For a moment in time, the world of pop culture was tilted on its axis when the incomparable actress Dominique Fishback gave an outstanding performance as Dre, the serial killing, crazed fan of the Beyoncé-esque celebrity star Ni’Jah (played by Nirine S. Brown) in the Prime Video television series Swarm. The Donald Glover produced ode to fandom was released nearly one year ago on March 17, delivering seven episodes of the twisted love letter to Beyhive fanatics.
Entertaining and insulting at the same time, the critically acclaimed thriller written by Janine Nabers opened up a universe of potential sagas covering an array of fanbases. Since Beyoncé had the honor of living rent-free in the minds of the creators in the first season, isn’t it due time that Taylor Swift’s fans, “The Swifties,” also receive a little love and critique?
It certainly would be a worthy investment for Amazon, the parent company over streamer Prime Video. Swarm (2023) made a notable imprint with nominations from the NAACP’s Image Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and many others, while taking home the 2024 People’s Choice Awards and ReFrame honor. The television series was ranked the No. 4 most popular show with a peak 52.95 engagement score for the weekend of its release (March 17, 2023), according to Television Stats.
Given the huge hoopla surrounding the silent-but-loud competition between the Beyhive and Swifties, and Taylor’s undeniable ability to draw eyes, as she did with the NFL and on her highly-profitable tour, The Eras Tour, a season of Swifties going on a murder spree (or robbery-themed shopping spree) for their beloved would be quite entertaining.
THROW IT BACK ARTICLE: Review: ‘Swarm’ Dives Into The Darkside With A ‘Dexter’-Type Protagonist And Unpredictable Storytelling
Not so shockingly, that epic season may never be. Fishback confirmed in Nov. 2023 that the series lost its stinger and won’t be coming back for another season.
“No season two, but, I’m OK with that,” Fishback told People on the Gotham Awards red carpet. “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 really to end on a high.”
Well, well, well… How convenient. Despite the enormous impact on pop culture and riveting, standout performances, highlighting the acting chops of not only Fishback, but Chloe Bailey, Billie Eilish, Paris Jackson, and Karen Rodriguez, to name a few, another product of millennial entertainment bites the dust.
It’s so unfair how the irreverent portrayal of fans of an icon who happens to be Black receives the greenlight, gets just enough exposure to mold perceptions, and is cancelled before the ideology of the series can be applied outside of Black culture. What about the Swifties, one of the largest fandoms to hit the land of the free, and beyond, since Michael Jackson and the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer?
The Swifties have called off of work, amassed credit card debt, and withstood extreme conditions to see the country-turned-pop icon in action. The dedication has reached extreme levels in some cases. In Nov. 2023, Ana Clara Benevides, a diehard supporter of Swift, sadly lost her life at the age of 23 due to heat exhaustion while waiting to attend the Eras Tour in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Not to mention the various social media wars that explode in defense of the “Shake It Off” singer. Even those who proclaim to despise Swifties have turned out to be lowkey hate watchers (in other words, admirers) of the star, as they critique her every move. Perhaps Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have more in common than fans would like to think.
So, why in the world would Swarm not come back for another season with different actors and a new story to tell? Even if not for the Swifties, there’s Nicki Minaj’s Barbs, Rihanna’s Navy, and Drake’s Graham Crackers.
What are the creators up to these days? Well, Donald Glover can currently be seen on Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith. There’s also chatter about Community getting a feature film treatment. Janine Nabers has been making rounds on the interview circuit and recently was honored at the Kodak Film Awards, but her next official production has yet to be revealed — though word on the street is that she is penning a Donna Summer biopic.
The deadening of creative works such as Swarm seem to be commonplace in Hollywood. The same frustration of cancellation resides in series like the Emmy-winning Lovecraft Country (RIP 2020) created by Misha Green, who is busy with the Tomb Raider 2 screenplay, or the Lena Waithe produced Them, created by Little Marvin, which never saw a sophomore season after its 2021 debut.
It’s a tangent to the conversation regarding Swarm and the Swifties, but it still drives the point that Millennial entertainment appears to have the curtain pulled before it can even explore its full potential. Why is that? The thought has already been put out there. The idea already manifested. Swarm, in particular, gave the energy of someone throwing rocks and hiding hands, then quickly using the clout to propel other projects.
Who will have the courage to “stand on business” and see a series like the provocative Swarm all the way through? If you have the audacity to go in on a Black icon and her fans, don’t get cold feet when it’s time to expand that idea to others just as famous, if not perceivably more famous than the former.
