Summary
Episode 7 is a pivotal, emotional penultimate chapter that signifies that the truth is not always desired.
This recap of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth season 1, episode 7, “When Pubba Met Birdie,” contains spoilers.
Sometimes the truth can hurt, but while most adults can suck up the truth and deal with it, it can often be heartbreaking for a child. The innocence of Gus is a tough pill to swallow in episode 7 as his search for answers finally comes to fruition.
Episode 7 begins with an expedition in Alaska. The science research team dig into the ice, and they make a discovery in one of their rods and pack it up. It then flits to a flashback — Pubba heads to the Fort Smith Science Research building — he’s a cleaner there. He has a daily routine; head to work, clean, head to the bar, and back home. One day, Pubba sees a commotion amongst the scientists — Birdie tells Judy that “they can’t let this happen”.
When Pubba Met Birdie
Later, Birdie is in the same bar as Pubba — he apologizes to her for listening in earlier, stating he thought she was upset. Eventually, Birdie relaxes and engages in conversation with him. Pubba reveals his real name to be Richard, and the pair drink together. Birdie reveals she was working on a project, but she has been transferred to another department, so that’s why she’s drowning in her sorrows — she’s vague on what the project was, calling it “complicated”.
Birdie brings up microbes and how some make people sick, but some of them make us better. She explains they might have found the microbe for a vaccine — they’ve been testing it on chickens. Birdie states that if they get it right, they save many lives, but if they get it wrong, “all hell breaks loose”.
Episode 7 never nails whether the virus and the Hybrid are linked, making it ever so intriguing.
Do you want to come in for “hot chocolate”?
Continuing in the flashback, Pubba walks Birdie home — she asks him if he’d like hot chocolate and invites him in. We learn that Birdie is widowed, but she tells Pubba it was a while ago. The pair continue getting to know each other, sipping in hot chocolate and enjoying music from the record player. Eventually, the pair gets closer, but Birdie’s phone goes off as they are about to kiss. Suddenly, she has to leave — the military is seizing the laboratory, and it has all her research. It seems the timeline is close to the “crumbling world.”
Meeting Judy
In the present day, and following on from episode 6, Gus heads towards the house from the address excitedly and smashes on the door. A woman tells Gus to get off her porch — Gus asks the woman if she is Birdie. She knows who Gus is and is surprised that he’s still alive — it’s Judy, the woman who used to work with Birdie. She tells Gus that his mother saved her life when the Sick came. It suddenly hits Gus that Birdie no longer lives there. Judy is not sure where Birdie went — she packed her bags one night and looked for Gus; this was ten years ago. Gus notices the name “Fort Smith Labs” on the flower pot — Judy tells him that his mother was a scientist.
The lab seize
Back in the flashback, Pubba and Birdie sneak into the facility — the military is everywhere, seizing everything in the lab. Birdie tells Pubba the microbe she was talking about, and she opens a pod — a baby is inside — it’s Gus; that was the experiment she was talking about. Birdie wants to sneak Gus out of the facility because she’s afraid of what the military will do to him. Pubba pretends he’s cleaning as part of the job to distract the officers while Birdie sneaks out Gus.
When they are about to leave, Birdie tells Pubba to take Gus as she heads back in to get her research as she thinks it is too dangerous in the wrong hands. She tells Pubba that she will find him.
The file
And then the pivotal moment arrives, and by now, it isn’t a twist, but it is still an emotional moment for our young Gus.
Judy gives Gus the key to the attic that Birdie left behind. Gus looks around and sees plenty of stuff that belonged to his mother — he tells Big Man and Bear that this is not a waste of time and notes how far they have come. He refuses to give up. Bear notices a file that says, “G.U.S.1. Genetic Unit Series 1”. Bear tries to brush it off, but Gus looks through the documents, and he’s confused. Big Man shows him a photo, and he’s a baby in a pod surrounded by scientists. Suddenly, he remembers Birdie looking at him through the pod. Gus panics and starts getting worried — Bear tries to explain to Gus what adoption means to explain the situation.
The ending
Big Man finally gives Gus the cold truth — that the scientists at Fort Smith Labs created him. For Gus, this changes everything. Gus believes he doesn’t have a mother or a father, but Big Man tells him that Pubba raised him. Gus gets angry and flees. As he sprints through the woods, deers run with him. The answers were not what he desired.
In a flashback, the hunting of hybrids begins, as the government calls it the most destructive virus in human history. Pubba has driven out to the woods with Gus to set up their new home.
Sweet Tooth season 1, episode 7 is a pivotal, emotional penultimate chapter that signifies that the truth is not always desired.
