Introduction
In episode 5 of Swarm, she was titled “Girl, Bye,” we see Dre desperately trying to repair her phone after Harris Jackson, Marissa’s dad, temporarily disabled her mobile number. Things get shady at the repair shop, and Dre is forced to leave. She then meets a former coworker of Marissa’s at the mall, talks about meeting Ni’Jah’s mother, and heads to the Jackson home. Once inside, she searches for some items and discovers a weapon in one of the closets. Things escalate quickly when the Jacksons return home.
The Plot
The episode begins with Dre entering a phone repair shop, where she watches a chat show concerning the iconic bite. However, Harris has temporarily disabled her mobile number, causing Dre to panic. She demands they repair her mobile and takes out some cash, but the cashier orders her to leave because things are getting too shady.
Later, Dre meets a former coworker of Marissa’s at the mall, where she talks about meeting Ni’Jah’s mother and getting along with her. She then adds that she met Ni’Jah over lunch and hugged her. Dre walks to the Jackson home and enters the house by climbing a ladder to one of the rooms.
Once inside, she searches for some items and discovers a weapon in one of the closets. After taking a shower, she settles in and sleeps. However, when the Jacksons return home, Dre appears unexpectedly and points a weapon at Mrs. Jackson, requesting that she turn on the phone. Harris appears out of nowhere, openly carrying a shotgun, and instructs Dre to drop the weapon.
Harris had lost his oldest daughter recently, and we learn that he also lost his young boy previously. He had been the one who ordered Dre to leave Marissa’s funeral after he had assigned her death to her. He starts verbally attacking Dre, accusing her of being responsible for Marissa’s passing. He then asks his wife to walk out of the room. Dre attempts to leave too, and Harris fires, missing her. Dre enters Marissa’s space and hears the bee buzzing once more. Harris proceeds to break the door down, but Dre hops out the window as he does so.
The episode ends with a hurt Dre walking down the sidewalk, yelling, “He tried to kill me,” as Harris sobs aloud, declaring that he never wishes to see her again.
The Review
Swarm has an indie film vibe with a highly natural and minimalistic aesthetic. Although violence is present, it is executed artistically, revealing only the necessary details to the viewer. The show’s unsettling narrative is interwoven with scenes that merge fantasy and actuality, making it an intriguing watch. For instance, when Dre tells a lie about hugging Ni’Jah, we can see that she believes the lie while telling it because tears are streaming down her cheeks. Overall, Swarm is a well-crafted show that engages the audience with its unique storyline and visual style.
