Sweet Tooth Season 2 review: Team Gus vs The Last Men

Sweet Tooth Season 2 is finally here, picking up where things left off, showcasing more cuteness (mainly Bobby’s doing) as we see more of the hybrid children, their human protectors, and the evil band of men who monetise fear for their own benefit – all coming down to a hopeful yet bittersweet conclusion.

Back in 2021, it didn’t take long for Sweet Tooth to capture attention. Within the first five minutes of the first episode, we were already introduced to a world that reflected much like ours: a viral outbreak that immediately resulted in harrowing tragedies. Coincidentally, the emergence of the “sick” happened at the same time when children were mysteriously being born with animal features, with the exception of Gus, who was born a year earlier before the virus hit.

But unlike other post-apocalyptic shows like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us, the fantasy aspect of Sweet Tooth, alongside the adventures it carries and its fairy tale-style narration by James Brolin, adds a warm, whimsical element to it. Not to mention the refreshing dose of innocence that’s rare in a world ravaged by disease and terror. “He’d tell me to grow a pair,” Gus tells Wendy as he speaks fondly of Big Man and what his father figure would say if things got tougher. A pair of what, she asks? “I don’t know. He never said.”

But make no mistake, the series, which is an adaptation of Jeff Lemire’s comic book of the same name, still presents a world that has gone through so much it got more vicious. While some survivors grow meeker with fear, others decide that distancing themselves from their humanity is the best way to go. We see more of these survivors, the Last Men, in Sweet Tooth Season 2. 

The new season, of course, picks up where the debut season left off. Gus is captured by the Last Men, while Big Man is left for dead. Helping the reformed Last Man to recuperate is Aimee, the founder of the Preserve and maternal figure to the hybrids, who have also been taken away.

Watching the first few episodes of the second season would likely make one feel like they’re watching a kids’ show: Children with cute animal characteristics bonding over their shared ordeal, while also being clever and resourceful to scheme their escape. Then comes the mean grownups with their bravado and penchant for making everything worse. Like in a fairy tale, there must be a presence of loathsome wickedness. So when the villains begin to do their thing and more, we’re reminded that while Sweet Tooth has tenderness, it’s not suitable for young children. It’s still a post-apocalyptic show after all. 

Speaking of adults reminding us of a bad world, Neil Sandilands’ General Abbot proves to be a scene-stealer, a villain fans of the series love to hate. Catapulting his maniacal stance to uber twistedness is his singing along to Three Dog Night’s “Shambala”, a song about a place where compassion runs supreme, all the while ordering the execution of an infected man they just duped into “curing”.

Because Sweet Tooth Season 2 comprises of heavy character drama with both Big Man and Aimee wrecked with grief and guilt, the introduction of Johnny, the General’s apprehensive younger brother is a welcome addition; only his purpose is to underscore his older brother’s blatant wickedness. Bonded by familial trauma, the siblings’ relationship and its eventual demise certainly made Season 2 psycho drama heavy.

It also becomes a bittersweet end for Adi and Rani, whose marriage seemingly ended when the latter decides to leave the Preserve without her husband. Throughout the series, the gentle-hearted doctor has been adamant to do whatever it takes to extend his wife’s life, who was already suffering from the “sick”.

Forced to develop a cure by the General by taking him and Rani prisoners, Adi ultimately loses himself in the process as his desperation to find a cure gets the better of him. When the General told Johnny that it’s not about finding the cure anymore, but really about winning, we can see the same dangerous sentiment on Adi’s inability to let go despite his wife pleading for freedom. 

More than riveting character developments, Season 2 also brings formerly separate storylines together with Adi meeting Gus and providing us more intriguing information about the Great Crumble. Then there are some pieces finally coming together as we learn that the flyers dropping from a plane back in Season 1’s pilot came from none other than Aimee. We also learn that the people behind the drop-off are called Air Lords, a group of mercenaries who end up playing a crucial role in bringing down General Abbot’s army.  

And since we love heartwarming reunions, it’s a good thing that Sweet Tooth Season 2 has plenty of those  – Gus and Big Man; Bear and Gus; Bear and baby sister Wendy; and Aimee and all her hybrid babies. Even Bear and Tiger make up after their differing opinions put their friendship to the test in Season 1. But just as everyone’s happy and free, tragedy strikes again and so we’re treated to a final face-off between good and evil. 

While the final confrontation may be gratifying in most parts, things are far from over. What the Season 2 finale really offers is the perfect stage to welcome a new villain seemingly more malevolent than the General – Helen Zhang. As for Gus (who we now know for sure is the ultimate hope in all of this), he becomes more resolved to find answers after spending most of his time imprisoned and learning about his origin at Project Midnight Sun.

With Netflix renewing Sweet Tooth for a final third season, we can only expect that we’ll have answers to the many nagging questions that still afflict us. We probably will considering team Gus is heading to where it all began – Alaska. 

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