Tremors 7: Why The Graboids Can Cross The Ocean Now

In Tremors: Shrieker Island, the nature of the Graboids has evolved beyond their expected behaviors and can now cross the ocean with ease. While the 2020 movie suggested that it was merely a sign of their evolution, it could mean something much bigger than that. Now that Tremors: Shrieker Island has established that Graboids can transform beyond the initial understanding of the creatures, here’s an explanation as to how they evolved to travel across water, and what this new detail could mean for possible future installments in the franchise.

The first installment in the Tremors franchise released in 1990 and was directed by Ron Underwood. The horror comedy starred Kevin Bacon as Val McKee, Fred Ward as Earl Bassett, Finn Carter as Rhonda LeBeck, Michael Gross as Burt Gummer, and Víctor Wong as Walter Chang. It introduced the horror genre to Graboids. They are an invertebrate creature that come in four different forms as they mature into the deadliest stage in their lifecycle: Graboid eggs, Dirt Dragons, Shriekers, and Ass Blasters. It traditionally travels under the surface of the Earth and spiral out like a corkscrew to attack prey, similar to Dune’s sandworms. There are three known breeds of the creatures. The first was revealed in Tremors 2. When a fossil was uncovered, the Graboid creature was thought to be almost as old as the Earth. The second breed is recognized as a part of the evolutionary cycle, introduced in Tremors 5: Bloodlines. They are called Ass Blasters, and primarily live in Africa. The third lives in the arctic and appeared in Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell. 

Tremors: Shrieker Island introduced a new Graboid that can cross the ocean, when scientists initially believed and trusted that they couldn’t. In the first few moments in the movie, Bill (Richard Brake) tells Dr. Jasmine ‘Jas’ Welker (Caroline Langrishe) that he was breeding Graboids and brought them to the island, but only four of his remain in existence. To which, she responds that there are only three remaining due to the deceased one they uncovered. Based on this information, there are several possibilities that could explain how Graboids gained the ability to cross water.

In Tremors: Shrieker Island, the queen Graboid burrows from one island to the next. It isn’t fully explained by the characters, some of which are scientists, why this new ability has surfaced in the creatures. They briefly touch on it being a behavior that has evolved over time. While this is plausible, it opens a wide door for the franchise to continue for many years to come if they can evolve so quickly and drastically. Considering the fact that Bill was breeding Graboids, it is entirely possible that the breeding led to a new species with brand new capabilities. The prospects of evolution seem more plausible than a breeding theory based on the species of Graboids that currently exist.

Water does not necessarily harm Graboids, as was seen when a third species was introduced to the series in the 2018 movie Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell. There are arctic Graboids who maneuver through thick sheets of ice and what lies beneath it — water. It is entirely possible that the explanation is as simple as evolution. Despite this fact, it is far more plausible to posit this species of Graboid evolved to be closer to their Arctic counterparts, and will eventually become an oceanic species. Or, one could assume that they’ve always had this capability, but no means to utilize it until Tremors 7.

A breeding theory could’ve been a bit more exciting for the franchise than the prospect of evolution, which is a missed opportunity for the Tremors series. While there may be another explanation that’s yet to be revealed, the only sensible one is that they is evolved to this point or have always been this way. Based on what’s readily available about the Graboids, it’s entirely unknown how deep they can dive. While the ocean seems very deep to humans, to Graboids it may look like a child’s swimming pool. Ultimately, the Graboids in Tremors: Shrieker Island must’ve evolved to this point; it’s likely this created a new species of Graboids in the process, which will hopefully be explored further in a Tremors 8 movie.

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