'Sweet Home' Season 3 finally redeems Cha Hyun-su's dull character arc
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: After Cha Hyun-Su (Song Kang) got neglected in Season 2, fans of the neohuman can now finally sigh in relief as 'Sweet Home' Season 3 finally showers him with attention.
Based on the webtoon of the same name, the first season of the show followed Hyun-su as a severely depressed adolescent who had lost his family and was thinking about taking his own life but things take a sharp change when a monster breakout occurs.
Despite being infected with the virus, Hyun-su's character arc significantly advanced as he was able to stop it.
Nevertheless, Hyun-su's character journey was nominally explored in the second season, and he was reduced to a mere supporting role when he should have been the main character.
Does 'Sweet Home' Season 3 do justice to Cha Hyun-su?
After taking note of the criticism for the second season, the third season corrected it and centered the story around Hyun-su, which means we get to see a lot more of Hyun-su in comparison to the previous season.
The season makes a concerted attempt to go further into his character, examining the psychological and emotional consequences of his change as his character arc also progresses tremendously as he battles with his monster side.
In my opinion, the most entertaining moments were Hyun-su's interactions with Lee Eun-hyuk (Lee Do-hyun), which were a breath of fresh air amid the ongoing chaos.
The season also offers new plotlines that connect with Hyun-su's adventure, putting his character at the center of the larger battle over the monster curse.
This integration not only redeems his character but also improves the broader story by making it more appealing and intriguing.
Why Cha Hyun-su was missing in action in 'Sweet Home' Season 2?
It's strange why Season 2 of 'Sweet Home' saw an unusual shift in emphasis, with Hyun-su's character taking a backseat, but this might be due to the fact that Season 2 was attempting to lay the groundwork for the future that would be introduced in Season 3.
Additionally, one of the key reasons for Hyun-su's absence in Season 2 was the show's change in narrative direction.
The destruction of the Green Home, as well as the introduction of new locales and people, required a more expansive narrative strategy.
As the show's world grew, the focus shifted to new characters like Seo Yi-su (Kim Si-ah), Master Sergeant Tak In-hwan (Yu Oh-seong), and Chief Ji (Kim Shin-rok), resulting in less screen time for Hyun-su.
The story's transition to new places, such as the stadium, necessitated reestablishing the interactions among different characters, thereby focusing less on some from the previous season.
How to stream 'Sweet Home' Season 3?
You need to have an exclusive subscription to Netflix to watch the show.
A $6.99 monthly membership is needed for the full HD (1080p) streaming offered by the Standard Plan with Advertising.
With the commercial-free $15.49/month Standard Plan, one account may simultaneously view two screens of 1080p/full HD video.
Fans can watch 4K Ultra HD film with Dolby Atmos and HDR on up to four screens simultaneously if they subscribe to the $22.99/month Premium Plan.
'Sweet Home' Season 3 Trailer