Let's Talk About SWARM... *bc what did i just watch?*

[@mazvitaselemani]

I need someone to analyse the role that food plays in this show cause I feel like there were some cannibalistic elements to how hungry Dre got everytime she unalived someone

[@joesmama640]

Probably that statement that Donald Glover made to the "Vulture" saying that we should think of her more as an animal. He probably put that there to seem feral or something.

[@ambriaashley3383]

Yes!!! I need to understand lol. Gives new meaning to the word “hunger” honestly. And is that connected to her getting to Marissa’s parents house & she kept rubbing her stomach? She wasn’t eating yet cuz she hadn’t killed lately, but was that a precursor to that?? Chile idk

[@calistoapenas]

this catch me up too. I think about hyperpalatable food is like a "drug", also represents the way she's perceive the world and how Dre deal with all that shit

[@mwoods4608]

She also only ate junk food

[@johnindigo5477]

​@@mwoods4608 I thought that represented her immaturity.

[@Chuuzus]

Dominique Fishback has to win an emmy i don’t care! she made me frighten of her!

[@rahulgomes1472]

It'll probably go again to Zendaya, she's become an Emmy darling now . Dominique is so good tho!!

[@radioog6945]

I thought she was autistic in real life that’s how good she played that role

[@benjamintriplett3]

Right? Dominique fishback is very terrifying.

[@nicholasotuechere]

@@rahulgomes1472Dominique will be nominated for Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology series not Lead Actress in a Drama series (and even if Zendaya won’t be nominated this year cause Euphoria won’t be back until next year)

[@ken-fv9cz]

they dont nominate black ppl like that but hopefully

[@empressawesome1655]

I saw the Marissa/Ni’jah face mashup as confirmation that Dre was in love with Marissa all along and that Ni’jah was just a coping mechanism for it. With internalized homophobia and all the other trauma she experienced she had no way of comprehending or healthily dealing with her feelings which is why we she was watching Marissa and Khalid during *THAT* scene. Also, even before Dre gets in a relationship with Rashida we get hints at her sexuality with the mom’s comments in episode 6, her ambivalence to men and her telling Billie about how she was called a homophobic slur as a kid

[@Kevin-eh2wz]

That also reminds me of the episode in which Billie is when she makes a face at billies character and the other girl kissing

[@liwzie]

hadn't tought about it like that, very interesting!

[@ambriaashley3383]

Mhm. She & Marissa had serious boundary issues, maybe even since they were kids. It’s one thing to be close, but to watch your BFF/crush have sex?? And the reverse, as a friend you’re not gonna check to make sure the door is LOCKED or at least CLOSED before getting it on with your man & your roommate is home?? Good Lord lmao

[@kaylamalinga5912]

Isn't Marissa her sister?

[@empressawesome1655]

@@kaylamalinga5912 her foster sister, yes

[@cassandraodle4794]

I'm so glad you addressed the actress Chloe. I find the backlash to be disingenuous, childish and downright silly. The public jumps at any chance to disparage this extremely talented black woman and I'm so tired of it.

[@eauxkei702]

The internet finds every excuse to shit on Chloe. It's very weird...she's so harmless compared to most people's favs.

[@angiemono8539]

Yes, but at the same time, I find it strange nobody ever raises or criticises the negative comments Donald Glover made about black women. It's so disappointing that he's such a self-hating black person and the black community praises and backs him with no critique, it's very toxic and devalues black women with our collective endorsement.

[@peachringssss]

Didn’t she work w Chris brown? Not sharing she deserves hate but her actions are questionable

[@Riki-G]

@@angiemono8539 What did he say? I genuinely want to know so I can have awareness

[@candypietravels]

@@Riki-G right 👀

[@geraldking9385]

​@@candypietravels I'm all ears

[@cosmicowmix7154]

I'm really confused on what actually happened when dre confronted her parents. When I watched it I knew her dad was NOT chasing her with a shotgun, but after watching that detective episode where we find out her dad is actually dead, it leaves me wondering what actually happened.

[@flowerchild9815]

I found it interesting that they never gave Ni’jah’s sister a name only referring to her as “Ni’jah’s sister” a lot like in real life how Solange was seen as Beyoncé’s shadow

[@p994able]

Yup and how Ni’jah’s sister makes more spiritual/soulful music the way Solange does.

[@divinebitalo1228]

I feel like this was quite straightforward though. It’s definitely a character study and we get into her psyche and how it started to fall apart. Episode 6 tells us the ending for sure, she rushed on stage and was arrested and detective Greene is on her way to her. Episode 7 is showing us how detective Greene found out about her. Her obsession with Ni’ja is an extension of her yearning for Marissa: that’s the last strongest thread she has to her sister. Everything we see from when she rushes the stage is all in her head. The walk out and into the car is probably when she got arrested: her idol probably freaked out and rejected her and in search for nurturing and reassurance she pictured the only person who understood and loved her: Marissa. We did get some background: she killed someone at her grandma’s, red milk= blood. I think the reason we didn’t get the background is commentary on the “sad stories” looked for with criminals. Social worker said it well: you need to know how she’s broken so you feel better about yourself.

[@empressawesome1655]

I’m pretty sure they explained in episode 6 that what she was referring to with the grandma and the red milk was actually about what she did at Marissa’s slumber party, where she stabbed the white girl and Marissa’s family kicked her out

[@kristindi0r]

yes !

[@elliemichel7560]

@@empressawesome1655 that’s what I thought too, but it wasn’t technically her grandma who asked. It was her foster mom. Maybe implying that she went back to the time her grandma asked what did you do, and she replied, spilled the milk, in that moment to the foster Mom. It sounds like the grandma could have given Marissa over to the foster care system after what she did at her grandmas house.

[@bigbootyboy420]

@@empressawesome1655no it’s two separate events that she links together in her head

[@vko.]

I dont wanna be that person...but Billie Eilish is so fucking cool. Like, I thought it was gonna be another one of those singers who try to act but fail miserably...kinda like harry styles... but nope. shes just actually that talented.

[@LoneWulf278]

Yes! I love her.

[@jamiegdubois]

I haven’t seen the show yet (in fact, I wasn’t even aware of it), but a scene with her in it popped up in my recommendations and I decided to check it out. I was very surprised by how well she did. Definitely going to check out the whole show now!

[@perryjones7771]

@@jamiegdubois I wanna see her work with Anya

[@QueenOfTheComments]

The Harry Styles slander 💀

[@k3rsha11]

Billie had me mesmerized

[@inthemix43]

Random but the Billy’s cult episode was GREAT ACTING. Its a shame that a cult was the first place Dre got any type of help from anyone. Every interaction she had with people they seemed to ignore her while she was right in front of her their face. But Billy’s character actually started to help that girl a little bit. That was the longest she probably went not killing somebody 😭

[@obehiikhigbonoaremen1241]

You're so right. This girl needed therapy!

[@JusImperfecct]

I believe the final episode was an hallucination. I believe she got arrested after the end of the detective episode when the detective told them to hold her until she got there. I believe she was really getting in the back of a police car and not in a car with nijah

[@SweetJeopardy]

This!

[@tatianaflucker9417]

I think the final episode told you whether she killed Marissa or not ;)

[@userysl]

@@tatianaflucker9417did she kill Marissa, cause I was confused a bit.

[@pineapplereels6365]

@@userysl I don’t think she killed Marissa. We saw earlier in the show Marissa tried to off herself before. Pair that with her frantically calling and texting Dre w/out response,Marissa felt alone and couldn’t take it anymore.

[@anthonyperezcruz248]

@@pineapplereels6365 there’s clues indicating that she might have killed Marisa, when talking about the scar on her arm dom kissed it as if she felt guilt about it, that being said during the sleep over incident dom could have accidentally cut Marissa. No where else in the show do they mention marissa dealing with mental health issues. When Dominique finds the phone and starts using it to text herself, we realize then that she has the potential to actually believe it was Marissa who is texting her. Lastly alot of the scenes like the last one show us the narrator dom isn’t a reliable one, we know she see the world differently than what is actually happening. I think the last episode is a mirror of what really happened in the first episode, it’s just we never saw how dom was able to make it look like a suicide.

[@TheFrdw]

The scene where she watches Marissa and her boyfriend is so important! She has a strong bond with Marrissa, who is her everything. She stabbed that girl at Marissa's birthday party just like she murdered Marissa's boyfriend. Her attachment is so anxious and dysfunctional that she indulges in violence to soothe her overwhelming feelings just like she indulges in food. It's like a self harming behavior that provides a hit of adrenaline and distracts her from all the horrible feelings of losing Marrissa. She was losing her to other people and then lost her permanently, possibly by murdering her. The ultimate dream at the end of the series is being accepted by Marissa, welcomed into a loving and personal relationship. Ni'jah was someone for her to attach to when attaching too directly to Marrissa could damage their friendship or after she died when there was no one to attach to at all so her obsession grows to new heights. Dre's sexuality plays a role here but it's clear that the Ni'jah/Marissa duality is not just a love interest or sister, but also a motherly figure and a God. The detective episode was an amazing breakdown of what Dre lacked growing up and if the viewer takes issue with her behavior, they should be there for foster children who never learn how to manage their emotions in a stable environment. It's heavily implied that Dre is not inherently like this but has suffered and suffered without recovery or stability.

[@anaclarke1003]

Y’all. Of course Nijah did not invite Dre onto stage and then leave with her. I can’t believe people thought this was real??? Dre is delusional. That’s Dre being dragged out by the police. The blue lighting is to symbolize a cop car. She’s in the backseat of the cop car because she’s obviously been arrested…

[@y2ktora73]

Exactly 💀

[@kstewart1100]

I think the ending is her getting arrested, but at that point she had a mental break, so her reality was warped 🤔

[@treegerl]

Yep that's what I took from it too. That whole ending scene was a figment of her imagination. She was lost in the sauce, so to speak. Nothing else mattered after she made it onto that stage and finally saw Ni'jah face-to-face. It was like she fulfilled her destiny lol

[@jaycohboy]

Knowing Donald Glover’s style of tv, episode 6 was normal for him and i think is the episode with the most answers because we are literally pulling all the pieces (that we got to see played through the show) added up in a way to see patterns. etc. also the detective had me cracking up!!! I saw a comment from a different video saying that in ep 6 where the detective talks about how Dre ran on stage and they put her in jail etc. how essentially in episode 7 we watched it play out but from Dre’s distorted version.

[@jaycohboy]

i also think that people always want all questions answered, but we then say “art is subjective and supposed to be discussed” i think the information we were given and werent was very intentional just as the characters and de*ths were

[@wahoo4uva]

🎯🎯🎯

[@nicolesherman8974]

You dropped right on time bestie! Dominique Fishback and Billie deserves all the awards! Everyone did great, but those two? *chefs kiss

[@dallaswinston330]

Be so Fr. Billie doesn’t deserve an award. She was there only for a little bit, her acting was fine, but it helps she played a character written for her. Dominique could’ve been Marissa and do it incredibly, Billie could not have played those characters. I liked Billie in the show, but it is demeaning to all the far superior actors and actresses in the show.

[@imane9294]

​@@dallaswinston330 yes i agree like i love billie and her acting was surprisingly pretty good for a first and i would be down to see her act again but you cant compare domique perfomance who was the lead and had an even more complex character to play

[@cartercavazos2396]

So here’s my 2 cents. The detective at the end of episode 6 states that Tony had been arrested for something unrelated to murder. I interpreted that as getting arrested at the concert. So episode 7, to me, was true up until Ni’jah’s face was was revealed to be Marissa. The security came on stage & Tony got arrested and was imaging that as a coping mechanism. Also, I think Ni’jah’s face was Marissa to symbolize that Dre really did kill Marissa. In the last episode, Tony kills Rashida after she received the concert tickets. Rashida (rightfully so) went off on Tony, specifically calling Tony selfish for buying those tickets when they could barely afford rent. Tony cried while choking her saying “I loved you, and I wanted to share her with you because I love you.” This is me was added to parallel the final moments between Marissa and Dre. Dre also bought concert tickets for Marissa, Marissa called Dre selfish, then Dre snapped and killed Marissa. Which put Dre into a psychosis, and conflated their love of Ni’jah with their love for their sister. Dre started with a killing of love, and ended with a killing of love. BUT I WANNA HEAR WHAT OTHER FOLKS THINK TOOOOO

[@8bitrocketstudios]

This was my interpretation also. What a fantastic show.

[@synesthesia.aesthetic]

You know...we never see the white boy she slept with again. He could have been imagined!

[@Sensoredcensored]

I thought this too. Especially because she had blood behind her head. Then I rewatched and on episode 6 the detective said that she committed sui. That episode is supposed to be the true facts

[@NanaCodedl]

Facts meaning Dre tony got caught cuz the detective already suspects her

[@guerdynerodriguez2845]

I always thought that last part of the last episode was in her imagination . I agree completely with what you said !

[@money1137]

Naija absolutely did not bring Dre to her car lol at the end of episode 6 the detective mentions Dre ran on stage and was arrested in Atlanta and going by the name Tony, so she was going to visit her in jail. Dre was absolutely hallucinating and was in the back of a cop car at the end of the season lol

[@elliemichel7560]

I was confused at the end low key. I was like wait I know she didn’t end up with Naija - even the title gives it away. Only God can make happy endings or something like that

[@keasiabritton]

I was reading up on theories and someone said that Ni'jah was actually in the back of the cop car with tony (dre) to take her to the station instead of getting in her car to take her to her house. I don't know what I believe bc all these theories sound true lol but I understand where you're coming from. It def could be all delusion/hallucination bc of how she grew up and what we've seen since the first episode

[@celondelon351]

Swarm is a cerebral experience on the effects of childhood trauma and the parasocial relationship illustrates in Dre’s case of how it stunts emotional development towards adult maturity, causing emotional responses to be extreme and disproportionate. The reaction online towards Chloe in real life ironically mirrors this.

[@mummeii]

Precisely

[@cmgvillager]

I really hope this show goes down in history. There’s so much subtext in just these 7 episodes alone. Complete masterpiece from Janine Nabers and Donald glover.

[@tatianaflucker9417]

This is a just a theory, but I think each identity that Dre takes on in each episode is a person from her past. Each personality is SO different, perhaps it’s her way of unpacking her trauma with each home she was a part of in foster care, by taking on a person she became attached to as she spent that time with them; Marissa being the one she loved the most. Think about it… she takes Marissa’s phone, texts herself pretending to be Marissa. Why wouldn’t she do that with other people she grew attached to in other foster placements? I have a hard time believing she killed all those people for real, because as you said they don’t ever catch her, but I do think Marissa really unalived herself and I would like to think that after the first episode when Dre has a mental breakdown she seeks therapy and unpacks everything with a councilor, relaying her fantasies of killing those who disappointed her from her past one after the other.

[@ThisIsTheSmoke]

That series was so chilling and disturbing! Dominic Fishback was wonderful. I hope she wins all the awards

[@8bitrocketstudios]

Episode 6 really did a good job helping to explain the show up to that point and we got to see that it wasn't all a dream. It also reminded me a little bit of "The Fall Line", a Podcast that started out about missing twin girls in the Atlanta area. The Fall Line is about people who fall on the other side of the line and are ignored by the police, just like "Falling through the cracks" but about victims instead of the killer, Anyway... EP 6 also shows us that Dre was arrested after going on stage, so we can use that info to fully digest Ep 7. Most likely it was all true up to the point where she goes on stage. In any case, it was a great show, congrats to all involved.

[@money1137]

Agree! A lot of people think Dre got what she wanted at the end when episode 6 let us know the truth lol

[@Michelle-fr1fw]

isn't Dre still at large by the end of 'falling through the cracks'?

[@SweetJeopardy]

Wow! Now *this* is a great take! I totally agree. I find lots of viewers immediately get distracted with trying to apply a true crime/police procedural filter (establishing motives and timelines) to a deliberately surreal storytelling and miss this sort of commentary.

[@8bitrocketstudios]

@@Michelle-fr1fw right at the end it shows person go.on stage and get arrested. They police will put 2 and 2 together.

[@greenhornet8262]

The reason why Marissa’s face showed as nihja and she was cool with it was because Dre imagined all of it. She was arrested after going on staged as told by the detective in episode 6. What was shown as Dre and nihja going to the car is really Dre being taken to a police car.

[@EarthEagleGT]

Episode 6 they say Dre was arrested after running on stage. They say in the doc episode that a "man" ran on stage at a Nija concert and was arrested, that is suppose to be Dre

[@michaelmarlonbestbae6078]

Omg! Really? My dumb ass actually thought she finally got to me Nija lol.. But what you said makes so much sense. I knew part of this story had to be somewhat narrated from Dre’s mind..

[@Onlyciii]

I truly think that the scene of Dre watching Marissa and her boyfriend was such a well done setup for how obsessed she was with Marissa and how deranged she is and the audience just doesn’t know it yet.

[@user-sr3hi2vu1x]

Na’Jah is connected to her sister. While she is obsessive of course with the singer, she’s really attacking people that disrespect her sister through personalizing Na’Jah to her sister since the singer is kind of their entire relationship ever since they were kids. She’s really grieving. HORRIBLY but the ending makes it obvious. I read somewhere that she sees her sister’s potential success as a make up artist to Na’Jah, like what she could’ve been so when she sees the singer in the end it’s like meeting Na’Jah is fulfilling her sister and her’s dreams when she was alive.

[@manuelkivie4488]

I may sound crazy, but I kinda think Dre's love for Marissa got conflated with her obsession for Ni'jah. Her first kill was literally the dude that cheated on Marissa, which contributed to here su*cide. In episode 7, when she saw Ni'jah's face, she could only see Marissa. So maybe in a convoluted way, while she was m*rdering people who didn't like Ni'jah, at its core she was killing for Marissa. I'm probably totally wrong tho lol

[@carlie4964]

I don't think it's crazy at all, I think there is lots of hints about Dre's sexuality throughout the show tbh, and there was a different kind of tension/chemistry between Dre and Marissa.

[@elliemichel7560]

I think that she was killing for Marissa in a sense because after her suicide people were basically making fun of her for killing herself on twitter.

[@obehiikhigbonoaremen1241]

​@@elliemichel7560 I remember that! That was so mean of them!!!

[@mindingminesx]

this show had my media & cinema studies degree working lmao i loved it, but i agree that we needed more backstory on dre this show was interesting to see as someone who was on stan twitter for 10+ years - seeing people get doxxed, mass harrassment, being extremely defensive. whew episode 6 was confusing at first bc they were alluding directly to the beyhive not ni’jah and used different faces. it tied together in the outro of donald glover’s interview about the show. basically episode 6 is the “reality” of andrea greene. it’s meant to discuss the glamorization of true crime (that scene where the social worker dragged them). the documentary closes with “real” dre running on stage at the concert in atlanta then being arrested. the inclusion of the news clippings tells us that the story we’re watching is actually the dramatized version by donald glover. what we’ve watched is television so we don’t know what to believe. the ending of episode 7 is dre’s imagination of ni’jah embracing her and her idolization of both ni’jah and marissa morphing. i do think the scene of rashida and dre mirror what happened with marissa. when marissa texted her about festival, it used blue bubbles instead of grey. when she finds marissa’s body, her phone is on the charger. i have a lot more to say - i agree that it’s one for a rewatch. overall, a great show and i think it’s one that’s helpful with media literacy. some people really thought that andrea greene was a real person lol.

[@ganonbarfYT]

Can you share some more of your thoughts?

[@elliemichel7560]

It actually used grey bubbles. I went back and just checked 😂

[@jujub430]

I saw a video that said that the killings/events are actually associated with real life headlines. I wonder…since episode 6 reveals that the other episodes are dramatizations, did they really just frame Dre in some of these situations for the sake of scandal? Like falling in line with the forgotten children of the foster care system and how it was easy to pin it all on her. Not a fully thought out theory, but your comment has me thinking and I may rewatch with it in mind.

[@mindingminesx]

@@elliemichel7560 thank you for letting me know!

[@andreachaparro3742]

As someone who has watched all 4 seasons of Atlanta the format of this didn't throw me off. The whole mockumentary is something that Donald and team have been implementing for a while now. Also, Noir Surrealism. The final scene has a lot to do with that. I liked it, I thought it was quite out there and interesting. It's not my favorite but I appreciate it for what it is

[@MakaykayLAMB]

I literally didn’t even realize that was Paris Jackson. And then when Billie EILISH was on screen I was SHOCKED.

[@AJDwatching]

The end scene was a hallucination. We know from the previous episode that when Tony/Dre rushed the stage, she was arrested. And there’s added tension because there’s a chance she could make bail before the detective gets to her

[@moustik31]

Who gave Paris Jackson edges?! The disrespect, they are so wrong for this. 😂

[@KnowledgeSeeker78491]

It seemed to me initially Dre was going after people who talked sh*t about Marrissa k*lling herself. Then her mission was to see her in concert… even though it seemed like Marrissa’s mom said that they always went to her shows when they were younger. I guess she was pressed to meet her and form a friendship with her

[@jadawilliams2319]

.

[@semajbmorrow5645]

Let’s talk. In all honesty as someone who grew up watching true crime, bones, criminal minds, first 48 etc. I also spent grew up watching serial killers and learning about them. Not even as admirers but because it’s intriguing to see how other people react and why they kill. So with that background along with me overall love for black power and progession in media this was so refreshing. We don’t like Dre per say which is good I think us not knowing her “sob story” and from what we know she’s just a weird girl. It doesn’t allow us to feel bad for her per day we’re intrigued and stunned most times. Like we’re not meant to understand that part of her. But then you have the black writers room showing out but continuously showing things that only we (black people) understand about black people. The bonnet, not just the junk food but the type of junk food, our weird relationship with food, her hair and outfits changing and evolving and her character gains confidence. The way she gained confidence is off as h*ll but they way she chose to show herself being more confident is so on brand for the black community. How we carry ourselves is so major that she knew she had to pick that up as she racked up the bodies because her looking how she did in the beginning is off and odd. She would stick out like a sore thumb. Her flashiness aloud her to blend in, which is so black. I think people who don’t like are seeing this like a black show instead of seeing it as a show… witch black people. It was so well written, Dominique and everyone is so talented. Like WOW, the acting reminded me a lot of white lotus acting where we have to see to understand and the dialogue itself is less important in a lot of the scenes. Like Dre is a serial killer so we see her doing things that they do, observing, listening, adapting. But she’s always a true black serial killer so it’s so authentic I knew this was fiction but still looked it up a few times just in case. Idk it was so authentically blackity black black but the storyline isn’t the regular black story we’re used to when we see ourselves being represented. That was fresh to me

[@Ta-TaNYC]

I believe episode 1 she killed Marissa, she still had the green outfit on, w/ clothes all over the bed, like she never left. episode 7 her girlfriend had on green as well when she killed her.🤔 She obviously ran on the stage, but she got arrested instead. Detective stated that’s her the “man who ran on stage”.

[@divinebitalo1228]

Dominique and Billie in that scene literally gave me chills! If they don’t ATLEAST get Emmy nominations I’m fighting🫡🥲

[@Covers-and-Commentary]

I loved it. I saw it as Atlanta meets Get Out. I thought it was brilliant. Billie Eilish shocked the hell out of me and Paris Jackson had m rolling. She was so good. I screamed when I saw Ricky Thompson, I knew he could act from Victoria Monets Video.

[@alfie6441]

Personally I didn’t love or hate the show. It’s not something I’d tell other people to watch though I am glad I saw it myself. That said I hated Dre’s character. She felt like a real person that I would hate if I met them in real life. Which I suppose is a product of good acting and good writing

[@danielleshovlin2973]

I watched it having no idea what it was having never heard of it and it was the best experience. Seeing billy eilish just pop up as a cult leader was an experience I didn't know I needed.

[@Jazalena]

There’s a theory that Dre unlived Marissa and that episode 6 was a the ending and episode 7 was a what dre wanted to happen also her seeing her sister was her sharing a moment she wanted to happen between her and her sister finally meeting her idol the theory goes that she was arrested trying to make the stage and the detective is trying to speak to her at the end of episode 6 episode 7 is a dream and not reality

[@wura9219]

that actually makes a lot of sense i didn't think about it like that

[@KeishaCharmaine]

I think her seeing Marissa’s face was to exhibit that she was idolizing Marissa in the same manner that she idolized Nijah.

[@jama3997]

I don’t think she killed her, and I don’t know how people keep coming to that conclusion. Dre was with that guy the whole night and Marissa already had a history of suicide attempts. Dre kissed her wrist and marissa said “you don’t have to do that every time you see it” like she was trying to reassure her that she wouldn’t do it again. It seemed Dre was genuinely afraid for her and would kiss it to let her know she loved her. Think about it also bc old dude was ashamed to go to the funeral. He knew that he was the reason she killed herself. Why would Dre kill Marissa for coming back after he cheated on her? She would’ve been happy. Also, the messages were coming in at a time where Dre was hooking up with someone and Marissa was seen in the videos saying all that “she’s our sister. She’s a goddess. She’s our mother” shit so the text messages before she killed herself were very much HER.

[@KeishaCharmaine]

@@jama3997 if she killed Marissa, she killed her before she went to the party. But remember in the the episode with Billie, Dre has a quick flashback and we see Marissa raging and she attacks Dre. Idk why nobody brings that up. We didn’t see Marissa and Dre physically fight in real time so we have to remember Dre isn’t a reliable narrator.

[@jama3997]

@@KeishaCharmaine Dre isn’t a reliable narrator but we also gotta remember that the police officially ruled her death a suicide. The lady cop could find subtle discrepancies with every murder committed but it was obviously shown that Marissa killed herself. I don’t think Dre actually killed Marissa I think she’s still blaming herself for marissa’s death bc she wasn’t there to stop it. What we see is like different aspects taken from the other murders committed and being brought down to her murdering Marissa, but really only doing so in the mind. Kinda like a “it felt like I was the one who caused her death because I didn’t protect her properly type thing” and she’s trying to find every reason to avenge and do right by her. She’s internalizing guilt but it doesn’t mean she killed her.

[@momos_wife]

I think Dre sees Marissa as Ni’Jah in the end because Dre’s love for Ni’Jah originates in the deep bonding she shared with Marissa while being fangirls. Nobody loved Ni’Jah as much as her. Dre’s perception on the singer is based off Marissa’s own words (like in the video after the concert in which Marissa say’s there’s no greater artist than Ni’Jah). The way The Hive worships Ni’Jah’s perfection, Dre worships Marissa and those things Marissa loves purely. Anyone insults Ni’Jah, they insult Marissa and therefore deserve death, according to Dre.

[@ganonbarfYT]

I really loved the social worker's speech in episode 6, I think it was a really important moment in the show. It spoke profoundly about society and the way we try to compartmentalize people who succumb to the pressures that are exuded on all of us. The idea of the "simple explanation" was completely rejected by the worker because it demonstrates the denial that people carry. The denial of the culpability of our society. It's a coping mechanism that people are unwilling to see past because it would shatter their worldview and jeopardize their illusion of safety and peace. The people that Dre is a representation or exaggeration of are products of our time. We are influenced and shaped by our environment. Dre wasn't just traumatized in one way, she wasn't just an outlier in an otherwise passable system. Dre represents how our world systemically breaks people and she is a dramatic (or even realistic) representation of how we, as a society, fail. I absolutely loved the show and I loved the way it was done. I think too much exposition and explanation in television and film takes away from the audience. Leaving room to extrapolate and explore allows art to mold itself to new situations and ideas. When something is defined too rigidly it is digested, understood, then forgotten. The things that stick are the things that leave us wondering. Symbolism is one of the most beautiful tools in art when used the way Swarm did. I think this show was a masterclass on the potentials film/television has as an artistic medium.

[@Strawberryfearsforever]

2:40 Go in expecting a Donald Glover show from the Atlanta Universe. Dre and Teddy Perkins definitely exist together.

[@mymuses4336]

THIS PIECE KICKED ASS! I definitely could empathize with how Dre’s circumstances guided her to a complete and total psychological breakdown. I never felt that we was just EVIL…DF played her with such depth and rich emotion…in the end she is a very disturbed but extremely lonely person.

[@sobekmania]

I believe that Dre was not killing for Ni'jah, but killing for Marissa instead. Since the two of them were people that Dre obsessed over - more so with Ni'jah - Dre's perception of them 'blended together' when Marissa died. Anytime Dre reads a hateful tweet about Ni'jah, she doesn't see Ni'jah's name, she sees Marissa's. Ni'jah was just a vessel for Dre's obsession, and she became Marissa.

[@IAMjulesATX]

People love to hate on Chlöe Bailey because she is gorgeous, talented, fearless and super comfortable with her banging body. We are all here because our parents had sex - get over it! It was just a scene 😂

[@wrenpeach6707]

Hearing the way people reacted to the sex scene, I was expecting it to be so much more graphic! You barely see anything, just enough to get the point across, and it was plot relevant. People reacted so immaturely

[@samanthapowell3988]

I was waiting for your review ❤ I don’t usually watch these type of shows, but I loved swarm. I think Dominique did a excellent job along with the rest of the cast.

[@leosparks7825]

I really enjoyed the show, I finished it in a day and was just shook!! I did look up why Ni’Jah had Marissa’s face and the creator said it was because they were “one and the same”. Basically that they were the two most influential people in Dre’s life that kinda let her down this path. That it starts with Marissa and ends with Ni’Jah. Also if you call or text the bee emoji to the number at the end of episode 6 you get fun Easter eggs😆😆😆

[@mwoods4608]

She definitely wasn't killing people because of how they talked about Nijah. She was a fan or her sister, she felt those people were talking about her sister. You see the one guy, the tow truck guy , was bashing her sister on the twitter.

[@alexiusf]

I’ve been waiting for my fav KZbinrs to review this show! I binged the crap out of this show 😅

[@MichelleWatsonLee]

Me too. It’s like once I started I couldn’t stop. I watched it all the first day.

[@vovabarnard6174]

I haven’t finished this season, but from what I’ve watched I really like the show. It’s different! I really liked Chloe’s acting because I’ve only seen her in Grown-ish and now I can tell she can act! Also Billie was pretty damn good, she was perfect for that role.

[@Philboshaba]

Loved this. It’s a surreal thriller so the end is a surreal imagining of the end of Ep 6. I’m reality Dre was dragged off the stage like we saw in Ep. 6. She was then taken by the police and put in a police car and held in custody until that detective arrives. Dre simply replaced the police’s actions with her delusional of Ni’Jah. Just like she imagined plums when it was a cheek.

[@dia9916]

If it wasn’t for Fishback I’d probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the show so much, they should def submit ep 4 for Emmy consideration

[@nisaspruill2915]

They tell us at the end of episode six what happens to Dre. If you go back and watch the detective says she’s going by Tony now and we’ve got her. Then they show the video of her running on stage at the concert episode seven is just showing how that unfolds. Dre getting in the car with Ni’jah is an illusion.

[@LunaCosmia]

I just found your channel because I was looking for people’s analysis on this series. Now I’m binge watching your whole channel. I can believe I haven’t found you sooner but I’m happy to be here. It feels like I’m video chatting a good friend lol 🖤

[@Urbanfrugalchic]

Cracked up when you said eating down… cause her character loved to eat literally 😂😂😂

[@briecheeseplease1845]

If you watched Atlanta you’d get why episode 6 was true Donald Glover fashion.

[@Gemmalemonade]

I loved this series so much! I think the ending was a surreal interpretation of what Dre needed to see - not actual reality. Thanks for making this video, more people need to talk about this show!

[@thatotherblackkid]

I loved and quite related to the show and Dre as a character, more for her trust issues and reluctance/inability to connect with others.The title of episode 7 "Only God Makes Happy Endings" is meant to be quite literal in this case. Dre/Tony was arrested after they ran onto the stage as we saw in episode 6 and the case worker shutting down the investigation and refusing to help them commodifing a lonely child's trauma was meant to be the true ending of the series. Given the risks and money put into the show I doubt Amazon would allow them to end it in such a blunt way. What we saw at the end of episode 7 was Dre/Tony being an unreliable narrator once again, deluding their self with a dream like and elaborate story about Naijah sweeping them away and comforting them like the perfect Queen Dre/Tony sees her as, being the only "happy ending" for Dre/Tony at this point. Echoing how they lied about meeting Naijah's Mother in that mall with Erica a few episodes prior, and spilling the milk when she tried to kill the cheerleader at the slumber party, to continue to run away and cope with the atrocities they've committed; the reality Dre/Tony is in. As a CIS Male it may not really be my place to validate or invalidate if Dre had gender dysphoria but, I feel that Tony is just another mask for Dre another lie they're telling themselves given how often Dre changed names and identities at that point. I wont deny the gender and gender expectation commentary that is very much implied since presenting as a masculine gender as Tony was the closest they came to finding the love, acceptance and normalcy they've been chasing this whole time. Rejecting and sacrificing their femininity to "man up and deal with it" in the way most men have to deal with loneliness until Rashida reaches out with a tampon to helps Dre begin to reconnect with not only her femininity but her humanity when Dre has her period at her house. I would love to hear a non binary persons take on Dre and Tony.

[@kaileemccain1416]

billie ate DOWN!!! i was surprised but not all at the same time because billies videos have always been theatrical

[@ewno1566]

I think the reason why the story is everywhere is because of Dre. we're following Dre and Dre is unreliable, and also the reason why she was overlooked is that dre changes her name as much as she changes her appearance I remember the episode of her meeting that white dude where he thought she was a Black influencer while she was chasing that racist white woman? That also contributes to why she's never caught and easily goes wherever she wants? Dre is unreliable and a follower which is why it was so hard to figure her out. honestly, I might come back to this because even I didn't digest this.

[@obehiikhigbonoaremen1241]

Ohhhh this is so good!!!

[@itsjustme8873]

Loved your take on this show and explanation as well. I agree, the reaction to Chloe's first scene was just absurd. The general "love scene" discourse on twitter these days seems to often come from a place of either judgment or discomfort. I think people spend too much time projecting their own morals onto fiction nowadays, treating it too literal or personal or being too quick to judge/dismiss what they can't relate to or understand. But I don't think social media is always the best place for nuanced discussions. Anyway, Chloë did amazing in her role as Marissa, I wish there was more discussion about that than a brief explicit scene. Dominique and Billie killed their roles, too! Such complex and interesting characters. I was blown away, Swarm was my first introduction to Dominique's acting, and she absolutely deserves praise for portraying Dre, her layers, emotions and trauma. I really enjoy some shows that *make* you think, even if it can be confusing the first time around. It'd be fun to see Billie Eilish more in more horror/thriller roles. From her past music videos to her portrayal of Eva, she definitely fits that genre well.

[@shyna5672]

Studies have shown since I've been binge watching about this series is that when serial killers are in full affect of killing. They have a the urge to binge eat, especially with junk food. Like with Jeff Dahmer they notce his apartment filled with junk food... specifically chocolate so much so that he worked at the chocolate factory. Also with Ramerez The Night Stalker... After he killed his victims he would eat everything out of their fridge when he was done. Him and Dahmer would literally sleep with food in or around their bed. The Night Stalker had really bad B.O that the officers didn't even want to arrest him because the smell made them physically sick. I seen that part on my own from watching the netfix documentary on him.

[@jordinometry1589]

“Super-happy-adult-fun-time scene” 😂 I like that

[@gqbloke]

I enjoyed the show. It was fresh and unique. I was confused at times, but my curiosity kept me locked in. I can’t wait for Glover’s next show.

[@kitrinka37]

Hunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnty swarm was wild AF smh. I love the fact that we're making more movies that aren't the typical

[@Cinderhella_]

Okay mustache!! 😍 Loved this show, it was a wild ride and Dom Fishback was amazing 🤩

[@neomohoto8861]

Domique gave me chills like Claire Foy did in the Crown and Viola Davis did in HTGAWM

[@carlyb7707]

The last scene was a hallucination and she was actually being taken into a cop car, in the previous episode the detective mentioned they got her in custody after the concert

[@dylanchilders]

Im pretty sure you’re not supposed to think the part about Ni’Jah letting her sing and go home with her was real. Personally I got the sense that everything up to the point of her being dragged away by security was real, and then everything after was her snapping and completely losing touch with reality

[@Wura18]

7:09 they are only shaming Chloe and not Idris damson.. the sexism is insane

[@LiaPataca]

Honestly I think the relatioship Dre had with Rashida was exacly what Dre pictured as her relation with Marissa. So basically , the murder of Rashida was actually what went down with Marissa (Rashida storyline was just an allutination when Dre realized she murder her sister).

[@keesworld111]

what if Dre killed Marissa then had a mental break and sent all those texts to herself from Marissa's phone as a cover up? and eventually believed her own delusion bc it was easier than living in reality? If you go back and read the text thread that honest makes a lot more sense to me.

[@melaniesinclair8380]

A lot of what we have seen through Dre are her delusions because she's been in psychosis since her sister's death. That's why we see text bubbles pop up on the phone screen when we see she's holding the phone with both hands as if her sister was actually texting her, seeing her sister's face on Naija's body, etc.

[@MissPraesepe]

I loved this! It was so well shot and there were moments of outstanding acting. Just incredibly creative throughout.

[@masterjade1166]

So during the Billie scene Eva asks when was the first time Dre heard Na’jiah and Dre talks about being home with her grandma. Dre says something like “I spilled the milk” and Eva replies “what color was the milk” anf Dre replies “red”. This implies that the first time Dre heard Ni’jiah was when she killed her grandma. So at the start of the show we are left to assume that Dre killed Marissa, and we know that Marissa and Dre bonded heavily through Ni’Jiah. And that’s why she’s so ambitious about killing Ni’jiah haters because Dre feels they’re also insulting Marissa. That final scene was all one huge hallucination because in ep 6 the detective mentions Ni’Jiah being bit on stage and that’s what happens in the final episode. Her sister taking her to her car was actually Dre being arrested for getting on stage.

[@keasiabritton]

But we don't know for sure if Dre killed her grandma, I see where you got that from. Dre's grandma said, "What did you do?", after she "spilled the milk". I mean, yeah, she could've killed her but I don't see someone asking another person what they did after they killed said person.

[@viimaharma]

In the mockumentary you get to know what actually went down. In that episode, the "real life" Dre/Toni, Andrea Greene, jumped on stage and was arrested. And that was definitely what happened to Dre/Toni as well, we just don't see that because she is an unreliable narrator.

[@serioussmoke1123]

Just finished watching and it's mesmerising. ❤

[@brayanvillanueva7527]

I think SWARM is one of those shows that are meant to have a season two before even filming season one. That being said, season two needs to be confirmed! Season two will bring everything together and after watching, i feel like people will go back to watching season one to two, which will make the creators of this show the most talked about creators in black hollywood.

[@brayanvillanueva7527]

Nevermind! Season two is not happening and that's upsetting! But then again the true crime story of the real Dre is still out there and that is why we won't see more of the detective because she is still looking for her.

[@noemielortie8988]

I think that the representation of the serial killer was well done in this show because she’s not sexualized in a romantic way if that makes sense

[@nicolesherman8974]

“Who’s your favorite artist?”

[@L_R..]

I was so confused if this was actually a real story or not. Still confused tbh because when they did that episode with the investigator and incorporating the real photos I was like hold up a minute is this real??? Like legit question tho is this an actual real case where a Beyoncé fan stalked people..

[@synesthesia.aesthetic]

Great cast! Great twists and turns! Odd ending! I screamed when I saw Ricky 🙌👐 I will never look at a Himalayan salt lamp the same again

[@lialand109]

i wish we'd got to see more of chloe's character! she's suuuuch a good actor i was so sad when she just died lmao

[@ginahorton8886]

Top 10 shows of all time! Dominique needs to be nominated for something she was awesome!!!!

[@CapN-Savvy]

Complete Mind F*^%$ and I loved every minute of it. I believe the end was all in Dre's head. In the previous episode the Detective made a comment along the lines, "Maybe at a Ni'Jah concert I can run into Andrea there... I better start saving up." I believe that that detective was at the Ni'Jah concert where Dre walked up on the stage.

[@henrywells6223]

This show is about how Hollywood portrays black women. Hollywood usually shows blk women as the victim, the help, the motherly type,the good friend and everyones favorite the strong independent don't need no man characters and sometimes combinations of more than one of these. This show challenges what Hollywood has been showing us versus what we see in real life. Strippers that kill men helping them with a flat tire (true story) a cult attempting to indoctrinate black women (true story, ie. Feminist) Dre is a sensationalized representation of women, blk women in particular.

[@iantodd6840]

At first I was turned off by it, because I didn't get it it, but then got to understand what it was about by watching reviews like this on KZbin. The fact that she's a disturbed person and she's the narrator of her own story, is the reason for not getting it, because her mind is messing, and the series is reflecting that!

[@jama3997]

People keep trying to theorize that Dre killed Marissa but I don’t think she did and I don’t know how people keep coming to that conclusion. Dre was with that guy the whole night and Marissa already had a history of suicide attempts. Dre kissed her wrist and marissa said “you don’t have to do that every time you see it” like she was trying to reassure her that she wouldn’t do it again. It seemed Dre was genuinely afraid for her and would kiss it to let her know she loved her. Think about it also bc old dude was ashamed to go to the funeral. He knew that he was the reason she killed herself. Why would Dre kill Marissa for coming back after he cheated on her? She would’ve been happy. Also, the messages were coming in at a time where Dre was hooking up with someone and Marissa was seen in the videos saying all that “she’s our sister. She’s a goddess. She’s our mother” shit so the text messages before she killed herself were very much HER and definitely not Dre.

[@kaithleen3872]

my only thing with chloe’s sex scene is that i think young women get taken advantage, having that be her acting debut will make it harder to find high paying jobs with the old whites bc they do judge really harshly. i just hope this doesn’t impact her & her agent has her best interest in mind

[@jennamarie4009]

acting debut? she has been in several other shows/movies

[@c0smicchelsea]

It’s actually not her acting debut 😭she been acting since she was a kid and also had a pretty big role in grownish

[@lis6226]

I LITERALLY JUST FINISHED WATCHING IT I AM TERRIFIED

[@camilleturner5747]

swarm was one of the only shows i was able to fully binge watch and actually care about. it is not trash - u either get it or u don’t.

[@Pinkyhellokitty92]

I think it would be cool for it to be like American horror stories and branch off each season on other celebrities fans

[@Nyjah_Yates]

I think something that stuck with me was in episode 4, Dre reveals why she stopped praying was bc “God was an echo,” and that having a connection with the title of the episode: Only God makes Good Endings. God in this sense is echoing her desires and hopes onto Dre letting her meet Ni’jah and she Marissa all in one go. Writers b writing ✍️

[@Nyjah_Yates]

Also my name also being Nyjah was a TRIP

[@kianahrwilliams1360]

Oh so that was Billie eyelash 😂 I was thinking like “yo this girl looks and sound just like Billie wtf” but I never knew Billie could act, she was hella good in this

[@thrbrandao]

Is there gonna be a breakdown/part2 for this video?👀 Thank you so much for it. I’ve finished the show in 2 days and I can’t stop thinking about it

[@Secret413]

I have a feeling when she was in the girls group it was really in a mental hospital. The cop probably did finder in a car and brought her to the hospital. And Cricket was probably a nurse at the hospital

[@visualries]

this show reminds me of the movie "pearl" starring mia goth, giving us a very _violent_ villain (or antihero, depending on how you receive it) as a main character! i think the show was intended to make stans rethink how they're supporting these celebrities, but honestly it just made me love dre since i already love pearl LMAOOO

[@itzjdub282]

I loved this series. I have so many questions but blown away at the same time