Abysses

I heard a few bad things before watching. I don't agree with them.

Having seen three episodes so far, it seems to be a good show. Of course, there are five more episodes to go. We will see if they change my mind.

What's good so far is the build up of suspense. You get the idea that there is something up pretty fast, but you are kept clueless about the details. Some think it's a bit long-winded, but I like the pace of the first three episodes.

They saved money and kept the action/disaster scenes a bit short, but I don't mind that too much.

I read the book when it came out, almost 20 years ago. I don't remember much, so I don't mind that there are differences.

Once again I almost miss out on a series because I made the mistake of reading reviews on imdb, but thankfully I decided to watch it and make up my own mind, yes it is a little bit slow in parts, but nowhere near as bad as some have said. The story is actually very good, as is the acting, and yes things do actually happen, also there's a couple of familiar faces, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers from Game of Thrones, and Rune Temte from The Last Kingdom.

So if anyone is thinking of watching this, don't be put off by the reviews on here, watch it for yourself and make up your own mind, like me you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here's the thing if you have read the book "The Swarm" it sounds like you might not be a fan of this TV adaptation. If you haven't then enjoy it like I am. It seems common for book fans to trash any TV/movie version of the work they love, so use your own judgment and don't be swayed by the naysayers.

Three episodes in I'm' really intrigued. I love the different global locations and the sense that nature is rebelling at human's ecological destruction.

The budget must be major considering how well it's shot and looks, acting is good, the suspense is building and I love how slowly things are revealed. I can't wait for future episodes.

None of the critics like this series. I do! The book, which I read 20 years ago, was at the level of a penny dreadful, with amateurishly crafted action scenes copied from movies and implausible characters. All this is no longer present in the first three episodes of der Schwarm, or has been completely deleted from the script. No more military saving the world, no more Wolfgang Emmerich doomsdays on the screen. Instead, slow plot developments with small, subtle catastrophes. This makes you want more and is decidedly different from the usual German series you see on TV. And fortunately, different from the book!

I loved "The Swarm". But in its printed form, as the book was a clever and thrilling science thriller that had a few flaws but was nevertheless a page turner. So, I was looking forward to the show, expecting an intelligent thrill ride.

But nope.

This show would've been better off, if one of the bigger streaming services would have given it the right treatment. But this Euro-Production led by German national TV station ZDF is more talking about what happens, then showing it. The effects are nothing special and the changes they made could've worked, if not executed so poorly.

The cast is okay, though, but even they are not able to save the swarm from being a below average thriller/drama that has its moments but is not able to transport the feeling of a global, apocalyptic threat to the screen.

Everything seems "small" and the "possible end of the world" danger is absolutely lacking.

The author himself was not happy with the result and said in an interview "it is more soap, then thriller", and sadly, he is right. I would have given it 6 stars, but the last episode was such a disappointment, that I think an average rating for an average show is just right.

Maybe a bigger studio or streaming service will jump in and make it right. "The Swarm" deserves it!