Summary
In overloading on new characters and keeping the protagonist and antagonist at arm’s length, the fifth episode may be the point of where fans of Sweet Home Season 1 jump off.
I said about Episode 4 of Sweet Home Season 2 that it was the first episode to really feel like part of a new season. On that note, Episode 5 might be the point where fans of the first season tap out. Is it a bad episode? No, not at all. But it lingers on human drama that feels almost completely divorced from the continuing stories and dynamics from Season 1, and it sidelines Hyun-su and Ui-myeong, ostensibly the protagonist and primary antagonist, for the entirety.
There’s still arguably enough new drama going on to keep people entertained until everything begins to coalesce, but mileage may vary.
Sweet Home Season 2 Episode 5 Recap
The big mystery at the moment is the identity of Red Ribbon Girl, and this is something that will kind of bookend the episode, tying the matter back to Yi-kyung but not offering much short-term explanation about what the actual connection is.
Explosive Consequences
In the meantime, the monsters alerted by the landmine explosion all converge on the stadium, leaving Tak and his men to lure them to a gas station and blow them all to Kingdom Come with the remaining C4. I didn’t mention this in the previous episode, but ammo and supplies are running low for everyone, which is essentially a kind of ticking-clock device hovering over the survivors and their ad hoc community.
Mrs. Oh finds herself quarantined after her nosebleed in the previous episode, and Chan-young gets a severe dressing down from Kim, who blames his rash actions for the loss of their men. Tak is more forgiving, and his moral fortitude is tested again later when Ji tells him to get rid of Mrs. Oh to avoid any panic, and he refuses.
Lim is back and Jun-il is a monster… sort of
Episode 5 also reintroduces Lim, who now very much likes a drink but hasn’t lost any of his mad scientist qualities. He gives Peter antibiotics for Ji-na and takes a mighty interest in Jun-il. His fascination with monsters is still very obviously present too, and you can tell he has designs on continuing experiments and investigations into their nature even here.
So, what’s going on with Jun-il? He has a mysterious scar and Lim wants to test his blood and isn’t afraid to manipulate him – promising help, saving him from the guards, etc. – in exchange for turning him into a lab rat. As it turns out, Jun-il has monster blood, but none of the other characteristics of actually being a monster. He doesn’t heal quickly, there’s no transformation, and so on, and so forth. But Lim’s theory is that, given the blood, there must be a monster inside him, so he endeavors to coax it out.
There’s also more about Eun-yu and Ji’s husband here. Eun-yu is adamant she didn’t kill him, and Ji just wants to blame her for it anyway, which is a bizarre dynamic that still needs explaining somewhat. It seems like a particular monster killed Ji’s husband but not Eun-yu, and there is a matter to consider of whether some monsters can choose who they attack based on their past lives, experiences, and connections. This would be contrary to the outcome of Lim’s experiment with the knife-hands girl but would explain a lot and be a way to bring Eun-hyeok back into the fold.
How does Sweet Home Season 2 Episode 5 end?
The episode ends with the Red Ribbon girl turning up, offering to help Eun-yu find her brother, and Yi-kyung turning up, also wearing a red ribbon and declaring she wants the mysterious young girl. What on earth is going on here? What’s the connection? I guess we’ll find out soon enough, but answers on a postcard in the meantime.
What did you think of Sweet Home Season 2 Episode 5? Let us know in the comments.
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