In honor of Women’s History Month, I thought it would be appropriate to cover the newest Amazon Prime original, Swarm. Twitter has been completely ablaze with discussions, memes, and critiques of Donald Glover’s (Childish Gambino’s) psychological horror TV Show. I watched all 7 episodes over the weekend, and when I tell you: you are not ready. I truly do mean it.
Swarm tells the story of a woman named Dre who is obsessed with the R&B sensation known as Ni’Jah. She’s so deeply obsessed that anyone that opposes Ni’Jah, online or in person, immediately becomes a target. The show is a parody of the real-life experiences of stans, specifically the Beyhive. Yes, you guessed it. Ni’Jah is an allusion to the great Beyonce Knowles. I do warn you that the content of this show is not for the faint of heart or for younger audiences, as there is some explicit language, nudity, mentions and visuals of triggering topics, and of course, murder. Also, you probably shouldn’t watch this around your parents or without headphones because… It has an absurd opening scene that’s not very “safe for work”. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m not responsible for any chancla or belt that may be used against you if you don’t heed it.
Major spoilers ahead.
When I decided to watch Swarm on a whim, I did not expect the show to be as intense as it was, and especially not so fast-paced. To find out Chloe Bailey was in the show, just for her to kick the bucket in the same episode: insane. Especially as she was hyped up to be an important character, given she plays Dre’s step-sister and only friend Marissa.
That’s a common theme throughout this show. You’ll be introduced to a character, but don’t get attached to them cause they’re probably going to be dead by the end of the episode. If I wanted to get deep and philosophical about it, I could say it’s to represent the transience of life and how people come and go, but that would be a cop-out. I’m thinking Glover was just trying to maintain shock value and provide entertainment, and he did. Dre’s descent into madness after the death of Marissa comes completely out of left field, dragging us screaming to the kills.
Swarm isn’t afraid of killing characters, especially in creative ways. From a sledgehammer to a kettlebell to a frying pan, Dre is going to find a way to kill off anyone that doesn’t like Ni’Jah. She even adopts a catchy phrase, one that’s recently became a new Stan Twitter meme: “Who’s your favorite artist?” I can safely say this show has done its research on what makes a protagonist memorable. A lot of credit is due to the entire cast, but Dominique Fishback’s portrayal of Dre is extremely awkward and so downright creepy that I was going between feelings of fear and cringe. You ever had to walk around the house after seeing something incredibly off-putting, so you can take some time for yourself? I did so at least three times an episode because of how uncomfortable Dominique’s acting is. I could write an entire essay on how great she did, but I’ll save it for another time.
Another thing I loved about Swarm was how up-to-date it was with humor and pop culture. From referencing the whole “Who bit Beyonce” incident to Paris Jackson’s character going under the nickname Halsey because of her “Black” heritage, Swarm is going to find a way to get a chuckle out of you. There are so many fun easter eggs and references that I’m definitely going to rewatch so I can catch them all. Although, I will say this: if you’re not up to speed on Stan Twitter and Pop Culture, you may not get most of the jokes. Swarm does have a target audience, after all.
My favorite episode has to be Episode 6, which is an episode that doesn’t even include Dre. I really don’t want to spoil this one, so I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about. Just know it’s a completely different speed and vibe from the rest of the episodes, and most definitely a standout because of the twist at the end. And there’s literally an episode about Billie Eilish running a cult. That episode was outstanding by the way: Billie came to serve looks and talent, and she delivered!
I guess what I’m trying to say is that Swarm is really good. It addresses so much in so little time while keeping everything authentic. It certainly deserves a binge-watch. And Ms. Fishback deserves an Emmy. I simply refuse to watch her get robbed this year. I was entranced with this show from beginning to end, and I’m still trying to figure out the final scene’s meaning. Will we get a season two? I can only hope. I’d love to see what Dre does next, now that she’s finally met Ni’Jah. I’ll let you decipher what that means for yourself.
So… Who’s your favorite artist?
Swarm tells the story of a woman named Dre who is obsessed with the R&B sensation known as Ni’Jah. She’s so deeply obsessed that anyone that opposes Ni’Jah, online or in person, immediately becomes a target. The show is a parody of the real-life experiences of stans, specifically the Beyhive. Yes, you guessed it. Ni’Jah is an allusion to the great Beyonce Knowles. I do warn you that the content of this show is not for the faint of heart or for younger audiences, as there is some explicit language, nudity, mentions and visuals of triggering topics, and of course, murder. Also, you probably shouldn’t watch this around your parents or without headphones because… It has an absurd opening scene that’s not very “safe for work”. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m not responsible for any chancla or belt that may be used against you if you don’t heed it.
Major spoilers ahead.
When I decided to watch Swarm on a whim, I did not expect the show to be as intense as it was, and especially not so fast-paced. To find out Chloe Bailey was in the show, just for her to kick the bucket in the same episode: insane. Especially as she was hyped up to be an important character, given she plays Dre’s step-sister and only friend Marissa.
That’s a common theme throughout this show. You’ll be introduced to a character, but don’t get attached to them cause they’re probably going to be dead by the end of the episode. If I wanted to get deep and philosophical about it, I could say it’s to represent the transience of life and how people come and go, but that would be a cop-out. I’m thinking Glover was just trying to maintain shock value and provide entertainment, and he did. Dre’s descent into madness after the death of Marissa comes completely out of left field, dragging us screaming to the kills.
Swarm isn’t afraid of killing characters, especially in creative ways. From a sledgehammer to a kettlebell to a frying pan, Dre is going to find a way to kill off anyone that doesn’t like Ni’Jah. She even adopts a catchy phrase, one that’s recently became a new Stan Twitter meme: “Who’s your favorite artist?” I can safely say this show has done its research on what makes a protagonist memorable. A lot of credit is due to the entire cast, but Dominique Fishback’s portrayal of Dre is extremely awkward and so downright creepy that I was going between feelings of fear and cringe. You ever had to walk around the house after seeing something incredibly off-putting, so you can take some time for yourself? I did so at least three times an episode because of how uncomfortable Dominique’s acting is. I could write an entire essay on how great she did, but I’ll save it for another time.
Another thing I loved about Swarm was how up-to-date it was with humor and pop culture. From referencing the whole “Who bit Beyonce” incident to Paris Jackson’s character going under the nickname Halsey because of her “Black” heritage, Swarm is going to find a way to get a chuckle out of you. There are so many fun easter eggs and references that I’m definitely going to rewatch so I can catch them all. Although, I will say this: if you’re not up to speed on Stan Twitter and Pop Culture, you may not get most of the jokes. Swarm does have a target audience, after all.
My favorite episode has to be Episode 6, which is an episode that doesn’t even include Dre. I really don’t want to spoil this one, so I’m not even going to tell you what it’s about. Just know it’s a completely different speed and vibe from the rest of the episodes, and most definitely a standout because of the twist at the end. And there’s literally an episode about Billie Eilish running a cult. That episode was outstanding by the way: Billie came to serve looks and talent, and she delivered!
I guess what I’m trying to say is that Swarm is really good. It addresses so much in so little time while keeping everything authentic. It certainly deserves a binge-watch. And Ms. Fishback deserves an Emmy. I simply refuse to watch her get robbed this year. I was entranced with this show from beginning to end, and I’m still trying to figure out the final scene’s meaning. Will we get a season two? I can only hope. I’d love to see what Dre does next, now that she’s finally met Ni’Jah. I’ll let you decipher what that means for yourself.
So… Who’s your favorite artist?
