What to Watch - Sweet Tooth

by Mike Lunsford, Editor-In-Chief and human/raccoon hybrid

Hello friends! If you follow the adventures of the GGR crew both here in the written realm and via the audio avenue, also known as podcasts, then you know that we have been logging a metric ton of time on comic book movies and TV series. In particular, the podcast crew and I have been talking about the MCU a great deal. Occasionally, we’ll talk about the DCEU but…ew. Why? We try to avoid things that aren’t good. It’s like going back to a restaurant that gave you food poisoning the last time you went. You hurt me last time, DC…I’m still trying to trust you again.

There’s a point in here somewhere, I swear. Bear with me, it’s been a while since I’ve written an article not about fried chicken. Because the comic book movies and series are currently in their golden era, that means we’re getting to see some extra attention paid to the entire genre. It’s not just the Avengers and Justice League characters as the focal point. This means we’re getting lesser known titles, characters, and stories on TV or the big screen. Way back in 2014, Disney did this with Big Hero 6. We’ve seen Amazon do this with both Invincible and The Boys. Netflix took a chance on one of these lesser known titles that was a Vertigo series, written by Jeff Lemire, called Sweet Tooth.

Now, let’s be clear: this was not some self-shot, underdog production to bring Sweet Tooth to a streaming service. Robert Downey, Jr. and his wife Susan’s production company was involved. So was former Arrow writer Beth Schwartz in the form of co show-runner, with Jim Mickle. They had people in place that knew what was up and frankly, that showed in this series. People-in-the-know saw the potential of this series, and they did an excellent job of turning it into a live-action series.

I knew absolutely nothing about Sweet Tooth when I jumped in. I hadn’t even heard of the comic, nor had I heard any buzz about it. Netflix recommended it to me. Some people think this sort of data-based suggestion model, now pervading the internet, is creepy. I say bah to that. BAH I SAY! Netflix was dead on, because I LOVED Sweet Tooth. Not only did I enjoy it, but my wife (the much harsher critic) enjoyed it, too.

I normally don’t recommend this (because I’m a big believer in execution-is-more-important-than-the-actual- spoilers), but knowing nothing about this series actually worked in my favor and it may be the best move for you as well. For those who are going in blind to this series, I’ll give you a spoiler free review: the show hits all the notes one would want from a series. It powerfully hits the entire emotional spectrum. You get to see the growth of the main character, 11 year old Gus (Christian Convery) who is half human, half deer. He’s lived a simple, isolated life in a shack with his father that he affectionally refers to as “Pubba” (Will Forte, Saturday Night Live), and we get to watch as he ventures into the world for the first time.

Pubba and Gus

Seeing the world and all its mysteries through our young hero’s eyes is enjoyable. Don’t read further if you want to remain spoiler-free. The show’s great. Watch it.

SPOILERS ABOUND!

It’s been a while since I’ve had a new series grab me like Sweet Tooth did. It was a confluence of story elements that hit close to home in addition to excellent presentation, setting, and the emotional resonance that made it so entertaining. Let me give you a synopsis:

Ten years ago "The Great Crumble", a viral pandemic, wiped out most of the world's human population and led to the mysterious emergence of hybrid babies born part human, part animal. But it’s unclear if the two events are connected. Did “the Sick” cause the hybrid babies or did the hybrids cause the virus? Seeing the writing on the wall of a societal collapse, Gus’ father takes the infant deer/baby hybrid to a shack hidden in the forests of Yellowstone to protect him from the coming insanity, and he tries to raise him with some semblance of a normal life.

As with all things, it doesn’t last forever as Pubba (Forte) is infected with the Sick after a run-in with an outsider, and he dies. Young Gus is all alone and attempts to come to grips with having to grow up much faster than he was expecting. He ventures beyond the fence and safety of home in hopes of finding the mother he never knew, after finding a picture of her with the words “Colorado” written on the picture.

OK, that’s not fair. He’s not alone. He does have Dog with him.

After a near deadly run-in with some hunters, Gus is saved by a mysterious man that he calls “Big Man.” Big Man (Nonso Anozie, Game of Thrones) is not keen on being Gus’ protector (or friend, for that matter), but they end up venturing together and forming a bond. It’s also where Gus get’s the nickname “Sweet Tooth” because of his love of maple syrup and candy.

We learn about Big Man’s backstory and how he got to be a lone wolf of sorts in this world. Their ultimate goal is to to get Gus to Colorado, where his mother is, and then they will go their separate ways.

Gus and Big Man in one of the beautiful scenic shots of the show

We find out that those hunters fall into a nasty category of apocalypse survivors. As humanity tends to do, they fear what they do not understand and they believe that the hybrids caused the Sick. They formed a group in the post-apocalyptic world called the Last Men. To make matters worse, they’re in charge of any remaining infrastructure (such as hospitals, trains), and they are heavily armed. Their goal? Round up every hybrid child and experiment on them until they find a cure to the Sick. They’re led by a man known as General Abbot. He is completely terrifying, and expertly played by Neil Sandilands. If the name sounds familiar, he was the Thinker on The Flash a few seasons back.

This series is an ensemble and has many parallel stories running. There are the Last Men, but there are also those who try to protect the hybrid children called the Animal Army that act as a group of guerrilla fighters (I really didn’t mean for that to be a pun, but here we are). We meet Bear, a young woman who found the Animal Army. She befriends Gus and joins in the journey with him and Big Man.

Bear joins Gus on his journey to Colorado

We also see the stories of Dr. Singh, a physician who was run ragged by the Sick trying to help patients. His most important is his wife, who has managed to remain alive while being infected. We also meet Aimee (Dania Ramirez, Heroes), a therapist before the Sick. She creates a place of safety for the hybrids called “the Preserve.”

All of their stories converge in some way, shape or form as the season moves forward.

Normally, I love recounting the entire plot to y’all but this time, I’m not doing that. Watch the series. It’s incredibly entertaining. It has a lot to say in our current, pandemic-riddled world. The story is more than just that, though. It is also sweet, exciting, and action-packed. It’s an epic tale, and is so beautifully shot that it’s impossible to look away. The great story has enough action and suspense to keep you watching, as well. It has a Fellowship of the Ring feel: when Gus has to leave Yellowstone on his own, it’s reminiscent of the hobbits leaving the safety of the Shire to see the wondrous parts of Middle Earth. Coincidentally, Sweet Tooth was shot in New Zealand. For those of you who’ve actually been to the western parts of the U.S. and see Yellowstone, Colorado, etc., you’ll already know this because the shots used in the series look nothing like the park…it’s excusable in my opinion.

OK, no more description. Watch the series, and then we can talk about it!

Before I wrap this up, I’ll give you a little more: I can’t finish this article without including my wife’s favorite hybrid, Bobby.

A gopher hybrid wearing a neckerchief???? Goddamnit Bobby, you’re so cute!!!