is all right.
Hey, you have a good night, Lee.
Don't spend it all in a bar.
ABBY: I'm not giving up on you.
I'm going to find an answer.
The darkness made you afraid.
What did you see? I saw something I thought I'd forgotten.
When I was a little girl, I would wake up crying almost every night, scared that this, uh This faceless monster was gonna come and tear me away from my mother.
When she died, the nightmares stopped.
But when I was little, it was, uh it was very real.
I'm a doctor, Alec.
You are a biologist.
I Tell me how any of this makes sense.
It doesn't.
Not in any way that we used to understand.
So this darkness Where does it come from? The swamp's been polluted.
Poisoned.
And when the balance shifts, life suffers, - and darkness finds release - bringing death.
Yes.
How am I seeing these things? I don't know who I am anymore, Abby.
You're Alec Holland.
You're my friend.
I'm scared for you, Abby.
This is only the beginning.
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING.]
He's come down with the disease.
I need to get into Holland's lab and figure out what he was working on.
With any luck, it'll point me towards a cure.
DANIEL: Come on, Xanadu.
Break out those cards.
Give me one more reading.
XANADU: Eight years since you've come to Marais, and your cards never change.
This time they're reversed.
Is that good? Did someone new come into your life? Abby Arcane.
Do you think she's the one I'm supposed to be waiting for? Dr.
Woodrue, he just needs one more tranche of funding.
You need more of my family's money.
The answer is no.
AVERY: What are you doing, Maria? You're not cutting me off! I don't understand this disease and why it's fighting us.
SWAMP THING: Not fighting.
Fighting back.
The antibiotics are just making things worse.
Doctor, the BP is dropping.
I know you've been making off-the-books loans to Avery Sunderland.
I don't know what you think you've got, but it's complete and utter bullshit.
You gotta cover for that missing money.
You're gonna keep your goddamn mouth shut.
Or I could just talk to the press and tell them what I know about you and the Conclave.
- You son of a bitch! - [YELLS.]
[DOOR SHUTS.]
What are you waiting for? Shank him! Damn it, Avery! Get your ass over here! [GATOR GROWLS.]
Now open this bitch up! BURRITT: Come on, son! YOUNG AVERY: I can't.
I can't.
I know you can.
Look at its eyes.
Dead eyes.
Swamp eyes.
Not worth a second of mercy.
[BURRITT'S VOICE ECHOES.]
A second of mercy.
- Come on, son! - [GATOR GROWLS.]
Come on! [SIGHS.]
Worthless [GRUNTS.]
TODD: Hey, you don't think there's, uh, snakes up there, do you? There's snakes everywhere, kid.
Had one yelling at me yesterday.
About a house payment.
In there.
You see 'em? Behind the cottonwoods.
TODD: This is sweet.
You know how hard it is to find a stand of cypress that big timber hadn't pissed over first? [CHUCKLES.]
You gotta wait till you get 50 yards in.
[BRANCH BREAKS.]
We'll, uh We'll cut through this little shit, and, uh, make a path.
[CHAINSAW REVS.]
[CHAINSAW BUZZING.]
What the hell? - [CHAINSAW CONTINUES BUZZING.]
- Hey! Hey! Stop! Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop! [BRANCH SNAPS.]
[SCREAMING.]
TODD: It cut me! It's a fucking corpse! Let's get back to the boat! Come on! That way! [THEME MUSIC PLAYING.]
Swamp Thing 1x04 Darkness on the Edge of Town [UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
Sorry I'm late.
I got caught up on the water last night.
Butler dragging you around Ochee Forks again? TODD: Yeah.
DELROY: That place is nowhere to be after dark.
Don't worry.
I'm never going back there again.
[SIGHS.]
Ugh.
This damn cut! [GASPS.]
What's wrong? I saw something.
It was moving.
I don't see anything movin'.
Especially not those pots and pans, if you catch my drift.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Mmm-hmm.
DELROY: Liz, you got those cleaning supplies sorted? LIZ: Almost, Pops.
It bit me! It bit me! It bit me! - LIZ: Todd, what's going on? - [SNAKE RATTLING.]
[GASPING.]
- LIZ: Todd! - It's a goddamn snake! Hey! Todd! Todd! Hey! LIZ: Todd! What snake? - Todd.
- [SCREAMS.]
DELROY: Todd, stop, there's nothing there.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - Hey! - DELROY: Todd! - Get it off me! - Get it off me! - LIZ: Drop the knife! - [SCREAMS.]
Get it off me! - LIZ: Todd! No! [PANICKING GASPS.]
Back! Get back! LIZ: There's no snake! DELROY: Hey, hey! Todd! No! [SCREAMS IN PAIN.]
- [WHIMPERING.]
- [SNAKE RATTLES.]
DELROY: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! [TODD SCREAMING.]
[SCREAMING.]
LIZ: What did you do? - LIZ: Todd.
- [PANTING.]
Talk to me.
God LIZ: No, no, no, no, no.
Stay with me.
Hey.
- DELROY: Todd.
- LIZ: Hey, hey, hey.
Stay with me.
ABBY: Alec! I'm here to help you! I'm not leaving you here alone! Alec! Alec? Alec, is that you? [BRANCHES CREAKING.]
I want us to figure this out, Alec But we have to do it together.
[SIGHS.]
Can I have a tissue sample? Please? [BRANCHES CREAKING.]
Thank you.
Tell me what I've become.
Whatever you find.
I will.
Be careful coming back.
There's danger here.
[WHISPERS.]
What is happening to you, Alec? [DOOR OPENS.]
[SCOFFS.]
You've made a mistake in your data.
Excuse me? These numbers.
They can only refer to the thickness of a cell wall, which means you're describing a plant.
But the cell circumferences are round and irregular, more suited to something with mobility.
So it's either a plant, or an animal.
Now pick one.
And what if I told you my entries are accurate? Well, the last ten million years of biology would disagree with you.
As would I.
[WOODRUE SIGHS.]
Would you, uh Would you like me to take a look? Sure.
Well, this is This is plant tissue, but it's organized like animal tissue.
It fits no known phylum.
I assume that you, uh found this in the swamp? What are you, um, planning to do with it? Well, a full analysis.
I need to identify the chromosomal makeup, the genetic markers - Yeah.
- What? What? How extensive is your knowledge of bio-genetics? Botany? Well, you know, I'm an infectious diseases specialist.
Which is why you should allow me to analyze this sample, that's if you actually wanna know what it is.
Dr.
Arcane If I forced you to study my CV I know who you are, Dr.
Woodrue.
And I know that you're working for Avery Sunderland.
But what possible difference could that make? If I agree to this, I expect confidentiality and full transparency, whatever you find, you bring to me first.
I need to understand exactly what we're dealing with before I share these results with the rest of the world.
Why would I give a damn about the rest of the world? Excuse me.
Mr.
Cassidy.
Do you have a second job? Oh, no.
I just brought in some stuff for the kids.
They get a charge when the Blue Devil makes the rounds.
Huh.
That's kind of you.
Dr.
Arcane.
Have we met before? Before Marais, I mean.
I don't mean to sound weird, it's just I I don't know, I got this feeling, you know? Like - Déjà vu.
- Yeah.
- Déjà vu.
- Yeah, I don't I don't think so.
I'm pretty sure I would've remembered you.
- Anyway, I have to get inside.
- Right.
Sure.
So I'm supposed to be helping her, right? Right? Why am I asking balloons? Shit.
Shit.
I'm so happy you're feeling better.
You remember everything, huh? SUSIE: I can still see him in my head.
I'm scared for him.
And for you.
Don't be.
Okay? AVERY: Excuse me, everybody.
Maria and I are so happy that you're all feelin' better.
To celebrate the good news, we are inviting everyone who is able, to Marais Town Hall tonight, for an old-style crawfish boil.
- [ALL APPLAUDING.]
- MAN: All right! So you can invite your friends, you invite your family.
Hell, bring a stranger.
We'll kick off at sunset.
It's time to bust off the dust, and get this town movin' again.
[ALL APPLAUDING.]
- I'll be right back.
- Right.
Okay, sweetie, let's put this away.
Is this the little girl that was lost in the swamp? Yes.
Susie Coyle.
Susie, this is Mrs.
Sunderland.
I'm sure you have things to do.
Why don't you go on and I'll sit with her.
- Is it okay? - Yeah.
All right.
Oh.
What have you got there? I drew him more.
Oh, show me.
Oh, hey, Abby.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Good to see you, but I'm surprised.
I thought that the CDC had packed up tent.
Yeah.
Well, we're out of crisis mode.
But, uh, not ready to declare "mission accomplished" yet, so I see.
Is that little girl, she's waiting for Lee Coyle? Yeah, he should be here by now.
[CHUCKLES.]
Well, ol' Lee is not exactly a model citizen.
Well, should I be worried? Man knows his way around a beer bottle is all.
[VOICE ON PA.]
Dr.
Arcane, you have a phone call holding.
Please come to reception.
I don't think I've seen Maria smile like that in months.
- I I should go.
I - Abby.
I'll see you tonight? Maybe.
You wanna tell me what all went down? We don't know.
One minute, Todd's washing pans, - the next - He's yellin' about a snake.
Puts his hand in the disposal.
What could make a man do something like that? Liz, you okay? We're all in one piece but pretty far from okay.
I'll be in touch.
ABBY: What can I do to help? Explain to me how a kid I've known since he was in diapers could go ballistic and cut himself up in my dad's kitchen.
Liz, there are Don't tell me it doesn't have something to do with that bullshit coming off the water.
You think he brought something back from the swamp? That's why I called you.
Todd was out there.
This green flu kicks up.
Your scientist friend coming back from the dead? Yes, but that doesn't mean that can be a strain I mean, we can be looking at a neurotoxin, a round-worm, there are a lot of other That can make him tear himself up like that? Oh, not again.
[LAUGHTER.]
WOMAN: No! No! Pops? WOMAN: No! Pops, what's going on? Hello? THUG: Where's the money? [STARTLED YELP.]
Oh, God.
[WHISPERING VOICE.]
Liz? Oh, no.
Mama! THUG 2: Get him.
- [CRYING.]
- THUG: Kill him! - THUG: Get the money! - [SCREAMS.]
THUG: Where's the money? Get away from me! THUG: Kill the Mom.
Get back! - ABBY: Liz! Liz! - [DELROY SCREAMS.]
Delroy, put the gun down! General.
Pops, what're you doing? There's nobody here! - THUG: Kill them all.
- You bastards! Get back! Get back! THUG: You are dead, kid.
[SHOTGUN FIRES.]
- ABBY: Delroy, put the gun down! - [GUN COCKS.]
[THUG MUTTERING INDISTINCT THREATS.]
Get back! Get back! Get away from me! [SHOOTS.]
[THUG LAUGHING.]
Get back! Get away from her! I see you, goddamn it! [SHOOTS.]
- Delroy! - [GUN COCKS.]
LIZ: What are you doing? Stop! Get away! Come on! Delroy, put the gun down.
Get away from me! There's nothing here! Put the gun down! There's no one here.
Lizzy, if he doesn't put the gun down Lucilia, no! Wait! Stop! - LIZ: Wait! Just wait! - [EMPTY GUN CLICKING.]
THUG: I'll come back and kill you.
[BOTH GRUNTING.]
No! No! Pops! [DELROY GRUNTING.]
LIZ: Stop! ABBY: Liz.
DELROY: I can't let them hurt her! - [DELROY GROANS.]
- ABBY: You're okay.
- [PANTING.]
- ABBY: You're okay.
Son of a bitch.
Delroy.
This is Sheriff Cable.
I need another ambulance at my location.
Abby, what the hell is going on? AVERY: Always liked that blue number.
It's a party.
Not a fire drill, Maria.
Participation is not mandatory.
I'm sorry, I just keep thinking about that little girl Susie and how she lost her father in the swamp.
Yeah.
Worst part's still ahead.
You know, I was just a little older than her when my old man passed.
Seeing that little girl, knowing what her life's gonna be like without her folks It all came back.
How the swamp took my old man.
The hard years after.
MARIA: You did all right for yourself, Avery.
You know, you lose your father when you're young, you spend your whole life trying to measure up and mostly comin' up short.
So I mean, today brought up some old baggage for me, I guess.
[CHUCKLES.]
Can you zip me up? Glad to.
And uh I'm so sorry Abby has kicked up these ugly memories for you, honey.
That's very sweet of you, Avery.
DELROY: Lizzy? I'm here.
[GROANS SOFTLY.]
Tell me I didn't hurt anyone.
The walls and windows need some love, but the people are all fine.
Do you remember what happened right before? All of a sudden, the place got dark.
Like I was stepping into a living nightmare.
It was the break-in again, sweetie.
Break-in at the Roadhouse? When I was 12, masked men broke in.
- [WOMAN SCREAMING.]
- [EVIL LAUGHTER.]
Grandma stood up to them.
So they killed her right there.
Never found out who did it.
Had nightmares for years but never nothin' like this.
Not while I was awake.
Todd told you he was in the water last night.
Did he tell you where? Pokin' around Ochee Forks.
Something must've happened because he said he was never goin' back.
Okay.
Get some rest.
All right.
What are you thinking? Alec told me that he could sense this danger in the swamp.
I mean, one thing that was drilled into us from med school on, is stick to science.
In the end, that's what's gonna give you answers.
But what's going on here is What are you gonna do? I'm gonna go try and find the source.
This thing, whatever it is, is being transmitted from person-to-person.
So, it's gotta come from somewhere.
[BRANCHES CREAKING.]
[BRANCHES CREAKING.]
- ABBY: Alec? - [RUSTLING.]
Alec? - [BRANCHES CREAKING.]
- [GASPS.]
Alec, is that you? Oh, my God! Jesus.
[PHONE CAMERA CLICKING.]
SWAMP THING: You shouldn't have come.
[ABBY GASPS.]
Alec.
How did you know I was here? I felt it.
There's a darkness here.
- A darkness? - Yes.
Is it connected to this body? It was.
But it's been released.
Two men came here last night and one of them was driven to take his life because of fear.
The same thing could've happened to him.
He died afraid.
Ancient viruses have been found lying dormant in mummified tissue.
It isn't a disease.
The swamp, it changes things.
If the organism that came from his body has been in the swamp for years, then it could still be out there.
The darkness always seeks a new host.
Another victim.
Another host.
Todd scratched Delroy, and Delroy Oh, my God.
Lucilia could be infected.
I'm sorry.
Look, I have to get back to Marais.
Abby.
This thing belongs here in the swamp.
AVERY: Everybody ready to have a good time? - [ALL CHEERING.]
- [COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
How'd I do? Oh, you're always good at reminding people all you've done for them.
Always nice to let people know who's buttering the bread, or the crawfish as the case may be.
What's Susie Coyle doing here? Oh, I thought she might enjoy it.
Her uncle's been having a hard time, and I said we might take little Susie for a night or a couple of days.
- AVERY: I know I should've - No, no, it sounds good.
Hello.
Hello, Susie.
I see you've met Nadine.
Why don't we grab some food? I've got a room over there.
We'll all get acquainted.
- What do you say, little Susie? - Yeah.
- Okay.
- [ALL LAUGH.]
Daniel.
How did you know it was me? What is it you want? Have you seen anything more? About my mission, whatever it is? I've been busy.
Come on, Ms.
X.
You just try, maybe you get a hint.
The truth is, Daniel, the cards aren't clear right now.
Not just about you.
About the future of this entire town.
What? Are you saying you lost your gift? All I know now is a storm is coming, Daniel.
Something big.
Something that will affect the destiny of this entire town, and everyone in it.
Something terrible is coming.
And this is when my cards change? Eight years ago, when you'd first come to Marais, you told me you'd made a bargain.
One that bound you to this town until called upon.
Right.
When the shit comes down, whatever it is, you're gonna be here to help, right? If I can.
But you've been called to a destiny.
Every hero's path is theirs to walk alone.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I couldn't believe your call.
You think Lucilia's next? I saw Delroy scratch her.
And that's how it's transmitted, Liz, from one infected person to the next through blood.
It's It's nothing like I've ever seen before.
I Did the name on that key mean anything? The Echo did a retrospective on 1930's Marais a while back.
The Hotel Esperos was a local boarding house.
And some very strange shit went down there.
What? The first incident was a World War I vet.
They found him on his boat raving about dirt caving in on him, like he was back in the trenches.
Like his own personal nightmare.
After he came back to the hotel, locals reported hearing screams and seeing strange behavior.
But it was spreading so fast the authorities had no clue what to do.
So he must've passed it on to someone else, and then it just went from person to person.
When did it stop? The last victim just flipped out and vanished.
Weeks later, they found his boat drifting near Ochee Forks.
I wonder if he knew he had the infection.
So he went to the swamp and killed himself so he wouldn't pass it on to anyone else.
Until Todd came along.
[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING.]
You working the room, Ma? [DISTORTED.]
Why can't you ever just enjoy yourself, hmm? That's the reason why.
MATT: I'll take care of it.
Hey! Knock it off! BOY: Get in there.
[SCREAMS.]
Matt! BOY: Fuck him up.
Matt! - [CRIES.]
Matty! No! - [COUGHS.]
10-33, officer down! I need an ambulance! Oh, baby don't! No! Mama says no! Matty! Look at me.
Look at me.
Matty! Open your eyes! No! Matty! Matty, stay with me.
Matty! Lucilia! LUCILIA: Stay back! - Stay back! - [CROWD SCREAMS.]
- Lucilia! - Stay back! - Stay away! - Lucilia! It's okay.
- Stay back! - Lucilia! Listen to me! Stay back! I will blast that fucking smile right off your fucking face! It's not real.
It's not real! - Stay back! - Lucilia! ABBY: Matty is okay.
Lucilia, look at me! Look at me! This is not real! - Get away! - This is not real! You're sick.
You have to come with me.
- No! Get off of me! - Lucilia! You have to come with me! - Get off of me! - You have to come with me! Lucilia! - Lucilia! - [GRUNTS.]
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
- Hey.
- [PANTING.]
Matty.
Matty MATT: It's me.
It's okay.
- CASSIDY: Come on, Doc, we gotta get out of here.
- No, no! - I tried to stop him.
- I'm right here.
- Baby.
- Matt Matt! Get her to the hospital.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Come on.
LIZ: Abby! Liz! Don't touch me! It's in me.
That thing is in me.
I have to take it back to the swamp.
Alec? Alec! Alec? Alec? [STARTLING NOISE.]
[MAN WITH NO FACE HISSING.]
Abby I've been waiting.
Your mommy tried to take you from me, but I'm still in your dreams.
You thought they ended when she died.
[CRIES OUT.]
That I was gone forever! - [SCREAMS.]
- But you are still just a scared little girl, trying to hide from your past.
Don't fight it! - [SCREAMING.]
- Your mother wants to see you.
You wanted to understand the darkness.
I'll show you! [CHOKES.]
[STRANGLED SOB.]
[GASPING.]
[CHOKING.]
SWAMP THING: Abby! [GASPING.]
SWAMP THING: Abby! SWAMP THING: Let me take this from you.
[PANTING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[GROANS IN PAIN.]
ABBY: Alec! Alec! Alec What are you doing? [ALEC CRIES OUT.]
[BRANCHES CREAKING.]
SWAMP THING: He died to protect the ones he loved.
The darkness was never meant to leave him.
He took it back.
And now this place has taken him.
I don't understand.
How do you know all of this? The plants, the trees I think they're talking to me.
Maria, I just got off the phone.
Seems our sheriff came down with a bad case of food poisoning.
- High fever.
- Mmm.
She went off with Matt.
To have the doctors take a look.
She seems happy here.
[AVERY EXHALES.]
AVERY: It'd be nice to have a child in the house again, huh? You know I was thinking Her uncle and his wife already have four kids of their own.
Taking another one on would stretch them pretty thin.
You're thinking she should stay here? I could ask.
I just hope to God she's okay.
You know, the CDC raced out of here pretty quick in my opinion.
- Well, if I had - They left Abby.
Clearly they don't understand this green flu.
That's why I'm keeping Dr.
Woodrue on the payroll.
He's the only person who could find a real cure for this thing, make sure she's okay.
Oh, what I mean I'm sure that she is gonna be fine.
LEE: How's Susie? AVERY: What do you care, Coyle? It's made out to cash.
Better take it to a big bank in the city.
So what's this really about, Sunderland? Buying a kid like this? You don't love that little girl.
You know those commercials that they run asking for donations, to help some poor starving child overseas? There's a reason they don't put those on the radio.
See, if you want people to pony up, they have to see those sad, sick orphans, in order to open their checkbooks.
And Dr.
Woodrue is gonna get everything he needs to make sure little Susie is all right.
Hey, you have a good night, Lee.
Don't spend it all in a bar.
ABBY: I'm not giving up on you.
I'm going to find an answer.
The darkness made you afraid.
What did you see? I saw something I thought I'd forgotten.
When I was a little girl, I would wake up crying almost every night, scared that this, uh This faceless monster was gonna come and tear me away from my mother.
When she died, the nightmares stopped.
But when I was little, it was, uh it was very real.
I'm a doctor, Alec.
You are a biologist.
I Tell me how any of this makes sense.
It doesn't.
Not in any way that we used to understand.
So this darkness Where does it come from? The swamp's been polluted.
Poisoned.
And when the balance shifts, life suffers, - and darkness finds release - bringing death.
Yes.
How am I seeing these things? I don't know who I am anymore, Abby.
You're Alec Holland.
You're my friend.
I'm scared for you, Abby.
This is only the beginning.
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING.]