Netflix’s ‘Sweet Home’ Season 1 Recap: Get Ready for Season 2!

Share:

We all know that Korea is incredibly famous for knowing how to own the horror genre, and the post-apocalyptic part of that genre is something that the country is particularly known for. While zombie flicks have been quite common in Korean post-apocalyptic horror projects, ‘Sweet Home’ takes things to a new level with a different kind of post-apocalyptic horror plot that seems to be incredibly unique compared to the vanilla zombie series we often see. Season 1 was a surprising hit, and we know that season 2 is well on its way three years after the first season was released.

The fact that it has been a while since the first season ended is the reason why some people may have forgotten what happened in season 1 of ‘Sweet Home.’ Based on the popular WebToon, ‘Sweet Home’ takes things to a different genre as it follows a dystopian storyline about a phenomenon that turns people into horrific monsters in a world that has been all but destroyed by these creatures. Season 1 mostly took place in an apartment building where the characters were trapped. However, season 2 will take place in a military base. So, with that said, let’s look at what happened in season 1 to get ourselves ready for season 2.

What is Hyun-Su’s ability?

During the events of season 1, we learned that Hyun-Su was a special kind of infected called a special infectee, which is a human with a monster curse but is able to contain it. He was able to unleash his spikes during the battle with Jung Ui-Myeong. Of course, his neighbor eventually gives him a hug and tells him that it was not his fault, as this was the reassurance that he needed.

RELATED:

30 Best Korean Shows To Watch on Netflix

The hug was what he needed to return from his monstrous and chaotic form to his human form, retracting his spikes in the process. As such, it is clear that Hyun-Su’s abilities are affected by his feelings, with positive feelings being the catalyst for his ability to control his transformation. So, as season 2 dives deeper into the humans vs. monsters narrative, Hyun-Su’s abilities may be highlighted more and more, especially because kindness allows him to keep his powers in check.

Jung Ui-Myeong is also a special infectee

Another one of the things that we found out in season 1 was the fact that Jung Ui-Myeong was similar to Hyun-Su in the sense that he is also a special infectee with the ability to possess other people’s bodies. This means that he can transform into a monster that can take over a person’s body, as we saw him transforming into a slime-like form that made its way to a military vehicle back in season 2 just before Hyun-Su is captured by a military man who looks like Sang-Wook.

It is clear that Sang-Wook, who has scars that are incredibly suspicious, could actually be Jung Ui-Myeong as the villain was able to take over a new body after the events involving him and Hyun-Su. This means that he is set to play a huge role in season 2 once more as he has found a way to infiltrate the military base to make life difficult for Hyun-Su and the rest of the members of the cast of ‘Sweet Home.’

The military has its own goals

In many instances, the military is often the hero in post-apocalyptic storylines, as they have the personnel and firepower to deal with monsters and zombies alike. However, while that is also true to some extent in the events of ‘Sweet Home,’ some indications allow us to believe that the military isn’t as heroic as it may look. As such, there’s a good reason to believe that the military in ‘Sweet Home’ has ulterior motives that may or may not be harmful to the main characters.

RELATED:

15 Best Monster Movies on Netflix (& Why You Should Watch Them)

Back in season 1, Ui-Myeong reveals that the military was actually conducting experiments on special infectees in the hopes of finding a way to extract the curse that has been turning people into monsters. As such, there’s good reason to believe that the military wants to use this curse as a weapon. It is even possible that the military wants to weaponize the curse against different military forces around the world. On top of that, the military even plans to execute all of the citizens of Korea indiscriminately, thus proving that the military isn’t entirely heroic in this storyline.

Yi-Kyung crosses over to the military

The earlier portion of season 1 of ‘Sweet Home’ allows us to see that Yi-Kyung was merely working with the military so that she could find her estranged fiancé. However, the final scenes of the first season allow us to see that she may have made a deal with the military and has now crossed over to the other side.

In that scene, she could be seen wearing her military uniform, and that means that she is now focused on moving forward with her search, especially now that the survivors are in the custody of the military. This could open up a complicated relationship between her and the survivors she worked together with throughout most of the entirety of season 1.

Some monsters are good

In season 1, we saw that the concept of monsters was often questioned by the different characters, even though many different creatures ran rampant throughout the streets and were making life a living hell for ordinary humans. In that sense, the belief was that all monsters were evil. However, the end of season 1 of ‘Sweet Home’ questions this belief as it is likely that not all monsters are evil because some could be good.

RELATED:

Netflix’s ‘Sweet Home’ Age Rating & Parents Guide: Is the Show Okay for Kids?

Special infectees like Hyun-Su are generally good-natured as they only use their powers when threatened. However, some monsters showed that they were not evil at all. The fetus monster often tries to hide, whereas the slime monster keeps itself hidden in the vents. This means that some monsters are not evil in terms of their nature and are quite peaceful. Nevertheless, the general belief is that most of these monsters are dangerous, and it is likely that the characters will try to find a way to differentiate the good from the bad.

There is no virus

While most of the post-apocalyptic shows that we often see focus on a virus or pandemic that either wipes humanity off the map or turns them into zombies or monsters, ‘Sweet Home’ has a different take. That’s because the storyline involves the rise of monsters through a curse that has been affecting humanity.

As such, the infection is not rooted in science or anything related. This opens up the possibility that a cure may not be in the books for the characters. As such, the things that are happening in ‘Sweet Home’ are rooted in the supernatural instead of science. This makes it even more interesting to see what the military is up to in relation to the experiments that are being conducted on people.

There are different sides

One of the things that ‘Sweet Home’ allowed us to see in season 1 was the fact that there is a great divine among the people living in Korea as not everyone believes in one thing, unlike in zombie movies and shows where people often believe that they should find a cure to the zombie infection.

In ‘Sweet Home,’ characters are divided between thinking that the monsters should be exterminated and the belief that the monsters or the hybrid special infectees are superior to humanity. As such, there is conflict between both sides, as some of the other special infectees probably believe that they are superior to everyone else in the world. Hyun-Su, of course, struggles with this internal conflict.

Eun-Hyeok could still be alive

In the final moments of the first season, one of the things that broke the hearts of fans was the fact that Eun-Hyeok decided to stay behind to sacrifice himself to save his friends as they were making their way to the military. As such, he decided to quarantine himself so that he could die alone in what was a heroic scene for the character.

However, there was never anything confirmed about his death at the end of season 1, thus opening the possibility that he could still be alive in season 2. He may have exhibited symptoms of the monster curse, but there’s a good chance that he could have still survived the collapse of his building and that he was able to overcome the monster curse. This could be an interesting side story for the second season to try to explore.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments