The swarm has been fully available for streaming in the ZDF media library for a week. But not everyone understood the end of the series. Which may not least be due to the fact that the ending differs from Frank Schätzing’s book. Elsewhere we already have you covered in detail the end of the series of The Swarm explained. Here we want to point out where exactly the 4 major differences to the template lay.
Attention, follow from here Spoilers for the book and series The Swarm.
How does the novel Der Schwarm by Frank Schätzing end?
Whether in Frank Schätzing’s Der Schwarm * with the iconic cover or in the new limited edition of the novel *: the template may have different designs, but they are always the same literary ending: most of the characters are dead and there is a tentative truce between yrr and humans. From now on, the homo sapiens have to come to terms with the new sea intelligence and deal with nature differently if the attacks are not to start again.
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The swarm
The book The Swarm has a deliberately (somewhat) open ending. The Series makes it a cliffhanger, which remains unclear as to how it will continue: Charlie first communicated properly with the Yrr, but what exactly did she achieve and how was she changed by it? While the novel is not designed for a sequel, the ZDF production is looking at one in its 8th episode Season 2 for The Swarm.
Book vs. series: These are the 4 big differences at the end
To understand how far the series has removed the ending of The Swarm from the original book, we’ll show you the 4 most important changes in detail on:
1. In the novel The Swarm, the military becomes a threat
A second major opponentwhich shakes up the novel The Swarm, is that US military. While most scientists are looking for a peaceful solution to communications, the CIA and General Judith Li in particular are pursuing an eradication of the Yrr. It doesn’t matter what the associated damage to the seas would mean for humanity (which will then probably also die out).
In the end, such CIA plans play no part in the series The Swarm. Although a poison option (with ketamine) is briefly considered in the cinematic adaptation, it is never seriously pursued. Instead of people like in the book in two bitter camps split, the Yrr remain the only real enemy in the series.
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The swarm: Prof. Lehmann doubts the yrr communication
2. That’s how different the Yrr are and defeating them in the book The Swarm
Who the Yrr are in The Swarm and how to defeat them, we have explained to you in detail elsewhere. The differences in a nutshell: In the novel, an Yrr pheromone, with which the parts of the swarm recognize each other as a collective, plays an important role. By pumping a human corpse full of this messenger substance and handing it over to the swarm via submersible, the Yrr analyze the humans as their own kind for the first time. The series takes a more emotional approach, with Charlie “infecting” himself alive with the Yrr and sacrificing it so that successful communication can take place in the sea (and the swarm may also learn to understand human feelings and motivations).
What is also decisively different is that the swarm in the book in depth a kind Yrr Queen which Karen Weaver (who has been changed to Charlie Wagner on the show) descends to at the end.
3. Significantly more main characters die in the book The Swarm
While much of the series cast survives the showdown of The Swarm, author Frank Schätzing kills many of his characters much more radical:
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The swarm: the series cast
Karen Weaver (the model for Charlie Wagner), on the other hand, survives her dive in the novel without a martyr’s death and is also no risen yrr mutation. She is one of the few surviving main characters alongside Samantha Crowe and Leon Anawak.
4. This is how the world situation is changed at the end of the novel The Swarm
When the series The Swarm ends abruptly after Charlie washed up on the beach, only the freed from the iceberg grip science ship shows that the Yrr have stopped their attack. In Frank Schätzing’s book, on the other hand, a Epilogue to the world situationwhat happens next:
Everywhere on earth the attacks from the sea cease. The Yrr are still around, but are now observing how humanity continues to behave. This is now trying to overcome the losses in terms of population, infrastructure and worldview. What is destroyed must be rebuilt. However, without exploiting the ocean as ruthlessly as before. Because the ongoing ceasefire can be lifted at any time if there is another misstep.
Podcast: Is the swarm a million dollar grave or better than its reputation?
The ZDF production Der Schwarm devoured around 40 million euros. The publication was accompanied by a lot of criticism. Even bestselling author Frank Schätzing took a stand against the series.
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In the podcast we therefore talk about the qualities of the series. Are millions of euros wasted here or can The Swarm keep up with the big competition from Hollywood? In addition, we speculate in the spoiler section whether the finale prepares for a second season.
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