In the second season of Sweet Home, the efforts of the government to control monsterization make survival harder than ever. After leaving their homes, Hyun-su and his friends must continue fighting for their lives. The second season is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
With humans turning into monsters, the world is in chaos. The military is indiscriminately killing anyone who shows symptoms of monsterization. At the same time, a scientist, Dr. Lim, is experimenting on monsters at the Bamseom Emergency Management Bureau.
When Hyun-su wakes up and finds himself with Jang Ui-myeong, who has taken possession of Sang-wook’s body, he tries to get away but fails. Ui-myeong plans to free the monsters who are being treated like lab rats, and he wants Hyun-su to join him in his war against humanity.
On the other hand, the Green Home survivors are taken to a shelter, where the presence of a monster results in the deaths of several humans at the hands of the soldiers. Eun-yu then forces Park Chan-yeong, the soldier who escorted them to the shelter, to take them to Green Home, as she wants to look for her brother.
Similarly, Yi-kyung refuses to give up on her search for her fiancé, who was also subjected to experiments at the Bamseom Bureau. She sneaks into the bureau, and what she witnesses there triggers something inexplicable in her body.
While there are soldiers who kill survivors at the drop of a hat, there are also soldiers who risk their lives to protect them. How will they save the survivors, and what role will Hyun-su play in their survival?
Performances
The entire cast of Sweet Home season 2 gives strong performances. Song Kang is incredible as Hyun-su, a character who has matured a lot and is more human than anyone. His performance will make the audience want to see more of him. Unfortunately, he gets limited screen time this season.
Apart from Song Kang, Lee Si-young’s performance also stands out. Her brilliant portrayal of Yi-kyung’s heartbreak, dilemmas, and strength adds depth to the character, which ultimately highlights Yi-kyung’s humanity.
Go Min-si’s Eun-yu is strong and fierce. She does give the impression that her character has changed, as she has gone through a lot. On the other hand, as Park Chan-yeong, Jung Jinyoung comes across as gentle and extremely kind.
Like Song Kang, Lee Jin-Wook does not get enough screen time, but he still manages to seem like a troublesome antagonist. Yoo Oh-Seong, who plays Master Sergeant Tak, also performs his part well.
Positives
The second season of Sweet Home blurs the line between human beings and monsters. While monsters inspire sympathy, the cruelty of humans inspires fear and disgust. It makes one question what it means to be a human.
It imagines an apocalyptic world that is very chaotic but realistic. It is not just the visual depiction that makes this world believable but also the actions of those in power. A sense of safety is always missing, which further cements this idea.
The show is still as exciting as ever. When the characters find themselves in danger, which happens quite often, the tension increases. The suspense will keep the audience on the edge of their seat.
Yi-kyung’s subplot is the most moving and layered subplot. She struggles to accept her child, as giving birth to a monster results in a tug-of-war between her fear and maternal instinct. It is hard to condemn her actions when the audience has an understanding of her feelings.
Negatives
The second season is definitely not perfect. The show’s pace is so fast that it is hard to grasp everything happening onscreen. It does not give the audience any time to comprehend and process the developments.
Due to the rapid pace, some important scenes, like the deaths of the characters, do not get the time and attention that they deserve. The deaths fail to move the audience when the characters are killed and forgotten in the blink of an eye.
This season is filled to the brim with subplots. There are too many of them for the audience to get invested in all of them. Furthermore, the show keeps jumping from one story to another, and the transition is not always smooth.
Since there is a lot happening in the show, some major characters, such as Hyun-su, are forgotten for long periods of time. They do appear eventually, but the gaps between their appearances are too long for their absence to go unnoticed.
Verdict
Sweet Home is still an exciting apocalyptic drama, but it has its shortcomings. Despite that, the fans of the show would not want to miss the second season, which introduces new characters and expands on the stories of the old ones.
Sweet Home season 2
Director: Lee Eung-bok
Date Created: 2023-12-02 00:45
3.5