It’s been three years since the residents of the dilapidated Green Home Apartments block came together at the outset of a monster apocalypse in Sweet Home. They are back again with its sequel Sweet Home 2.
Sweet Home was a success given the pressure cooker setting, dystopian landscape and memorable performances by its star cast, led by Song Kang, Go Min Si, Park Gyu Young, Lee Do Hyun and Lee Jin Uk.
The new show, which is far more spread out than the previous one, opens with Song Kang’s Hyun Su who is in custody and is being sent off to the army base to be experimented on. The actor acknowledges that the show paved the way for his acting career. He, who won accolades for his role as the ballet dancer in Navillera and the complex university student in the romance Nevertheless, says though grateful for the success that followed, the expectations make him nervous. “About two weeks before a script reading, I lose my appetite. As I have doubts about myself if I can deliver, I work harder and spend more time on prep work, like reading the script more heavily,” says Song Kang. The actor also revealed he would soon be enlisting in the military.
The previously dead Sang-wook (Lee Jin Uk) had his body taken over by a malicious monster, who can manipulate his powers. In an exclusive interview with The Hindustan Times via Zoom from Seoul, Lee Jin Uk, who was recently seen in Doona, says “So my character looks like Pyeon Sang Wook, who appeared in the first season but inside, he is the character of Ui Myeong. He is someone who believes that the owners of the world do not have to be humans, they can be Neo humans. So he wants to wipe out all human beings, which is a very risky and dangerous thought. But, he has his reasons for thinking the way he does. So, in preparing for the role, I tried to get into character and sort of empathize with why he came up with the principle and strong belief for himself.
When asked if something like the drama unfolded in real life, what is the one thing he would do? He responds with a laugh saying, “ If I were put in this situation as myself, I think the first thing I would do is try to find a safe place”.
Lee Si Young (Zombieverse, No Mercy) who played the pregnant Seo Yi-Kyung in Season One, now has a child in her charge. “This is a mother’s role. I tried to think a lot about the different range of emotions a mother can feel toward their child. Usually, in ordinary circumstances, it would mostly be happiness and joy. However, in this case, it is obvious unique circumstances one is dealing with do not allow for those emotions. There is a lot of pain and despair that arises from the relationship she has with her child. So I tried to focus mostly on bringing those emotions to life”.
She answers thoughtfully if something like this were to happen to her in real life, “I would also like to bring my child to someplace where there are no humans and no monsters. My child would not be able to hurt anyone and we also would not be under any attack”.
Go Min who recently won the Blue Dragon award for the best new actress for Smugglers is back as Lee Eun Yu who is sent to a refugee camp and helped by Park Chan Young played by former B1A4 member Jung Jin-young. Both actors say it was more about understanding the mindset of their characters, as one wants to survive for a reason and the other has a knack for saving people that was their focus.
Season 2 has received mixed responses in comparison to its predecessor. But, the makers have announced Season 3 and it will see a time jump. It will premiere in 2024.