Swamp Thing Episode 5 sees the arrival of Phantom Stranger to the swamps of Marais. He comes to Alec by boat, asking questions to help Alec better understand his transformation into the Swamp Thing. The Stranger tells Alec that if you listen, you can hear the trees telling their stories collected from over the centuries. Alec mentions having seen ghosts in the swamp, but the Stranger corrects him. These aren’t ghosts, but the memories of the trees and the Green that connects him. Alec reaches out to a cypress tree and witnesses the day that Shawna drowned in the swamp. The Stranger says that it’s a warning — someone that Alec knows is in danger from their past.
Secrets & Lies
Maria calls Avery and tells him that she is glad that he brought Susie into their lives and their home. Avery says that he is out of town on business, but he has rented a motel room for the night to shack up with the sheriff. While the two are together, Liz calls and leaves a number of messages for the sheriff about the piece of Alec’s boat that her girlfriend found in the swamp. Avery pays a visit to Delroy’s and threatens Liz to leave well enough alone. Liz says that there might have been a time when Avery was untouchable, but no longer.
The sheriff pays a visit to Remy, the man working the docks the night Alec was killed. Remy says that he saw the only other boat that went out that night. It was Matt who took Avery’s boat out and blew up Alec’s boat with dynamite. Remy pulls a gun on the sheriff and says he wants $50,000 to remain silent. The sheriff shoot and kills Remy, saying that no one threatens her son.
Danny closes down the video store, gets in his car, and speeds to the edge of town. He hopes that by saving Abby at the crawfish boil that he has done his duty and can leave town. Danny reaches out and as soon as his arm hits the border of town, it bursts into blue flames. He realizes that he mad a bad bargain and wonders whether he’ll ever get out of town.
Back at Delroy’s, Liz finds her tires slashed in the parking lot. A couple of guys in masks tell her to butt out of Avery’s business. Liz beats one of the attackers. Danny comes out to help her and the second attacker hits Danny over the head with a tire iron. The attackers flee as Danny’s head wound bleeds out.
The Sample
Abby is recording her thoughts on the tissue sample when Woodrue overhears her saying that science doesn’t have anything currently capable of explaining what she sees under the microscope. Woodrue interrupts her, stating that whatever the sample is has to have a scientific explanation, not a magical one. Woodrue has figured out that other than he and Abby, the only other quasi-scientist in the swamp was Alec. Did Abby get the sample from Alec’s lab?
Woodrue has one of the locals take him out to Alec’s lab. Something large has been in the lab and made a mess of the place. Woodrue follows the giant footprints and finds a bit of shed vegetation. A quick look under the microscope reveals that it is the same matter as Abby’s sample at the hospital. Woodrue tells Avery that the sample is from a living creature. Woodrue says he needs it captured alive so he can study it. Avery gives Woodrue the number of the best trapper he knows and tells Woodrue to get on it.
Shawna
Thanks to the door that Xanadu opened for Maria, Shawna’s ghost has emerged from the swamp and taken possession of Susie. Maria sees it as a gift that she has her daughter back. But what has returned has been twisted by the darkness and is no longer who Shawna was in life. Shawna tells Abby that she wants to drag Abby into the swamp and drown her, just like Abby killed Shawna 14 years ago. Abby knows that’s not Shawna and leaves the Sunderland mansion. Shawna tells Maria that she can’t stay in Susie’s body for long, that the swamp is calling her back. Shawna asks Maria to come with her to the swamp so that they can be together forever.
Xanadu meets Abby at her car, saying that Maria is in trouble. Maria and Shawna pull away from the mansion and drive past Abby and Xanadu. They follow Maria to the bridge where Shawna was killed. Shawna coaxes Maria into the water and Abby goes after her to save Maria. Maria turns on Abby and tries to drown her. Abby manages to swim away from Maria. Not wanting to be alone, Shawna tries to drown Maria, but Alec saves her from the swamp and Abby resuscitates her. Matt arrives and holds Abby until the paramedics arrive.
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