In the pilot episode of the limited series “Swarm,” there is a controversial and unsettling sex scene that sets the tone for the eerie world of the show’s protagonist, Dre. Co-creator Janine Nabers, who is Emmy-nominated for writing that episode titled “Stung,” recalls feeling uncomfortable while watching the scene on set. She turned to her fellow creator, Donald Glover, expressing her unease. His response was a reminder that she had written the scene herself.
Nabers’ goal with the pilot episode was to establish Dre’s co-dependent relationship with her sister Marissa, while also incorporating moments that make the audience uncomfortable. Dre is portrayed as a fly on the wall in her own life, someone with a sense of innocence but a fundamental lack of understanding of her impact on others. The end of the pilot episode serves as a twist, revealing that Dre is actually the origin story of a villain, rather than a woman finding her voice or proclaiming her love.
The sex scene in question sparked a significant amount of conversation online. However, Nabers admits that she did not anticipate it becoming a hot-button moment while writing it. She believes that the discomfort the scene elicits is necessary because it highlights Dre’s oddness and lack of grounding, making her a character to be distrusted.
Dominique Fishback’s performance as Dre added another layer to the character. Nabers describes her performance as “weird” and explains that Fishback’s portrayal made Dre even more peculiar. From the movement of her eyes to the rhythm and tone of her voice, Fishback brought a dead-eyed stare and an unchanging presence to the character.
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The murder of Khalid, Dre’s first kill, is a pivotal moment in the pilot episode. Nabers approached the scene as a seduction, initially leading the audience to believe that it would be a moment of connection and shared grief between Dre and Khalid. However, it quickly becomes apparent that it is the moment when Dre embraces her dark side. The staging of the scene, with the characters sitting next to each other under cool, dim lights, adds to the intimacy and misdirection of the story. The brutality of the kill and Dre’s subsequent transformation is likened to an exorcism.
One of the elements of “Swarm” that Nabers found fun to create was the fictional pop star Ni’Jah. Drawing inspiration from real-life pop stars like Beyoncé, the show aimed to evoke a sense of familiarity while also injecting its own unique vision. The music associated with Ni’Jah was well-crafted and distinctive, and the actress who portrayed her, Nirine S. Brown, brought beauty and dancing talent to the role. The goal was to create a character that viewers could connect with and understand in terms of the magical presence she was meant to embody.
In conclusion, the pilot episode of “Swarm” introduces the audience to the unsettling world of Dre through a controversial sex scene. Janine Nabers, the co-creator and writer of the episode, aimed to create moments of discomfort within Dre’s co-dependent relationship with her sister. The unexpected twist at the end of the episode reveals Dre as a villain rather than a heroine. Dominique Fishback’s performance added an extra layer of peculiarity to Dre, while the murder scene served as a misdirection and a turning point for the character. Creating a fictional pop star allowed the show to infuse elements of familiarity and magic into its storytelling.
