The final reveal of Sweet Home’s second season marked the reappearance of Lee Do-hyun’s character, Lee Eun-hyeok, leaving numerous inquiries over his fate after being assumed deceased at the end of season 1.
Lee Eun-hyeok selflessly sacrificed himself for the welfare of his sister and fellow Green House survivors, enabling their escape while ultimately perishing in the building’s collapse as he exhibited early signs of monsterization.
Eun-hyeok’s demise was one of the most poignant moments in the K-drama, yet ultimately facilitated his reappearance in Sweet Home.
Sweet Home season 3 combined elements from its first and subsequent seasons to culminate its narrative, depicting a viral contagion that transforms humanity into monsters. Although the second season of Sweet Home did not garner the same critical acclaim as its predecessor, the announcement of Lee Do-hyun resuming his role was highly anticipated.
Numerous hypotheses existed regarding Lee Eun-hyeok’s role in the conclusion of Sweet Home and the manner in which his character evaded a seemingly inevitable demise in the season 1 finale. Fortunately, Sweet Home 3 addressed these inquiries.
How Eun-hyeok Survives in Sweet Home Season 3?
When Eun-hyeok sacrificed himself for the future of his fellow Green House occupants, his saving grace was that he had been infected with the monsterization virus. One advantage of monsterization is enhanced healing, which certainly contributed to improving Eun-hyeok’s survival prospects.
Consequently, Sweet Home verifies that Eun-hyeok survived the building’s fall due to his transformation into a monster.
The precise moment when Eun-hyeok transformed into a monster remains ambiguous. He is believed to have turned at the moment the building was collapsing, as Eun-hyeok had significant monsterization symptoms accompanied by severe nosebleeding.
This would elucidate his extraordinary existence, as an ordinary human would likely not endure such conditions. Subsequently, Eun-hyeok is assumed to have spent a period as a monster before progressing to the next phase: cocooning.
Eun-hyeok’s period of isolation accounts for his delayed return to Sweet Home. Similar to his previous phase, the duration of Eun-hyeok’s time spent within his cocoon is uncertain. Nevertheless, that was sufficient time for him to reach the last phase of the monsterization process.
In the concluding moments of season 2, Eun-hyeok transforms from the cocoon into a neohuman. Despite resembling his season 1 character, Eun-hyeok’s portrayal in Sweet Home season 3 demonstrates that he has transformed into a fundamentally different individual.
Why Eun-hyeok Appears So Different in Sweet Home Season 3?
Neohumans may appear human, although they are fundamentally different. Neohumans are wholly novel entities possessing the capacity for rebirth upon death, rendering them nearly eternal. Eun-hyeok illustrates this procedure in episode 3.
He tragically commits suicide following an assault by Sang-won (Lee Jin-uk) in Bamseom, only to be swiftly enveloped in a cocoon and reincarnated as the same Eun-hyeok as before. While this procedure serves as a conduit to immortality for neohumans, it presents its own challenges.
In Sweet Home 3, Eun-hyeok possesses a family photograph. This family photograph had sentimental significance for Eun-hyeok, who was last observed clutching this image just before his demise. This suggests that Eun-hyuk possesses recollection of his previous existence.
Nonetheless, Eun-hyeok’s designation as a neohuman precludes him from experiencing any emotions. This adversely affects his reunion with his younger sister, Eun-yu (Go Min-si), who implores him to utilize his accelerated learning abilities to comprehend emotions, hoping to restore more of the brother she once knew.
Neohumans such as Eun-hyeok exemplify that monsterization does not signify the demise of humanity, but rather potentially heralds a new beginning.
The incorporation of neohumans introduces an intriguing new element to Sweet Home. These entities introduce a novel aspect to monsterization while simultaneously offering a sense of optimism.
Until now, Dr. Lim (Oh Jung-se) has either destroyed or concealed all remedies for the virus, perceiving humanity as a malady rather than a condition requiring treatment.
Neohumans such as Eun-hyeok exemplify that monsterization does not signify the demise of humanity, but potentially heralds a new inception.
An Explanation of Eun-hyeok’s Role in Sweet Home Season 3
Eun-hyeok’s new job in Sweet Home puts him as the on-screen representative of neohumans. Neohumans are introduced at the beginning of season 3 as three enigmatic beings approach the stadium in quest of their “kin,” but they are ultimately slain by Sang-won (Lee Jin-uk) and the special infectees.
Eun-hyeok’s reemergence facilitates the audience’s exploration of the past and attributes of this novel entity in Sweet Home, alleviating any sense of overwhelm, and effectively initiates the conclusion of the thriller K-drama’s narrative.
Eun-hyeok is important in overcoming Sang-won and the special infectees, as his recent collaboration mirrors one of the most exceptional partnerships from season 1. Despite being first overwhelmed by his demonic nature, Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) collaborates with Eun-hyeok to permanently eliminate Sang-won.
Eun-hyeok and the neohumans contend that the special infectees are undermining the natural progression of the monsterization process and want Hyun-su’s assistance, as only a monster-human possesses the capability to vanquish Sang-won, who has transformed into a half-human, half-monster as a result of Dr. Lim’s research.
What Happened To Eun-hyeok At The End Of Sweet Home?
The ending of Sweet Home shows Eun-hyeok’s new existence mirroring his demise, finally leading him to embark on a renewed life. Eun-hyeok initially presents his body as a sacrifice for Sang-won, recognizing the necessity of a new vessel following the unsuccessful possession of his daughter, Yi-su (Kim Si-a).
Eun-hyeok, being a neohuman, possesses the ability to eliminate Sang-won’s terrible entity and can also undergo rebirth by immersing himself in flames. Although Cha Hyun-su also volunteers for this task, an unexpected return of Sang-wook, whose body has been inhabited by Sang-won for seasons 2 and 3, results in Sang-won’s ultimate downfall.
Humans know that monsterization signifies not an end, but rather a fresh commencement.
Although Eun-hyeok was believed to have encountered a tragic end in the concluding scenes of season 1, Sweet Home 3 offers optimism for his character as humans and neohumans discover a means of co-existence.
The monster virus in Sweet Home is never eliminated. Humans discover that monsterization signifies not an end, but a fresh commencement. Particularly for Eun-hyuk and his sister, Eun-yu.
Certain characters in Sweet Home have retained their humanity, while others are transforming into monsters or have undergone all stages to become neohumans. Eun-yu’s presence indicates that she has become a neohuman, similar to her brother.
Nonetheless, Eun-hyeok’s smile suggests that neohumans can reacquire the ability to express emotions. This evokes optimism for their future, yet also serves as a poignant reminder of Eun-hyeok’s demise, as he was last seen as a human, smiling.
Although melancholic, it serves as a continuation of Eun-hyeok’s existence, with his new life commencing at the conclusion of his previous one.
Curious about Lee Eun-hyeok’s survival and metamorphosis in Sweet Home Season 3? Understand the intricacies of neohumans, monsterization, and the emotional development of Eun-hyeok and his sister, Eun-yu. For detailed articles, insights, and further information regarding Sweet Home, please visit our website.