Spoilers forward for Swarm Episode 4. Billie Eilish is an actor now, which in all probability wasn’t in your 2023 bingo card. The “Happier Than Ever” singer makes her shock performing debut in Donald Glover’s new collection Swarm, which stars Dominique Fishback as Dre, a fan of R&B icon Ni’Jah, who’s closely impressed by Beyoncé, and proud member of The Swarm (a riff on the Beyhive). Dre’s obsession with Ni’Jah rapidly grows too sinister, endangering the “goddess” she claims to idolize. Eilish seems within the present’s fourth episode and will get concerned in Dre’s journey in methods that you’d by no means see coming.
Eilish performs Eva, a seemingly soft-spoken and welcoming younger lady who seems to be the chief of a NXIVM-inspired intercourse cult, and the references are uncanny. NXIVM got here to public consideration after founder Keith Raniere was arrested on expenses of federal intercourse trafficking, racketeering, and possession of kid pornography, with accusations that he ran a gaggle inside NXIVM that saved ladies as intercourse prisoners. Docuseries like HBO’s The Vow and Starz’ Seduced featured former members of the so-called self-help group speaking in regards to the alleged abuse they suffered as a part of what they now consider to have been a cult. In October 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in jail.
Much like NXIVM’s reported subgroup DOS, Eva’s group DecaWin advertises itself as a “ladies’s empowerment group,” geared toward “unlocking feminine potential by instructing, studying, coaching, and most of all, therapeutic,” as Eva described it. Like some former DOS members have equally reported, the ladies of DecaWin have been branded with symbols of spirituality and achievement that point out their everlasting dedication to the group.
Eva provides Dre “remedy classes” that rapidly flip into hypnosis workout routines, which allows Dre to spill darkish secrets and techniques about her previous and real love of homicide that she had by no means admitted to anybody earlier than. Identical to former NXIVM members have reported, Eva and her minions used this info and Dre’s telephone as “collateral” to make use of towards her if she doesn’t observe protocol.
Nevertheless, in contrast to many cult victims, Dre rapidly discovers what was being finished to her after realizing they knowingly let her miss Ni’Jah’s headlining set at Bonnaroo (sure, they’re nodding to Beychella). What Eva failed to comprehend is that Dre’s dedication to the twisted DecaWin would by no means be as robust as her twisted devotion to Ni’Jah, as confirmed when she escapes by working over Eva together with her automobile with no second thought.
In keeping with Leisure Tonight, casting director Carmen Cuba had the concept to have Eilish seem within the Amazon collection, understanding that the 7-time Grammy winner needed to foray into performing. Eilish’s silver display debut is small however mighty, successful rave critiques from critics who couldn’t even establish her of their critiques because of Amazon’s embargo, with Rolling Stone saying it was “excellent work” and The Hollywood Reporter writing that her cameo “is so good that anyone who ruins it beforehand needs to be cursed by an unlucky run-in with Dre.” Eilish is already midway to an EGOT, and if the reward continues, an Emmy might be her subsequent step.