Sweet Tooth has officially come to an end after the release of its final and third season on Netflix last week. But that doesn’t happen without making several changes to its comic book source material by Jeff Lemire and published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. From skipping a major comic storyline to introducing a new character, showrunner Jim Mickle addresses the major changes in Sweet Tooth Season 3.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
From a vulnerable, innocent hybrid, Gus has become a great leader to defend his kind in Sweet Tooth Season 3. Sure, the final season received a positive response, with a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 81 percent approval rating among fans. But fans couldn’t help but notice the several changes made in the final season.
Sweet Tooth Season 3 Skips the Dam Storyline
Sweet Tooth Season 3 skipped a major storyline from the comic: the Dam storyline. Mickle and his collaborators liked that part of the story. However, they felt it was already touched on in the second season with The Preserve storyline, which saw the scientific facility run by Douglas Abbot in Nebraska. Also, the final season still featured some of its elements, the theme of which was mostly paranoia and not knowing who to trust.
“I think the bigger thing was once season three really felt like, 'Oh, this is an odyssey for Gus,' We didn't want to stop and be anywhere too long until we got to Alaska,” Mickle explained. “So that was a big part of it; it was just really getting them to see the full gamut of what that was going to be.”
The Introduction of Munaqsiri in Sweet Tooth Season 3
The final season also added a new character to the franchise’s mythology: Munaqsiri, a fully-grown hybrid Gus met in Alaska. Though he was specially made for the show, he was still based on the comics, the three-issue flashback set in 1911 that revealed one of the first hybrids. For Mickle, it was Munaqsiri’s origin, and he was still related to the series. His introduction showed what could have happened to Gus if no one loved and cared for him, which was Munaqsiri's fate.
“That took on a whole new sort of reins that I thought we'd get into with the show, but I'm really glad we did,” he said.
A Different Cave in Sweet Tooth Season 3
The cave in Alaska in Sweet Tooth Season 3 showed a gigantic tree with branches that resembled Gus’ antlers. However, the comic book featured huge coffins with animal heads on their lids. This would not work on the show due to its theme alone, with Mickle revealing he wanted to be a “little bit more grounded” and put the focus on Gus.
“It sort of felt like we had to jump off into something a bit more tangible… another one was really making it about Gus,” he continued. “Obviously, there's a lot of things that are beginnings of these stories, but really making season three about hybrids and humans and their place in the world, and can they coexist or will it only be one? And it felt like that was the clearest way to do that in our story.”
The Difference Between the Ending of Sweet Tooth Season 3 and the Comics
Another change Netflix has made in the series is the final scene between Gus and Jepperd. In the comics, Gus sees a vision of a long-dead Jepperd taking his hand as he dies. However, the show features the two drinking, though it’s not confirmed if Jepperd is still alive or already dead. Despite the difference in endings, Mickle revealed it was intentional, making it more optimistic that fans could interpret it in different ways.
“I tried a couple different versions of that ending, and once that one clicked, it just really clicked into place, and I love that you can read it in a number of different ways,” he revealed.
Generally, Mickle admitted that there were several scenes in the comics that they couldn’t pull off and afford to do in the series. However, despite the changes, it couldn’t be denied that fans still loved how things ended for Gus.
Sweet Tooth Seasons 1 to 3 are available to stream on Netflix.
