by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Nailing the final season of a TV series is difficult. Expectations are sky high — you need to create a satisfying conclusion to the story, make sure that all the characters get the ending they deserve, and appease fans and studio execs. Compounding the complications are streaming services that decide things like release schedule, marketing, and how to make their service profitable. Finally, making things even more complicated in the case of Sweet Tooth, are the fanatics of a DC comic who are passionate and want this to be a faithful adaptation of the source material. This show faced an uphill battle, and it mostly succeeded.
Sweet Tooth’s final season follows Gus (Christian Convery), the half-boy, half-deer, on his quest to Alaska to find Birdie (Amy Seimetz). Accompanied by Jepp (Nonso Anozie), Becky (Stefania LaVie Owen), and Wendy (Naledi Murray), Gus embarks on a dangerous journey with the fate of the world at stake. Hot on his tail are Zhang (Rosalind Chao) and her crew, who have an ambitious plan of their own to rid the world of hybrids once and for all.
Going into the final season, the stakes are higher than ever for Sweet Tooth. Season Two dragged on a little too long and the ending felt a little too much like a bridge to get to the final season without a satisfying conclusion. What makes Season Three great is that the world has expanded much more than the first two seasons. We get glimpses of more events in the past that helped shape how things got as bad as they did for everything in this story. This context is helpful to show how deep this tragedy goes, how much the story dives into the very nature of mankind, and how greed caused a catastrophe beyond comprehension.
Season Three is exceedingly dark, mainly in exploring challenging themes, one of which being nature versus nurture, which is most prevalent with Zhang’s daughter, Rosie (Kelly Marie Tran). She has four babies, all hybrid wolves. Zhang is quite disappointed with this result, although she has a strong desire to be a grandmother. Rosie sacrifices her independence for the comfort that Zhang can provide. What Rosie doesn’t realize is the toll it takes on her children, who are at the mercy of Zhang’s iron fist. Powerless to do anything, Rosie cares for her children even though they are being used for brutality. Once we see what Rosie was like with her kids before her mother got involved, it breaks your heart to watch what happens to her four kids. None of it would have been possible without Zhang exploiting their ferocious nature and not being nurturing enough to them. Conversely, we see how several of the other hybrids are treated humanely, and how, with proper care, they thrive and develop. Gus is a perfect example of this, as his relationship with Jepp has a profound effect on his development. He is cared for and loved in a way that Rosie’s kids are not.
Another theme explored this season is what to do with the consequences of the few’s actions which affect the masses. We see the origins of the Sick, along with the hybrids. The genesis of the Sick is tied directly to the ambitions of a small group of men. When the dust settles, the world is forever changed, and now a small group of people are dispatched to try and fix it. A question arises from this mission: Does humanity even deserve to be saved? We’ve had the luxury of seeing the world through Gus’ eyes over the last two seasons, a viewpoint that is built largely on seeing and expecting the best in everyone. This viewpoint is challenged a lot this season, as his desire to help humanity wanes episode by episode as he witnesses the cruelty that humans exhibit toward anyone different. The answer to whether humanity is even worth saving comes during the climatic moment of the series, one which ultimately leads to its end. This question is what I found the most fascinating about this season, and why I thought its darker tone made for a better product.
Not everything is perfect about Season Three, though. Its more supernatural approach, instead of a scientific one, makes the world feel less grounded. We don’t get a lot of time with Zhang, so it’s hard to understand her motivations. Moreover, Zhang has a whole posse of people who don’t get enough time to really matter. Zhang at least was introduced as an antagonist during the second season, but all the other characters around her are a lot. Dr. Singh (Adeel Akhtar) perhaps suffers the most from this. The choices he made during Season Two change him. Unfortunately, that means his Season Three arc is tarnished and messy.
The core of Sweet Tooth lies in the relationship between certain characters. Becky and Wendy get more time to develop this season. Wendy needs a maternal figure, and Becky fills this role beautifully. I love all the things that Becky teaches Wendy about fight strategies, and what it means to be a leader. In turn, Wendy teaches Becky to be less reckless and that atoning for your past mistakes will ultimately be more fulfilling than holding on to your guilt and grief.
The relationship we’ve seen grow the most is with Jepp and Gus. This season, their story involves both of them taking risks to save the other. They are willing to die for each other, a testament to how much their relationship has grown over time. Season Three is a beautiful conclusion to their story, and proof that being patient and letting their relationship grow over two seasons was for the best. Birdie, in particular, sees how much Jepp means to Gus. She witnesses firsthand how much they care for one another, and instead of feeling regret, she’s relieved that someone looks out for Gus the way she hoped she could one day. Convery and Anozie give the performances of their careers, both individually and together. Anozie is the heart of the series — Jepp is proof that humanity is worth saving, as he grows from someone you’re not sure Gus should trust to a character that carries the series on his back until the very end.
Sweet Tooth’s final season is a thought-provoking and heartfelt conclusion. It’s not as good as Season One, but it feels more complete than Season Two. The character arcs, for the most part, have satisfying conclusions, and the performances are outstanding. I couldn’t stop thinking about the questions the show asks about humanity and its consequences, a mark of a great story.
Rating: Liked It
Sweet Tooth is currently streaming on Netflix
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