So, you didn't think a show about a human-deer hybrid would make you sob like you just sat through a Bambi/Where The Red Fern Grows/Old Yeller triple feature, huh? It's OK. I'm right there with, because I never imagined Sweet Tooth's most emotional moments would be so utterly devastating. And yet, here we are. (Warning: Through the tears, you're gonna see some spoilers for the first season.)
On the surface, Netflix's latest comic book adaptation looks like it's going to be as saccharine as the title suggests, but like a caramel apple rolled in nuts this show is a confection with layers. And it doesn't even bother trying to lull you into a false sense of security. As you'll see below, around half of the saddest moments from Season 1 happen in the first episode. That's just how this show rolls: One minute you're marveling at the beauty of the cinematography and laughing at Gus' obsession with syrup, and the next minute it stabs you straight in the feelings with a bit of well-timed narration from James Brolin.
Think of Sweet Tooth as a throwback to the '80s kids movies of yore. This show has the same energy as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Neverending Story. It wants to reaffirm your belief in the goodness of humanity, but it also wants to rip your heart out. And it's extremely good at doing both of these things (sometimes at the same time). Need some examples? Read on as I rank the 11 most heartbreaking moments of Season 1.
11. Gus Thinks His Mom Is A Deer
Poor little Gus just wants to know where his place in the world is, but all he has is questions at the start of the series. When a doe wanders into the house he shares with Pubba, he wonders if his mother has finally come to find him. It's a scene designed to make your heart ache, but it's even more devastating in retrospect. Given Gus' discovery in the penultimate episode, his yearning for a mother hits differently now.
10. The Singhs Say Their Goodbyes
Aditya and Rani's love story gives Sweet Tooth an emotional anchor throughout Season 1, so the moment when they believe they're going to be burned alive by their neighbors is heart-stopping. It's made all the more powerful by Aditya's confession that he blames himself for Rani catching the virus, and her assertion that "it was never you my love."
9. Jimmy Holds The Door
This scene would be ranked higher had Hodor never existed, but still, seeing Jimmy sacrifice himself so Jepp, Gus, and Bear could escape definitely led to some tears being shed.
8. Gus Begs Pubba Not To Leave Him
Gus' dream sequence is full of clues about the road ahead, but you'll be forgiven if you missed most of them due to the sheer agony of hearing Gus desperately beg his Pubba not to leave him. For most of the series, the little guy is a fount of optimism, so when he breaks, we all break.
7. Jepp Sees His Son For The First Time
The Big Man's anguish at seeing his son for the first time hits you like a sucker punch. Basically, Nonso Anozie is giving a masterclass in acting here, because the expression on his face changes from dread to heartbreak to fear in a matter of seconds. But what really makes this scene hit home, emotionally speaking, is his confession to Gus that he only left for a minute before gathering himself to return to his family, only to discover they had already been taken from him.
6. Gus Throws Dog Into The Fire
Dog may be made out of old socks, but he's a tangible reminder of Pubba's love for Gus. And seeing him in the fire... well, it did things to my heart, as did Gus' repeated apologies after he rescued his beloved stuffed animal from the flames.
5. Aimee Realizes Wendy & The Rest Of The Children Have Been Taken
Aimee is one of the show's most unflappable characters. Even when the First Men are knocking down her door, she doesn't waver. But when she sees that despite her best efforts her daughter and the rest of the hybrid children have still been taken? Well, she wails, and I'm not ashamed to admit that so did I.
4. Pubba Dies
I knew in my heart Pubba wasn't long for this world, but that didn't make his death in episode one any less visceral when it happened.
3. Gus Realizes He's A Genetic Experiment
I just want to hug Gus, and protect him from the world. His heart is so pure, but he just keeps getting it broken over and over again. But the last hit — the realization that he doesn't have biological parents and was instead grown in a lab — had to be the worst.
2. Jepp Is Shot By The First Men
One minute Jepp is promising to take Gus to live in a grove of maple trees far away from the horrors of the world, and in the next he's shot by the First Men. The transition is so jarring that I honestly thought the Big Man was dead (I mean, this show is very consistent when it comes to bringing the pain), but even though he survived, this scene still hurts like hell.
1.Gus Makes A Scarecrow Pubba
Of all the sad moments in Season 1, scarecrow Pubba — a totem of a little boy's heartbreak and loneliness — is hands down the saddest one of them all. Now, if you don't mind, I'm just going to sit in a corner and cry forever.
If Netflix brings Sweet Tooth back for a second season, then at least viewers can prepare themselves for the pain to come this time. Because while this fantasy series is adorable and full of whimsy, it's also incredibly hard on the old tear ducts.
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Images: Netflix