What you should know about Amazon’s Swarm is that it’s a wild ride. This satirical comedy-horror series follows a young woman, Dre, who makes desperate attempts to get close to a Beyoncé-esque pop star, to the point of committing murder. It was a compelling tale and one that was self-contained, as it looks like it’ll indeed remain a limited series. With the series not getting any more new episodes, Dominique Fishback, who took on the lead role shared her feelings about her stint playing Dre being over.
This series is easily one of the best Amazon Prime original shows to binge-watch, in great part because of how addictive it is. It’s allusions to “stan” culture are also incredibly compelling. The Donald Glover-produced series told a dark story story, and Dominque Fishback absolutely shined as the lead of the Swarm cast. While talking about the production’s conclusion with People, Fishback explained that it “always” meant to be a miniseries. While some may be disappointed that the story is over, the actress herself seems to be at peace with it:
No season 2. But I’m OK with that. I’m OK with that because I feel like the shock factor of the first season really got people — and sometimes when you try to go back in there, I don’t want it to be shock for shock value. You want it to really to end on a high.
For those who haven’t seen Swarm, spoilers of the finale are down below!
The comedy-horror series absolutely did end on a high note. Dre, in her usual murderous fashion, killed her way to get into the concert of her idolized pop star Ni’jah. She climbed up to the stage to get close to her idol but was stopped by a group of security guards. The star, Ni’jah, came to her rescue and had her sing at the concert. Viewers then saw Dre in a loving embrace with Ni’jah. The question of whether or not all of that was real was never specified, though. For all we know, maybe Dre was taken by the police before she could get close to her favorite singer and simply imagined all of that. Nevertheless, at the end of the series, fans saw Dre find the acceptance she’d been seeking.
What seemed captivate fans the most about Swarm was all of the real-life parallels. While Beyoncé had no part in the show, the character of Ni’jah appeard to be loosely based on the Grammy winner and her fanbase, “the BeyHive” (or called The Swarm on the series). Because the “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” singer had no involvement in the series, its creator, Janine Nabers, made sure to be careful. In fact, she wrote Beyoncé a letter to let her know that the Prime series was made “with a lot of respect” towards her. She also wanted to let the former Destiny’s Child member know the series was a love letter to Black women, which showcases a “conflicting Black woman who’s fighting for another Black woman.”
Though Dominique Fishback’s time as Dre is done, there are plenty of other projects in which fans can watch her. There’s her life-changing role in Judas and the Black Messiah, in which she played Black Panther Party member Deborah Johnson. Earlier this year, she also co-lead Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. 2023 has been a big year for her, to say the least. Aside from starring in the blockbuster and miniseries, she also received a nomination at the 75th Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her work on the latter. I’ll cross my fingers that she wins.
It’s certainly bittersweet that Swarm won’t be returning for more episodes. Yet at the very least, I’m glad Dominique Fishback appears to be fine with it and that she was able to help tell such an interesting story. You have the chance to become part of the fandom by streaming the popular series using a Prime Video subscription. And keep your eyes focused on the 2024 TV schedule, in case Fishback lands another small-screen production.