THE SWARM – Season 1 Episode 2 – limited spoilers

On the research vessel Thorvaldson in the Norwegian Sea, Captain Jasper Alban (Oliver Masucci) meets Professor Sigur Johanson (Alexander Karim) as his helicopter lands. Tina Lund (Krista Kosonen), who works for an energy company called Hovedstad, is also onboard. A new species of methane ice worm (Sirsoe methanicola) has been discovered, and it reproduces quickly. The worms, much larger than similar species at this latitude, feed on ocean floor bacteria, and the bacteria also seem to be multiplying at an accelerated rate. Tina reports to her bosses at Hovedstad, Aaren Stone (Rune Tente) and Erika Skaugen (Eva Röse), telling them two new species. whose range is unknown, have been discovered. Tina and Sigur return to the Thorvaldson; a core sample is taken; and the drill strikes a pocket of gas. The released methane bubbles to the surface, nearly sinking the ship.

Two friends of Charlie Wagner (Leonie Benesch), Jess (Andrea Guo) and Tomas (David Vormweg), are aboard the research vessel Juno, which recently departed Iceland. Charlie sends Jess birthday greetings via email from the Shetlands, then the Juno encounters what seems to be an undersea quake. Methane bubbles to the surface, and this time the loss of buoyancy is sufficient to sink the boat.

At the Institute for Marine Biology in Kiel, Rahim Amir (Eidin Jalali) suggests that Dr. Johanson plans to rubberstamp drilling approval for Hovedstad, Dr. Lehmann (Barbara Sukowa) seems to over-react. Lehman castigates Amir, saying: “You are entitled to your own opinion, whether I agree with it or not. But what you are not entitled to do is to insult someone with whom this Institute has dealings. You want to challenge Dr. Johanson? Go to Trondheim, sit in one of his lectures. And when he asks for questions, ask him. Until then, you pay him the respect that he deserves.”

Johanson himself seems unfazed by the criticism. Tina persuades him to join her at an International Energy Council conference in Geneva.

In British Columbia, Leon Anuwak (Joshua Odjick) speaks with Capain Akito Nakamura (Hal Yamanouchi) of the freighter Barrier Queen. The captain explains that his rudder became inoperable soon after he entered Canadian waters and tugboats were called to guide him into port. A humpback whale landed on each of two tugs, in a way similar to how a whale landed on LIzzie Stringer’s boat in the first episode. When the Barrier Queen reached port, its rudder was heavily coated with mussels. Similar reports, we are told, have come from up and down the Pacific coast. Shortly before meeting the captain, Leon has what might (or might not) be a chance encounter with Astrophysicist Samantha Crowe (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) who is in town on holiday and recognizes Leon from a flyer for his whale talks. She gives him her card and suggests he call before she and her companion leave.

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the southernmost fishing village on the French Atlantic coast, Chef Bouquillon (Francis Pardeilhan) is preparing a lobster when the creature explodes, spraying him with liquid. Two of his co-workers, Miguel Gilberto (Christian Burruano) and Granelli (Franziska Weisz), dispose of the lobster. All three die after suffering from black vomit, high fever, and acute diarrhea.

The case comes to the attention of Dr. Cecille Roche (Cécile de France). On the same day, Dr. Roche discovers that her children, Isabelle (Alba Gaïa Bellugi) and Louis (Vittorio Fiorini), have spontaneously decided to take a ten-hour train ride from their father’s place in Belgium (where they are supposed to be living) and visit her.

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All 8 episodes of THE SWARM can be streamed on The CW website in the US,
on ZDF in Germany, and on Hulu in Japan.