Stranger Danger on a Train
Episode 6 of Sweet Tooth Season 1 starts with Bear, Gus and Jepp all rushing for the train. It’s touch and go for a while, but they all manage to make it aboard. With no passengers, it seems like it could be easy to hide out for the time being. Until the door swings shut and we see what’s on the other side. It’s a uniform for the Last Men. Oh, no… Of course, nothing is ever easy in this new world. For now though, Gus and Bear settle in, watching the animals running freely across the rolling plains and playing I Spy. These fun games soon come to an abrupt end when Gus loses his teddy, Dog. Even worse, a mechanic suddenly appears, leading to a fight with Jepp. Only, it turns out he knows this mechanic. It’s Jimmy “Fat Man” Jacobs, a fellow ball-player. While they catch up, the trio suddenly realize that Gus has gone missing. He’s hurried up the train, as it turns out, to try and find Dog. It’s here we learn Jepp actually used to have a child and wife. Jimmy notices how selfless Jeep is now too and makes a point of commenting how this isn’t like him. It’s a clever bit of dialogue, one that shows Gus isn’t the only one to have a memorable journey this season. Gus finally shows up though as they cross the great river – and make it into Colorado. Jimmy’s heard of GoGro too, the word from the note last episode, which is short for Goss Grove. Jepp and Bear then soon learn that the Last Men are actually in charge of this train. They’re in the next carriage across and heading straight for them too. With little choice, Jimmy decides to act like one of the Last Men and dons that uniform we saw hanging up earlier on. It immediately goes awry though, especially when they brandish a wanted poster with his face on. As Jepp scrambles back onto their carriage, he shows off Gus’ teddy. He managed to get Dog back after all! Jimmy promises to hold the door for them, buying the trio precious seconds so they can jump off the train. Meanwhile, General Abbott manages to find Bell’s book and prepares to take off. However, Adi stops him, admitting that he has a cure. It immediately stops him in his tracks as Adi admits he’s figured it out through using ghost DNA. With all of this knowledge stored inside Adi’s head, Abbot is forced to let him go to get what he wants. Only… it turns out Adi is lying. He doesn’t have everything he needs, especially with the notes in tatters, and this time he’s bought the pair is very much borrowed. At the zoo, Aimee realizes that the Last Men are closing on on them, with the pink ribbons an ominous sign of things to come. She tries to stay calm, telling Wendy to trust her as she eyes an unwelcome guest on the CCTV cameras. Realizing they can’t stay in the Preserve any longer, the pair pack up their things and prepare to leave. With all the other hybrid children with them, Aimee stays behind for now while her daughter, Bobby and the other kids continue on. As the episode closes out, Gus, Bear and The Big Man make it to Essex County, Colorado, as this journey looks to be coming to a close.
The Episode Review
I’ve mentioned before how this show has similarities to The Last Of Us and now the music is following suit too. The brilliant guitar strums work really well within the context of this story, which has done an excellent job so far keeping this journey exciting and visually appealing. Each of these entwined narratives have complemented one another beautifully too, and in a way shows the extent that each of these characters are willing to go and what they will sacrifice for the greater good. At the center of this is obviously the relationship between Gus and Tommy Jepp. Their progression through this season has been fantastic and they’ve really been the driving force for a lot of the highlights in this series. Their adventures finally see them make it to Colorado and now the hunt for Birdie is on. This has easily been one of the best fantasy shows of the year, and the ending leaves things wide open for where the final two episodes may go.
