What It Takes

**What It Takes** is the fifth episode of Season 2 of the Netflix series  *Sweet Tooth* and thirteenth episode overall. It aired on April 27, 2023.

## Synopsis

*General Abbot makes an example out of Gus. Dr. Singh obsesses over his research ahead of an important presentation. Becky crosses paths with a frenemy.*

## Plot

Jepperd, in the past is capturing hybrid children. He’s not exactly happy about it and he grows impatient with Coach. After bundling the sedated kid in the cage, he speaks to his boss. He doesn’t want to keep working for the Last Men, given Coach has been taking credit for everything he’s doing. He wants to find Louisa, but Coach claims that he has a “promising lead” for him.

Back in the present, the truck breaks down again in the middle of the road. With no other choice, Jepperd grabs as much gear as possible, including a megaphone and a flare gun, and begins jogging up the road.

Abbot brings Gus into his tent and the pair trade ideologies. Abbot brings up how Gus is afraid and that he’s going to learn not to fight back. Abbot continues to monologue, chillingly mentioning how the hybrid bones are the key here and they also hold the real prize. Unfortunately, the General makes an example of Gus and cuts off one of his antlers.

When he’s thrown back in his cage, Gus is scared and shaking. Wendy reassures Gus that his antler will grow back stronger and in doing so, that’ll reflect their own journey, as they make it out stronger than they were before.

Meanwhile, Adi finds out some bad news. It turns out the H5G9 Virus has been detected after all and there’s actually no cure. He sees himself as a failure and unfortunately, that means the meeting with The Three is going to go awry. Rani believes they should use that to their advantage, convincing the warlords that the General has been playing them all this time.

This would cause all-out chaos and give them an opportunity to leave Abbot’s slimy grasp once and for all. However, it all relies on Adi making the first move and taking the chance to defy his research.

Meanwhile, Becky breaks into the camp where it turns out there aren’t hybrids but in fact, the Animal Army. Becky fights with Tiger, believing that Tiger’s upcoming plan to bust into Abbot’s army is going to get everyone killed. Becky tries to strike a deal with her but unfortunately, Jordan shows up from behind and knocks Tiger out.

The Three show up at Abbot’s Zoo, including Zhang (or Helen, as she prefers), Voss and Dutch. Abbot presents his idea for somewhere called Evergreen, a sanctuary that could help them all by acting as a self-sustaining refuge. This is an unfinished housing development, long-forgotten from his days in the army. There’s 53 lush acres and with high walls to keep everything outside.

He offers the leaders 150 of the best men from each of their own communities, while the rest will be left to the Sick. The General needs everyone together to power up this Evergreen commune and it only works if they’re all on the same page. Of course, all of this also rests on using the cure, which we know isn’t real.

Singh takes the presentation, with his usual nervous disposition, and points out how deadly this new strain actually is. It can’t be contained and as for the cure, Adi betrays his wife and doesn’t do the right thing, telling them they need to process more of the cure for it to be successful.

Meanwhile, the kids work together and manage to overwhelm one of the guards, trapping him inside and taking his cattle prod, which they use to knock him out. With the way clear, the kids finally bust out; Gus notices a flare going off in the air and believes it could well be the Big Man.

The other soldiers inside see it too and Johnny decides to send a team out to investigate. That leaves a skeleton crew inside, and Gus offers himself up as bait. He shows up at the big meeting and interrupts General Abbot. He’s done hiding and points out that hybrids are dying for his so-called cure. He tells them all that the virus is the real enemy here, not them. However, just before Abbot makes his move, Johnny saves Gus and lets him go.

As for Mrs. Zhang, she decides not to follow General Abbot, unless she gets all the spots at Evergreen. In fact, she’s ready to undermine the competition completely. And just like that, she has them all killed so the two groups team up together.

Outside the Zoo, Jepp tries to strike a deal with the Last Men, offering up Aimee and her guards in exchange for getting Gus back. However, Bobby suddenly shows up from the ground and looks at Jepp, recognizing him as the Big Man. One of the guards shoots him down with a net, prompting Jepp to lose his temper and lash out. It’s enough for the little hybrid to leave, but also sees Jepp captured too.

Meanwhile, Rani speaks to Adi and tells him she doesn’t want the cure, not if it means killing hybrid children. She wants to go back to how they were before and she doesn’t want this.

“There is no going back,” Adi says, as he continues to work on getting the right ingredients for his cure.

Eventually, Gus runs into Jepp while the latter is behind bars. The pair hold hands and Jepp admits he’s missed the little guy. However, everything is interrupted by the sound of a helicopter flying overhead. An airdropped present is parachuted down for General Abbot, which happens to be a radio phone. On the back, reads the words “Knock Knock.”

## Cast and characters

### Starring

* Nonso Anozie as Thomas Jepperd
* Christian Convery as Gus
* Adeel Akhtar as Dr.Aditya Singh
* Stefania LaVie Owen as Becky Walker/Bear
* Dania Ramirez as Aimee Eden
* Aliza Vellani as Rani Singh
* Naledi Murray as Wendy Eden
* Yonas Kibreab as Finn Fox
* Christopher Cooper Jr. as Teddy Turtle
* Marlon Williams as Johnny Abbot
* Neil Sandilands as General Douglas Abbot
* James Brolin voices the Narrator

### Co-starring

* Amie Donald as Maya Monkey
* Elin Minchin as Jojo
* Apii Pukeiti as Otto
* Harvey Gui as Max
* Ravi Narayan as Earl
* Zoey Javierto as Junior
* Ruby Dawn Hall as Haley
* Aeon Lin Scott as Anna
* Cyan Lin Scott as Hanna
* Eden Hart as Batista
* Mia Artemis as Tiger
* Mark Sole as Barnes
* Josh Randall as Hulk
* George Ferrier as Jordan
* Craig Hall as Coach Marlin
* Tawanda Manyimo as Dutch
* Daniel Watterson as Voss
* Jamie Irvine as Ash