Sweet Tooth season 3 episode 1 recap: “The Beginning Is Also The End”

Sweet Tooth season 3 is finally on Netflix! We've been waiting so long since season 2 premiered on April 27, 2023. Now, we can finally get to the bottom of this great mystery.

“All stories end. Ours ends here, where it all began a long time ago.” 

Sweet Tooth season 3 begins with a flashback to Captain Thacker's crew, stranded in Alaska. We’re on Captain Thacker’s ship, the H.M.S. Simpson, with a man, Burke, and a pregnant native woman, Ikiak. He tells her that it will end tonight. Inside, Burke confronts Captain Thacker, and he tells him we need to talk about the mysterious illness that has doomed the crew. Thacker tells Burke that he found the “cure to end all cures.” Burke tries to stop Thacker from leaving on the ship. He asks Thacker what he did in the cave. Thack replies, “I did what I had to do to survive.” 

Fast-forward to Birdie, also known as Dr. Gertrude Miller, also known as Gus's mom, in Alaska with Captain Thacker’s notebook. She’s trying to figure out how to end the Sick, save the world, and save Gus, who is on the road with Jepp, Wendy, and Becky. They’re in their Hummer, and they’re headed for Alaska, but they’re stuck on the other side of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. 

Before proceeding, they make a pact, put their hands in, and agree to continue this journey to Alaska. Jepp knows what’s ahead of them, but he continues because Gus wants to continue. They stop at a casino where they fittingly find a group of old people who are living their remaining days in the casino. The old folks, also known as the Bingo Bandits, don’t want to give Gus and the group supplies. After getting the Bingo Bandits to agree to a wager on roulette, Gus loses the bet, and they’re kicked out of the casino. On their way out, one of the Bingo Bandits shares a few supplies for the long journey. 

Shortly after they leave, someone arrives at the casino. Someone is following Gus, but the questions of who and why remain unanswered. 

Back on the road, they drive for a very long time before their vehicle runs out of gas as they’re making their way through the mountains. They’re forced to walk, which scares Jepp to his core. Wolves or dogs cry out in the distance. Uh-oh! 

Everything seems to be going well until an avalanche crashes down from the mountains, burying them. Did they live? Did they die? 

As quickly as it happened, the story moves to Alaska where Birdie is living in a secret community. She’s struggling with her decision to leave Gus. After talking to Nuka, an arctic fox hybrid, and Nuka’s mom, Siana, about the call she received from Becky, Birdie leaves the compound to find Gus. She gives Captain Thacker’s notebook to Nuka. She wants her to try to find the cure to the Sick. She returns to her outpost to gather her things, but she’s attacked by someone, a man with a Southern and Western vibe. He's giving Zhang Farms. They tracked Becky’s call to Dr. Miller, and he’s here to bring her to his boss. They get into a fight, and she flees on a snowmobile. He shoots her with a few tranquilizers, but she continues on before passing out and crashing. 

We cut back to the avalanche. Gus and Wendy find Jepp and Becky using scent. Eventually, everyone is okay, but it’s a big warning. This trip ain’t no field trip. Jepp wants them to turn back, but Gus makes the group keep going toward Alaska. Jepp is worried he can’t keep them safe if they proceed. 

In Alaska, someone with giant hooves, a cloak, and spear finds Birdie and drags her into the snow. 

Helen Zhang, of Zhang Farms, one of the warlords, is back in the mix. She’s watching tapes of Gus’s interviews with Dr. Singh. We are also introduced to Zhang’s daughter, Rosie, a new character played by Kelly Marie Tran. Zhang sends her daughter on a mission to find Gus. Not good, not good at all. 

Zhang distributes Wanted posters of Gus. They’re trying to find him, so they can stop all the hybrid births. 

The episode ends with the group taking shelter, but someone finds them. It’s Dr. Singh! He tells Gus that they need to “talk about Alaska.” 

What does that mean? We’ll find out in episode 2!