One would think that a swamp would be a perfect place for a recluse to shut themselves away. Not in Marais. Alec’s demand that Abby leaves and never come back can only be obeyed for so long. Especially when Avery is on the hunt for Swamp Thing. The battle between nature and society spread beyond Marais once The Conclave got involved. Abby returned to Atlanta to catch up with her CDC brethren, but the Sunderlands’ tendrils have seeped into the organization. With The Conclave on board, capturing Alec got much easier, leaving Abby with few options to help.
Never Get Me
Avery wakes up in the swamp. He stands on his buckshot-filled leg and gets his bearings. But the swamp begins to come alive around him. He tries to find his way back to Marais but the swamp throws psychological obstacles in his way. He sees visions of Lucilia and his father, playing off his fears and memories. The sight of his father being pulled into a fire and burned alive by vines reduces him to a puddle. But there’s a more real threat nearby. He rolls over to see Alec towering over him before passing out.
Avery comes to in Alec’s lab to find plants healing his gunshot wound. Alec reveals himself to Avery, warning him against removing the plants from his leg. Avery freezes in shock before gushing about how the swamp wants him dead. Alec confronts him about his abuse of the swamp, but Avery sees himself as the victim. The swamp exists for his benefit. It shouldn’t be rebelling. The words anger Alec, launching him into a threatening lecture about the darkness. Avery is no victim and Alec is here to protect the swamp from people like him.
CDC Shady
Abby returns to Atlanta to a tepid welcome. The new CDC deputy director, Dr. Palomar, is upset about Abby’s lack of communication and extended time in the swamp. She agrees to test Abby’s new sample, but things remain testy. She and Harlan meet for pizza later that night and go through a box of mementos from Abby’s childhood in Marais. Abby eyes a strange necklace before telling Harlan about Alec’s current state. She’s been protecting him while trying to find a cure. But there’s more than just the task that’s affecting Abby. Alec is changing the way she looks at the world.
Harlan is kidnapped after he leaves Abby’s apartment, leading Abby to question where he is when she returns to the office the next day. The odd feeling grows when her key card won’t work and she learns that the analysis of her sample is under lockdown. Palomar leads her to a board room where she meets Ellery. He asks for her help in bringing Alec in for treatment without risk of violence. Abby retorts that Alec isn’t a threat and storms out. She is heading back to Marais.
Why Be Normal?
Avery realizes that Alec is the source of the sample Abby was analyzing. He is the source of Jason’s mutagen. Avery offers to help Alec become himself once again so he can be with Abby. Alec lost everything but isn’t about to trust Avery. He summons a boat to take Avery away. The swamp wants him dead but Alec is willing to spare him. Avery leaves, promising to come back the next day with Jason.
He does just that after finding out about The Conclave’s involvement and deducing Maria’s plan. The two find their “golden goose” in the swamp, deceitfully promising to help restore him to his human form. Jason wants Alec to come with them to his new Conclave-funded lab, but Alec won’t budge from the swamp. Alec soon finds himself surrounded by fire squad. He fights back, killing some before Avery unloads shells into him. His forces are able to subdue him with freezing chemicals. Abby arrives later that night to find spent shells and frosted swampland. She is too late.
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