There’s a “Jaws” moment in the first episode of “The Swarm” but it doesn’t come until 40 minutes have passed.
By then you’ve gotten to know an awful lot of marine experts who may -- or may not -- be in this for the long haul. Set in several places around the world, the German production (produced in English) shows strange things going on in the water. An orca, for example, washes up on the shores of Vancouver Island. A fisherman goes under in Peru. And, in Scotland? There’s a doctoral candidate trying to figure out if overharvesting is causing problems.
The stage is set for catastrophe, but the first installment takes its time fishing around.
Based on Frank Schatzing’s bestseller, “The Swarm” is designed to remind us how climate change and pollution have taken a toll on the waters around us. Apparently fed up with the state of affairs, sea creatures start turning on humans and become, well, enemies.
Surprises await visitors when they go out in the water in "The Swarm."
It’s an interesting premise, but it takes way too long to get going. Silent types hovering over computer screens don’t exactly sound the alarm until a few people go missing. Then, it’s an international Zoom call, waiting to see what can be done.
The “Jaws” moment comes during a whale-watching expedition. There, phones in hand, viewers suddenly see creatures rise up and, well, you get the picture.
Unlike “Sharknado,” which just went for the goofiness factor, this seems written for the National Geographic network. It has a scholarly tone, but then there’s also the fisherman (Jack Greenlees) waking up in the researcher’s bed just before one of those seek-and-find ventures in the sea.
While it looks like “The Swarm” might have included nudity and profanity in its original form (cameras are raised; lips are blurred), it’s fairly tame romantic stuff for a broadcast audience.
An international cast suggests they’re just as serious about this in Germany as they are in Canada.
Director Luke Watson goes underwater occasionally and uses light to indicate turmoil but he spends far too much time on mundane character issues to really pull audiences in.
If viewers are still around when the whales arrive, they might be willing to come back for more.
The personal issues, though, aren’t enough. Charlie Wagner (Leonie Benesch), the researcher who doesn’t eat fish, holds the most promise. She’s a no-nonsense player who still has to fight sexism, even though she’s in a world that hardly seems destined for TikTok.
In Vancouver, Leon Anawak (Joshua Odjick) bears watching, largely because he has an innate read on the water and its residents.
How this will ultimately play out depends on “The Swarm’s” ability to embrace a disaster film vibe. So far, it’s a lot of seeking, but little to destroy.
“The Swarm” airs Sept. 12 on The CW.
Krista Kosonen and Alexander Karim star in "The Swarm."
‘The Changeling’ thumps
While it rips through a number of time periods in its first episode, “The Changeling” doesn’t hesitate to throw a thrill or two in the first hour.
Also based on a best seller, the AppleTV+ series tracks a used book dealer (LaKeith Stanfield) who finds clues to his past in the books his father left behind. When his librarian wife (Clark Backo) gives birth, life takes on new meaning and, soon, there’s a fairy tale quality to a story that constantly twists and turns. Like Victor LaValle’s novel, it manages to touch on a number of issues and secrets. When it ties this story to other, classic books, “The Changeling” really shines. Stanfield, too, is the best man to play the game.
“The Changeling” airs Sept. 8 on AppleTV+.
LaKeith Stanfield and Clark Backo play a couple awaiting the birth of their child in "The Changeling."
