In the US: Sundays, 10/9c, Epix In the UK: Not yet acquired
There’s a strange overlap between theatre, independent cinema and small TV networks trying to make a name for themselves. Certainly, when you watch “a neo-noir thriller” with long two-handed scenes of deliberately unnaturalistic dialogue delivered by “actors’ actors”, in long-shot and black and white, you know you’re not watching NBC – this is going to be Epix, Starz, IFC or SundanceTV, AMC at a push.
Epix is an odd addition to that list, since so far, it’s been content with more accessible programming, such as Berlin Station, Get Shorty and Graves. Actually, that’s basically been it as far as it goes in the three years since the network decided to give scripted a whirl, so Perpetual Grace LTD feels like a distinct change of direction and attempt to reframe the network.
Jimmi Simpson and Damon Herriman in Perpetual Grace LTD
Perpetual grace and favour
Written and usually directed by Steven Conrad (Patriot, Wonder, The Pursuit of Happyness), Perpetual Grace sees Jimmi Simpson (Breakout Kings, Westworld) playing a former firefighter. Former because he quit the fire brigade after a rookie firefighter was killed through his negligence.
One day, he’s approached by Damon Herriman (Secret City, Quarry, Squinters, Mr InBetween) who’s looking for someone to help him get some money out of his estranged god-bothering parents. All Simpson has to do is get into their good books and send them looking for him down south where a friendly policeman (Code Black‘s Luis Guzmán) will lock them up for a fortnight. During that time, Simpson can assume Herriman’s identity, declare them dead and then take over their assets.
Simple, right?
Oh yes, one more thing – he’s got to get addicted to methadone so that they’ll take him in.
Trouble is, Herriman’s holding back on a couple of secrets and Simpson’s really not the ruthless criminal type.
Worse still, Herriman’s parents are Ben Kingsley and Jacki Weaver.
In the US: Fridays, DC Universe In the UK: Not yet acquired
Swamp Thing is one of the most oddly popular characters in the DC comic book universe. So-called because creator Len Wein couldn’t think of a name for that “swamp thing I’m working on”, Swamp Thing was originally just a horror comic character, with scientist Alec Holland seemingly dying in a swamp, but thanks to a chemical, ending up a plant-monster instead.
Gosh, wouldn’t you want to read that?
Not even two movies by Roger Corman persuaded people that Swamp Thing was worth reading. Instead, as with most things comics in the 80s, it wasn’t until Alan Moore was let loose on the title that a seemingly ordinary comic book character could become extraordinary.
Moore had already subverted Marvelman/Miracleman into a quasi-scientific analysis of superhero powers, their status as a new Greek pantheon and how they could transform the world if they so wanted.
With Swamp Thing, he was able to muse on the hidden horrors of US society, deconstruct the right-wing and Christian values at the core of comic book morality, and enable Swamp Thing to transcend his slock origins. He even introduced the world to John Constantine along the way, and ironically, it’s his run on Swamp Thing that gave Constantine its first season ‘big bad’
In his hands, Swamp Thing was no longer Alec Holland transformed into a plant beast – he was an elemental, a supernatural protector of nature, intended to preserve the balance in ‘the green’. He wasn’t a man: he was the plants themselves thinking they were a man, but actually borrowing his consciousness and creating a similar form – no more the true Alec Holland than the nearest tree or rose bush was.
That proved a successful enough interpretation of the character that the USA Network was able to resurrect Corman’s version of Swamp Thing for a three-season run from 1990.
Andy Bean and Crystal Reed in DC Universe’s Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing (2019)
Oddly, though, it doesn’t yet feel like DC Universe’s take on Swamp Thing is going to follow the successful Moore interpretation. Instead, Swamp Thing is very much a show rooted (ho, ho) in the horror genre, particularly the “things that go bump in the swamp at night” genre, but with a slight hint of Cronenbergian body horror.
It sees Crystal Reed (Teen Wolf, Gotham) playing Swamp Thing’s comic book main squeeze, Abby Arcane. Now a CDC doctor, she returns to the home town she thought she’d left behind forever, when a strange haemorrhagic disease breaks out in the swamps and people start dying.
In the hospital, she meets scientist Alec Holland (Power‘s Andy Bean), who hints that stranger things are afoot that might at first appear. He’s been hired by local bigwigs Will Patton and Virginia Madsen to see if there’s anything financially exploitable in the swamp. However, he’s discovered something else much stranger.
Together, Bean and Reed investigate the swamp – as well as the local town – and grow closer. But there’s a murder on its way that’s going to change everything…
For almost as long as there have been people calling themselves psychics, there have been people calling themselves psychics who have claimed to have helped the police to solve crimes. How many of them have actually even spoken to police is debatable and the number who have helped police, rather than hindered them, is debatable. Yet, the phenomenon does exist.
That makes it questionable whether the makers of Medium could ever sue the makers of The InBetween, despite both shows having some obvious similarities – particularly the fact they’re about blonde psychic women helping the police to solve crimes.
Harriet Dyer (right) in The InBetween
Not Medium
This particular iteration of the idea sees Harriet Dyer (Love Child, No Activity) playing a 20-something Seattle bartender who’s beset by the Sixth Sense – yes, she can see dead people. She also gets dreams, a lot of which seem to be of help in murder investigations. She doesn’t want her gift, but it’s not going away any time soon and neither are the ghosts, so she’s happy to help the police, no matter how sceptical they might be.
All that good psychic information would probably go unheeded, however, were it not for the fact that Seattle PD’s top detective is also her adoptive father (The Dresden Files/Arrow‘s Paul Blackthorne) and has known about her gift all her life.
A simple retread of Medium? Yet another tedious summer one-season wonder of no actual merit?
Surprisingly, no. The InBetween is by no means an instant classic but it does have a lot to add to the genre that its predecessor didn’t cover.
