Sweet Toothdoes not fit neatly into one genre. It’s classified as a fantasy drama by most, but there’s a lot more going on than that vague qualifier suggests. One thing the show isn’t is subtle, so when it takes a strange turn intoResident Evilfor an episode, it feels appropriately wild. The third episode brings back some of the spontaneity that made the first season so fun.
This episode’s script comes from Oanh Ly, who is likely best known for writing or editing more than forty episodes ofCriminal Minds. Ly also has her name on a handful of episodesofThe Chilling Adventures of SabrinaandBlack Box. The episode was directed by Carol Banker, who previously worked in the scripting department of many of Kevin Smith’s hits.
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“Chicken or Egg?” digs into the unique side story of Becky “Bear” Walker. The former leader of the Animal Army finds herself miles away from her old friends and her new family. To survive, she teams up with a rolling convoy of travelers who are looking for a new home. The convoy is led by Opa and Ona, a delightful elderly married couple who bemoanthe downfall of societyduring their golden years. For them, the apocalypse is just another patch of rough road to ride through together. They are accompanied by their last surviving descendant, the son of a dead Last Man who dreams of joining the immoral army. Becky bonds with her new traveling crew, burying her old identity as she’s forced to reckon with some of the surviving remnants of her past actions. As they discuss the way things used to be and swap stories of the pandemic, a bit of theunique real-world uneasinessfloods back into the narrative.
Meanwhile, Big Man and Aimee find themselves in their own unique new homestead. After a journey across the sea, Jepperd and Eden discover a quaint little village known as Factory Town. Jepperd knows some of the locals but is shocked to discover how much has changed since he’s been away. As Aimee and Big Man seek an army to help them free their hybrid kids, they’re caught off guard by the Last Men. The evil General Abbot makes a rare stop in an unoccupied zone to demonstrate a new supposed cure for the Sick. The locals are stunned, leading to a sudden increase in recruitment for the villains. This visit to a new environment givesSweet Tootha chance to depict a bit more of theunique fantasy/sci-fi worldit’s built. From the accommodations sick people are forced to live in to the traumatized survivors fighting over resources, it’s a fascinating look at the new world after the Crumbling.
Gus is starting to dig deep into the mystery of his birth with the help of Dr. Singh.After the last episode’srevelations, Gus and Adi travel to the lab that created the first boy with antlers. Project Midnight Sun yields some new information about Gus’s mom Birdie and the work they were trying to accomplish. However, it also unleashes an unexpected threat. Hybrids have generally been depicted as charming kids in this series. Most of them are adorable and largely harmless. This episode depicts a full-grown human-alligator hybrid and shows off what he can do when the Last Men back him into a corner. It’s a big shift in tone for this episode, but it fits with the series' use of violence. Watching Gus and Dr. Singh run around an abandoned laboratory while a monster attacks unprepared soldiers is a new kind offun forSweet Tooth, but it’s surprisingly well-handled.
Variety is one of the strong points of this series. It’s constantly introducing new elements, mixing up existing ones, or delivering a new look at the established characters. Pieces of new information about the main cast are the most tantalizing teases in the script, and every episode keeps them coming.Touring the wasteland withthe main cast is fun in almost every scene. The action elements of the show are consistently strange, frequently bursting through the twee comedy and drama to deliver a shocking reminder of the show’s nature. It’s able to build a genuine world of magic and whimsy and consistently shock the audience without letting either become a facade. That’s an impressive feat of both writing and presentation.
Sweet Toothis notan easy show to sum up, but watching it is an entirely unique experience. The psychodrama between families and communities remains engaging, while the more exciting elements consistently ramp up the tension. There’s nothing quite like this unique post-apocalyptic fairy tale. Every element fits into place, demonstrating something special in the way that they clash.Sweet Toothhas a lot of strange details that might not work for everyone, but it’s a fascinating series that deserves the attention it’s gotten.
