WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Sweet Home season 3.
Summary
Sweet Homeseason 3 fixed the show’s most controversial decision, giving both the main characters from season 1 and the new faces from the stadium their time to shine in the grand finale of Netflix’s horror K-drama. The second and third seasons ofSweet Homewere produced back-to-back, which is why they arguably work better as just one big story. The time skip in season 2, episode 3 changed theSong Kang K-dramaforever, particularly with the introducing of new characters and the disappearance of Hyun-su.Sweet Home3brought back familiar faces but did not ignore the new characters.
With seasons 2 and 3 filming simultaneously, the reception toSweet Home2did not necessarily affect the making of the third season. Still,Sweet Home3was an improvement and felt like a natural continuation of the divisive second chapter. Hyun-su was now in the backseat while his monster alter ego took center stage, butSong Kang’s characterappeared in every episode regardless. Although I was primarily worried about the fates of Hyun-su and the remaining Green Home residents,Sweet Home3delivered surprisingly great arcs for its supporting characters.
10 Best K-Dramas To Watch After Sweet Home
Sweet Home’s third and final season draws Cha Hyun-su’s story to a close, but there are plenty of other K-dramas that match its unique appeal.
Sweet Home’s New Characters Were Better Used In Season 3
Chief Ji, Sergeant Kim, & Others Were More Interesting In Season 3
Sweet Homeseason 2 drastically changed the show’s castby introducing several new characters who turned out to be even more important than some of the original season 1 names who were still alive. Although it makes sense for the second season of a TV show to introduce new characters,Sweet Home’s approach to its cast was very controversial. By sidelining fan-favorite names like Song Kang’s Hyun-su andPark Gyu-young’s Ji-suto focus on new, original characters,Sweet Home2put itself in a very difficult position. As a result, season 2 was not as well received as the first one.
Dr. Lim
Oh Jung-se
Fortunately,Sweet Home’s new characterswere better used in season 3 and justified their additions to the show. Whereas in season 2 viewers had to get used to a lot of new faces after the time-skip, season 3 revealed more about their backstories and gave them important roles to play in the show’s overarching story. For example,Chief Ji’s backstory was finally revealed, and her sacrifice was quite intense moment. The same applies to Sergeant Kim, whose secrets were finally exposed. Even Hani and Ho-sang were much better used in season 3.
Why Sweet Home Season 2’s New Characters Were So Divisive
Sweet Home 2 Suddenly Abandoned Its Main Characters
Sweet Homeis based on a webtoon of the same name, with the first season following the source material relatively closely. Cha Hyun-su, Eun-hyeok, Eun-yu, and Ji-su all had counterparts in theSweet Homewebtoon. The problem is that, by the end of season 1, the Netflix K-drama had already covered most of the story.There was nothing left forSweet Hometo adapt, yet the show had become a massive success for Netflix and was naturally going to be renewed for more seasons.Sweet Home2had to be an original story, which included new characters.
After growing attached to the Green Home residents, viewers now had to care about strangers and their relationships.
Not only were these new characters created exclusively for the show and had no counterparts in the webtoon, but they were also very disconnected from the story of season 1.Sweet Homeseason 2, episode 3 introduces the stadium – a safe location where the survivors are going to be sent. After the year-long time skip,Sweet Homewas now set in an entirely new communitythat had been living together for months. After growing attached to the Green Home residents, viewers now had to care about strangers and their relationships.
The Stadium Was As Important To Sweet Home As The Green Home
Sweet Home’s Green Home Replacement Worked After All
Sweet Homeseason 3’s finalemade it clear that the stadium had become as important to the show as the Green Home. After the destruction of the building in season 1,Sweet Homehad no choice but to take its story to a different setting. The stadium was clearlySweet Home’s replacement for the Green Home – a new community of survivors from where most of the characters and conflict would come. AlthoughSweet Home2could not replicate the magic of the Green Home, it at least tried to maintain the tone of the show in this new environment.
Sweet Homeseason 1 was the first K-drama to enter Netflix’s global Top 10.
Funnily enough, by the end of season 3,Sweet Homehad spent more time at the stadium than at the Green Home.Sweet Home3saw all the storylines converging into one, with Nam Sang-won taking over the stadium while looking for his daughter. After a confusing second season with multiple plot points going on, I was happy thatSweet Home3was able to bring everything together.Sweet Homewas never going to be fully accurate to the webtoon, and the creative decisions made in season 2 were paid off in the final season.
Sweet Home
Cast
Sweet Home follows the story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who moves into the Green Home apartment complex after losing his family. When a mysterious epidemic turns people into monstrous creatures, Hyun-soo and the residents of Green Home must band together to survive, confronting their inner demons and the horrifying threats outside.
