Candy Crisis: Unraveling the Mystery Behind the Virus

The origin of the Sweet Tooth virus has been revealed in the sci-fi series on Netflix, which is based on Jeff Lemire's Vertigo comics. The show, specifically in Sweet Tooth season 2, combined the plot involving Sweet Tooth Birdie in Alaska and Gus' experiences in post-apocalyptic America to explain the creation of the H5G9 virus and the hybrids.

Throughout the series, there were numerous clues hinting at the origins of the Sweet Tooth virus. Despite this, the ambiguity surrounding Birdie's plot, the origins of other hybrid children, and the future of humanity added a sense of mystery that kept viewers engaged. As we move from Sweet Tooth season 1 to 2, the show has foreshadowed the origins of the Sweet Tooth virus and also provided hints about what may occur in Sweet Tooth season 3.

The Virus And The Hybrids Were Both Created In A Lab

The origins of the H5G9 virus were primarily revealed by Judy, an associate of Birdie, Gus's mother, who worked alongside her at Fort Smith Labs. Upon Gus discovering his test tube baby status through Birdie's belongings, Judy proposes that the virus might have been another concurrent project at the lab. However, even Judy remains uncertain about the specifics of Gus's creation and his relation to the virus due to Birdie's secretive approach. The only hint provided by Birdie is that the virus and the hybrids are intrinsically linked, described as "two sides of the same coin."

Tracing back to the outbreak of the Sick and the emergence of the first natural-born hybrid children, both events followed the discovery of distinctive microbes in the Alaskan ice by a scientific team from Fort Smith. Birdie's intention was to utilize these microbes in the development of vaccines for diseases like hantavirus, which resulted in her husband's death. The process involved cultivating the microbes within chicken eggs. It was during one of these experiments that Gus unintentionally came into existence. Ominously, Birdie suggests that if incorrect microbes were cultured within the eggs, disastrous consequences would follow. In Sweet Tooth season 2, it is revealed that this is precisely what occurred when Gillian Washington injected herself with the modified microbes.

The Pandemic Began Before Birdie's Lab Was Raided

Prior to the revelation that Fort Smith Labs was solely responsible for the Sweet Tooth virus, hints within Sweet Tooth indicated that the virus had already spread among the general population before Birdie's lab was raided. In episode 7 of season 1, titled "When Pubba Met Birdie," a news report preceding the conclusion of Sweet Tooth mentioned an early onset of flu season in the Midwest, which appeared to be rapidly escalating nationwide. Initially mistaken for the flu by Dr. Singh, the H5G9 virus shared many similar symptoms, with the realization that it was something more serious occurring about a week later. It is plausible that Dr. Singh's initial patient may have been the first case, possibly an employee at Fort Smith Labs who contracted the virus while working there. The lab raid may have been prompted by the discovery that the virus had escaped, although this aspect was not further explored in Sweet Tooth season 2. Nevertheless, the H5G9 virus spreading prior to the Fort Smith raid served as a small yet pivotal clue regarding the origins of the Sweet Tooth virus.

Some People May Be Immune To The Virus

The Purple Flowers

Although the H5G9 virus had the potential to spread rapidly and decimate the majority of the human population, it appeared that certain individuals possessed a natural immunity to it. An example of this is Adi Singh, whose personal history was altered, as he faithfully cared for Rani throughout the series without falling ill himself. Similarly, Bear resided with her foster parents who contracted and succumbed to the virus, but remarkably, she remained uninfected. Additionally, the hybrid children displayed a consistent resistance to the sickness. When questioned by Gus regarding his lack of susceptibility to the virus, Tommy dryly remarked, "I attribute it to my voracious consumption of Wheaties," before honestly admitting that he simply did not know and suggested that some individuals are merely born fortunate.

In Sweet Tooth season 1, the emergence of purple flowers near areas affected by the H5G9 virus was a significant discovery. One notable occurrence was the establishment of a field known as the Valley of Sorrows, which grew on top of a mass grave for victims of The Sick. In Sweet Tooth season 2, the narrative expands to showcase the Sweet Tooth Birdie arc, where purple flowers also sprout in Alaska, indicating previous viral fatalities. Tommy referred to these flowers as an ominous sign, and it was revealed that the community in Adi and Rani's region promptly eradicated them upon appearance. Remarkably, while the flower pollen induces hallucinations and triggers suppressed memories in Gus, they do not seem to transmit the virus to individuals.

The Mass Hatred For And Tragic Fates Of Hybrid Children

On a symbolic level, the blossoming of the flowers symbolizes the resurgence of nature reclaiming its authority over the planet following the eradication of humanity – a central theme in Sweet Tooth's narrative. In connection with this, a prevalent fan theory among Sweet Tooth enthusiasts suggests that purple flowers clandestinely hold the key to the cure for the H5G9 virus. It could be argued that instead of resorting to the temporary remedy of dissecting hybrid children, Dr. Adi Singh should have delved deeper into the study of these flowers in Sweet Tooth season 2.

Despite being less bleak and violent compared to the comics, Netflix's Sweet Tooth sheds light on the aftermath of the H5G9 pandemic, illustrating the unfortunate division it caused among people rather than fostering unity. It effectively explores the destructive consequences of anger and fear, as individuals sought a scapegoat to bear the brunt of blame. This blame fell upon the hybrid children, who coincidentally appeared alongside the outbreak of the H5G9 virus, resulting in them being accused of its creation. Flashbacks to the period known as the "Great Crumble" in Sweet Tooth showcase protestors passionately advocating for the eradication of these "pests." A decade later, hybrids like Gus faced persecution and were either mercilessly hunted down and killed or subjected to vivisection in the desperate quest for a cure.

What the Sweet Tooth Comics Reveal About The Virus & The Hybrids

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In retrospect, this was a significant revelation regarding the origins of the Sweet Tooth virus. Despite the widespread animosity harbored by survivors towards hybrid children, it is profoundly symbolic that Dr. Singh managed to create a temporary remedy for the H5G9 virus by utilizing body parts from these hybrids. Through the very mutations that garnered disdain for hybrids, there lies the potential for a lasting cure for The Sick, making it ironically unjust how hybrids have endured such prejudice. Ultimately, this irony serves as a substantial thematic clue, indicating that the H5G9 virus and the hybrids share the same origin, albeit in a manner no one could have anticipated.

Potential SPOILERS for Sweet Tooth season 3 lie ahead. While season 2 unveiled the origins of the Sweet Tooth virus, avid readers of the source material are well aware that season 3 might hold more astonishing revelations, particularly if the show adheres closely to the comics. Starting from Sweet Tooth #26, Jeff Lemire's comics disclose that both the illness and the hybrids are the handiwork of the Inuit god Tekkeitsertok. Occurring in 1911, this intriguing chapter revolves around a naturalist embarking on a quest to find a misplaced missionary expedition, which included his brother-in-law, Louis. Tragically, all the other missionaries succumbed to a dreadful sickness, but Louis miraculously survived and assimilated into the local Inuit community.

Louis fell deeply in love with an Inuit woman, and together they had a unique son - a hybrid of a deer and a boy, adorned with magnificent antlers similar to Gus from the show. In the comic, Sweet Tooth reveals through Louis that both the illness and his son's extraordinary appearance are consequences of his own actions. During an exploration, Louis ventured into a cave filled with stone tablets resembling gateways, unwittingly disturbing the tomb of Tekkeitsertok, the revered deer-god of hunting, which resulted in his narrow escape by the local shamans.

Several months later, when Louis' hybrid son was born, the missionaries who had been present began to fall fatally ill. Overwhelmed by the horrifying turn of events, the team of naturalists mercilessly slaughtered the local Inuits and ruthlessly ended the life of Louis' dear son, sealing the infant's body within the confines of the cave. Tragically, they succumbed to the same sickness that had plagued them, and a century later, the scientists of Fort Smith unknowingly unleashed Tekkeitsertok's wrath upon the world when they opened the cave again. Sweet Tooth had subtly hinted at this storyline when Richard and Birdie, on their way home, paused to observe the stars, with Richard specifically indicating the Orion constellation.

In Greek mythology, Orion was a powerful demi-god and renowned hunter. However, Richard points out that in Eastern texts, the same group of stars is referred to as Mriga, which means "deer". These differing interpretations of the constellation merge to form both a god of hunting and a god of deer, similar to Tekkeitsertok. Additionally, the recent Birdie's Sweet Tooth storyline unveils the discovery of the cave where the microbes responsible for creating the hybrids and the H5G9 virus originated. Consequently, this lays a solid groundwork for Sweet Tooth season 3 to faithfully depict the origins of the Sweet Tooth virus as described in the comic books.

Although certain elements of Sweet Tooth have been altered for the television adaptation, the flashback story remains crucial to the original comics. Back in a 2013 interview with EW, Lemire expressed that omitting the origin tale was unimaginable to him, as it greatly influenced the conclusion of the series. After the first two seasons primarily delved into the scientific aspects of the virus and the hybrid individuals, it would be an intriguing twist if Sweet Tooth season 3 revealed that they were actually the creation of a vengeful deity.

Sweet Tooth Season 2 Revealed The Virus Origin Story

In the second season, the Sweet Tooth virus' true origins and the circumstances surrounding Gus's creation were fully revealed. Through flashbacks, Sweet Tooth explained that Gillian Washington, the head of Fort Smith Labs, is responsible for the creation and spread of the H5G9 virus. Seeking a cure for her family's degenerative muscle disease, Gillian had her team retrieve ice samples from Alaska's cave, where her grandfather died while pursuing the same cure. Gillian established Project Midnight Sun with the same goal, but it was Birdie, her head scientist, who made a startling discovery in the ice.

While attempting to create a vaccine for Gillian's disease by injecting microbes from the ice into chicken eggs, Birdie unexpectedly found a heartbeat inside one of the eggs, which eventually led to Gus's birth. Although this discovery was extraordinary, it was not what Gillian had hoped for. Fearing the imminent threat of the disease taking her life, Gillian went against Birdie's advice and the ethical norms of human clinical trials by injecting herself with the modified microbes. Instead of curing her degenerative muscle disease, this action made Gillian Washington patient zero for the H5G9 virus - the true origins of the Sweet Tooth virus.

The resolution of the show's major mystery in Sweet Tooth season 2 confirmed many speculations about the origins of the H5G9 virus. However, finding a permanent cure for The Sick remains challenging, just like humanity's uncertain future under the rule of post-apocalyptic warlords. As Gus and the hybrid gang embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Birdie, bringing Sweet Tooth season 2 to a close, Sweet Tooth season 3 is left with numerous unresolved plots and significant mysteries to unravel.