Swarm is the latest series to take Prime Video by storm as each episode not only offers up an enthralling storyline but also features some unexpected cameos including one from singing superstar Billie Eilish.
*WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Swarm*
Since exploding onto the music scene in just her teens, Billie Eilish’s career has gone from strength to strength, winning numerous awards, performing the opening theme of a Bond movie and becoming one of the most-played artists on the planet.
Now, the 21-year-old is exploring a new career opportunity taking her first foray into acting by appearing in the Prime Video thriller series Swarm – but in which episode of the show does Billie Eilish appear and who does she play?
Billie Eilish stars in Swarm
Billie Eilish appears in her very first acting role in Swarm.
She plays a character named Eva who is the leader of a women’s empowerment group that befriends Dre and welcomes her in as one of their own.
However, it quickly becomes clear that there’s a little more to the group than just group hikes and meditation as their fanaticism borders on that of a cult.
Like Dre, the character of Eva and her group are fictional creations. However, they have been inspired by real-life people and events.
Specifically, Eva’s group is loosely based on the cult known as NXIVM which was founded by Keith Raniere and presented itself as a multilevel marketing company that specialized in human development.
In reality, the group – which was founded in 1998 and had 700 members at its height – was a front for racketeering and sex trafficking.
In October 2020, Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison and was fined $1.75 million for his part in running NCIVM.
Speaking to Billboard about the inspiration for Eva’s cult, Swarm’s co-creator Janine Nabers said: “I think that when people think of the idea of artists or celebrities, there is this idea of thinking about the cult of Taylor Swift, or the cult of The Beatles or whatever.
“What we were really interested in was just seeing someone who worships at the altar of ‘something,’ and [exploring] this idea of what is the cult of the mind.”
What episode of Swarm is Billie Eilish in?
Billie Eilish appears in episode 4 of Swarm.
Titled Running Scared, the episode sees Dre heading to the Bonnaroo music festival when she is stopped by a police officer. It’s a tense moment as the backseat of the car is covered in blood but the cop lets her go but demands to follow her to her hotel.
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When she stops at a gas station, another young woman named Cricket accosts the police officer and manages to get rid of him, before inviting Dre to come back and stay with her and her ‘friends.’
Dre agrees and they arrive at a huge house out in the countryside where we’re introduced to Billie Eilish’s character, Eva.
She’s instantly disarming and charms Dre into staying, before they spend the next few days going on early-morning hikes and taking part in meditation together.
Matters take a concerning turn when Dre notices that her phone is missing and Eva later quizzes her about the bloodstained car seat and gets Dre to admit that she’s hurt people in the past.
Eventually, Dre is invited to take part in a fireside ceremony but in the distance, she hears the music from the festival and she panics, realizing that she’s missing the long-awaited performance of the Beyoncé-inspired singer Ni’Jah.
Eva and the other women attempt to stop Dre from leaving but things turn bloody when Dre attempts to speed away and runs over Eva, killing her.
To make matters worse, the bloodshed ended up being for nothing as Dre missed Ni’Jah’s performance at the festival, leaving her to watch it on her phone.
Fans praise acting newcomer’s performance
It’s safe to say that Billie Eilish’s appearance in Swarm is a surprising one but what was even more unexpected is the fact that the acting newcomer absolutely steals the show and has won plenty of praise from fans on social media.
One fan on Twitter wrote: “I never would have thought Billie Eilish could act as well as she did in Swarm. She was excellent.”
While another added: “Listen, I know cults are NEVER a good thing. But Eva made her cult seem so peaceful and she seemed like she cared about all those girls. Especially Dre. She had good points about her always being on her phone along with her trauma. Billie Eilish played tf out of Eva!!”
“If Billie Eilish decided to focus on acting, she could be one of the greatest,” commented this fan. “She’s THAT good in Swarm. Haunting and hypnotic, you’ll willingly follow her into the deepest & darkest parts of the world. The scene between her and Dominique Fishback is raw and honest.”
This fan commented: “Billie Eilish is a natural! She made an incredible acting debut in Swarm and has me *sold* that I’d join her creepy cult. She’s captivating, terrifying, and sweet. Hope she sticks with creative, off-beat projects in the future.”
And finally, this surprised fan said: “I wasn’t expecting to say this – Billie Eilish nailed her role on Swarm. She has a very natural onscreen presence.
Swarm is available to stream now on Prime Video after releasing on Friday, March 17, 2023.
In other news, Is Loretta Greene a real person? Swarm episode 6 introduces Memphis detective
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