About Sweet Tooth Season 1 – TV Series

Sweet Tooth Season 1

Sweet Tooth is an American fantasy drama television series developed by Jim Mickle. It is based on the comic book series created by Jeff Lemire and published by DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint. The series premiered on Netflix in June 2021, with a second season released in April 2023, and a third and final season announced the following month.

Development on the show began in 2018 at Hulu. By 2020, the series had moved to Netflix. Filming took place in New Zealand. Nonso Anozie, Christian Convery, Adeel Akhtar, Stefania LaVie Owen, and Dania Ramirez star while James Brolin provides the narration.

Sweet Tooth is set in a world in which a virus has killed a majority of the world’s human population, coinciding with the emergence of hybrid babies that are born with animal characteristics. Convery plays Gus, a naïve 10-year-old part-deer boy, who sets out to find his mother after the death of his father.

The first season received critical acclaim and won two Children’s and Family Emmy Awards.

Sweet Tooth Season 1

STORY

Episodes 01

“Out of the Deep Woods”

In the near future, society collapses in an event known as the Great Crumble following the emergence of both a virus known as the Sick and half-human and half-animal babies known as hybrids. Before this, a father runs away into Yellowstone National Park with his deer hybrid baby Gus. Gus’s father builds a secure base in the deep woods and is referred to by Gus as “Pubba”. Ten years later, Pubba eventually dies from the Sick protecting Gus. In his frustration, Gus starts a daytime fire which attracts the attention of poachers who lay a candy trap that Gus easily falls for. Gus, however, is quickly saved by Tommy Jepperd who Gus calls “Big Man”. While distrusting of Big Man at first, Gus eventually explains his plan to find his mother, Birdie, in Colorado from a map and photo he found in a safe. He chases after Big Man to seek the latter’s help with his quest.

Episodes 02

“Sorry About All the Dead People”

A few weeks after the Great Crumble, a therapist named Aimee heads out into the deserted city. Inspired by a passing stampede of African elephants she heads to the Zoo which she makes her home. Back in the present, Gus persistently follows Big Man and insists he take him to Colorado. After eating all of Big Man’s food, Gus leads them to a Visitor’s Center from where he can smell food, where they find a family, the Andersons, living there. It is revealed that Big Man is Tommy Jepperd: a former football player and a former member of the Last Men; a group of people who hunt hybrids. Meanwhile, a doctor named Aditya Singh temporarily treats his infected wife Rani through experimental medicine provided by Dr. Gladys Bell. When he goes for a refill, he discovers that Dr. Bell wants him to take over her work as she is dying from terminal cancer. Jepperd begins to think the family at the Center may be better company for Gus. While attempting to leave that night, the Center is attacked by Last Men who Jepperd manages to kill. Fearing for their safety, the family ask Jepperd and Gus to leave. Jepperd agrees to part ways with Gus after helping him get to Colorado. Aimee discovers a hybrid pig baby outside the Zoo.

Episodes 03

“Weird Deer S**t”

Gus and Big Man continue on foot to the Market where there is a train that will take Gus to Colorado. Big Man disguises Gus as a human so they can get him on the train, but while purchasing him a ticket Gus wanders off and meets a young girl in the Market who comforts him when he panics. Dr. Singh takes over for Dr. Bell and starts working with the Last Men who provide him with supplies. He and Rani reluctantly attend a party where the host Doug is discovered to be infected. The house where the party was at is set on fire with Doug inside it to prevent the spread of the Sick. As he is about to board the train, Gus smells Big Man’s medicine among the boxes being loaded, so they steal the supplies but are caught and Gus is exposed as a hybrid. The Last Men, while transporting Big Man and Gus through the forest, are ambushed by teenagers dressed as animals who kill the Last Men and rescue Gus and Big Man. The leader dressed as a Bear reveals herself as the girl from the Market. General Abbot is informed that “she has been found”.

Episodes 04

“Secret Sauce”

The girl, named Bear, takes Gus to their home in an abandoned theme park while taking Jeppered prisoner. She tells him about how she is the leader of the Animal Army that has vowed to protect hybrids at all costs. Meanwhile, her second-in-command Tiger questions why they haven’t killed Jepperd yet, since he’s a former Last Man. Bear says she wants to understand why Gus is protecting him. Adi continues to try to make medicine for his wife who has the illness, but is unsuccessful as he needs a live hybrid. Aimee raises the hybrid baby Wendy as her own in the city zoo, scavenging and avoiding Last Men. One night, Aimee discovers that Wendy has been fostering another hybrid named Bobby. She asks Aimee if they can keep him. Bear reveals to Gus that Big Man was once a Last Man and has hurt hybrids, but Gus doesn’t care as he says Big Man is his friend. At the execution of Big Man, Bear reveals she will not carry out the execution for Gus’s sake. Furious, Tiger initates a coup. During the chaos, Big Man and Gus escape, with Bear following as she abandons the Animal Army. The Singh’s nosey neighbor Nancie discovers Rani has the Sick and plans to expose her but is kicked to death by their horse. The Singhs hide her body.

Episodes 05

“What’s in the Freezer?”

General Abbot confronts Dr. Bell about her faking a terminal illness and demands to know the location of her notebook. She tells him she has left it with her replacement Dr. Singh, refusing to continue harming the hybrids. General Abbot has Dr. Bell executed with poison. Jepperd thanks Gus for having his back at the Animal Army camp and says he will accompany him to Colorado. Bear finds Gus and Big Man and gives them Birdie’s last known address. During their journey to the train, Gus falls into a valley filled with purple flowers that accompany the Sick. Aimee and Wendy continue to build the Preserve for hybrids. The Last Men find and tag the Preserve. While unconscious, Gus encounters Pubba who tells him to be brave, that other hybrids are counting on him, and that the whole world will see him soon. Big Man and Bear rescue Gus from the flowers. The Singhs continue to cover up Nancie’s disappearance as people in the neighborhood declare her missing. Adi expects a hybrid delivery in order to save Rani who is deteriorating, but the Last Men deliver a note saying they are out of hybrids. The town discovers Nancie in the freezer, but Adi tries to convince them Nancie was Sick. When Rani starts showing symptoms, the neighborhood binds them inside their home and sets it aflame. The Last Men and General Abbot save the Singhs.

Episodes 06

“Stranger Danger on a Train”

Jepperd, Bear, and Gus manage to board the moving train to Colorado. The Singhs bluff that Dr. Singh is working on a cure that is not detailed in the book in order to convince General Abbot that he must spare both of their lives. On the train, Jepperd encounters Jimmy, a former teammate of his. Aimee realizes they have been found by the Last Men and that the Preserve is no longer safe. During their journey, Jimmy asks about Jepperd’s wife, unborn child, and other friends who have all passed from the Sick. Jimmy also provides information about the location of Gus’s mother Birdie, but neglects to mention that Last Men members are aboard the train. Jepperd blows his cover while attempting to retrieve Gus’s stuffed toy, Dog. Jimmy holds the door for the group so they can jump off the train before sacrificing himself to hold off the Last Men. The Singhs are taken to a classified location. Aimee, Wendy and the other Preserve hybrids pack and escape through the tunnels with Aimee remaining behind. Big Man, Gus, and Bear reach Birdie’s last known location in Essex County.

Episodes 07

“When Pubba Met Birdie”

Flashbacks reveal that Pubba’s real name is Richard, who worked as a janitor at Fort Smith Labs. One night, Richard meets Birdie, a geneticist at the lab. Birdie tells Richard that she found a unique microbe in Alaska for a vaccine that they have been testing on chicken eggs which could either save the world or go disastrously wrong, depending on the execution. She later gets a call saying the military is taking over the lab. Richard offers to assist her in breaking in to rescue her project. Gus, Bear, and Jepperd get to Birdie’s address only to discover that only Birdie’s former coworker Judy lives there and that Birdie left 10 years ago. In a flashback, Birdie shows Richard the unexpected outcome from their project, which is the baby Gus. The name “Gus” stands for Genetic Unit Series. Richard distracts the military personnel long enough for Birdie to escape with Gus, but Birdie later asks Richard to take Gus so she can return to the lab to destroy her research. In the present, Gus goes through Birdie’s files and is confused until Big Man finally tells him, based on the files, that he was created by scientists in a lab. Gus is devastated that he doesn’t have any real parents and angrily runs into the woods.

Episodes 08

“Big Man”

Flashbacks show that when the Great Crumble began, Jepperd nearly abandoned his hybrid baby and had an encounter with Dr. Singh. He eventually changed his mind, only to find that the Last Men already took them. In the present, Gus finds an abandoned plane and uses its radio to contact the Preserve, inadvertently giving his location to the Last Men. Aimee fights against General Abbot and his Last Men army. She is able to escape, but the hybrids she cared for are captured at the rendezvous point. Commandeering the Preserve, General Abbot forces Singh to begin working on a cure for the Sick while having Rani placed in a special room. Jepperd finds Gus and sits with him. However, the Last Men arrive, shoot Jepperd unconscious, and capture Gus. Aimee rescues Jepperd, vowing that they will get their children back. At the Preserve, Gus meets Wendy and the other hybrids. Back at the cabin, Bear reveals to Judy that her real name is Becky Walker. She founded the Animal Army to find her adoptive hybrid sister Wendy, who was taken from the Last Men following their parents deaths from the Sick. She later receives a communication from a phone and answers it as the person on the other line is revealed to be Birdie, hiding in Alaska with her research.

CAST

Nonso Anozie as Tommy Jepperd, a traveler and reformed hunter of hybrids who saves Gus from poachers and reluctantly accompanies him on his journey to find his mother. Gus refers to him simply as “Big Man”. He was a famous professional football player before the H5G9 virus outbreak.
Christian Convery as Gus, a sheltered and naive 10-year-old half-human, half-deer boy who wants to find his mother. Tommy refers to Gus as “Sweet Tooth” due to his obsession with candies.
Adeel Akhtar as Dr. Aditya Singh, a doctor who is desperate to find the cure for the disease caused by the H5G9 virus in order to cure his infected wife Rani
Stefania LaVie Owen as Bear, the leader and founder of the Animal Army who saves hybrids. It is later revealed that her name is Rebecca “Becky” Walker.
Dania Ramirez as Aimee Eden, a former therapist who creates a safe haven for hybrids called The Preserve.
Aliza Vellani as Rani Singh, Dr. Aditya Singh’s wife who has the Sick
James Brolin as the narrator
Will Forte as Pubba (season 1), Gus’s father who raised him in a secluded cabin in Yellowstone National Park to protect him from the outside world of hatred towards hybrids. It is later revealed that his name is Richard Fox and was a janitor at Fort Smith Labs in Goss Grove, Colorado.
Naledi Murray as Wendy (season 2; recurring season 1), Aimee’s adopted hybrid daughter who is half-pig and half-human. Aimee often refers to her as “Pigtail”. She is the biological daughter of Bear’s foster parents.
Neil Sandilands as General Abbot (season 2; recurring season 1), the leader of the Last Men who hunts hybrids. It is later revealed that his first name is Douglas.
Marlon Williams as Johnny Abbot (season 2; co-starring season 1), General Abbot’s younger brother

PRODUCTION

Development

On November 16, 2018, it was announced that streaming service Hulu had given a pilot order to a potential television series adaptation of the comic book series. The pilot was expected to be written and directed by Jim Mickle who was also set to executive produce alongside Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Amanda Burrell and Linda Moran. Production companies involved with the pilot were slated to consist of Team Downey and Warner Bros. Television. On April 9, 2020, it was announced that the series had been moved from Hulu to Netflix. On May 12, 2020, Netflix had given the production a series order that consists of eight episodes with Evan Moore attached to the series as a producer and Beth Schwartz served as a writer, an executive producer, and co-showrun alongside Mickle. On July 29, 2021, Netflix renewed the series for an 8-episode second season.

Lemire has acknowledged that the series has a lighter tone than the comic book series, stating that he and Mickle wanted the series to bring a new perspective to the post-apocalyptic genre after what they believed to be an oversaturation of dark dystopian fiction released since the original comic was published. On May 3, 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a third and final season.