REVIEW: ‘Newtopia’ Episode 4

Newtopia Episode 4 is the halfway point in the series, and, as a sort of middle-ground point, it’s an odd one. Starting off with an extended flashback, we get a more in-depth look at how Lee Jae-yoon (Park Jeong-min) and Kang Young-joo’s (Blackpink’s Kim Jisoo) relationship before Jae-yoon goes off to fulfill his mandatory military service. This by itself isn’t necessarily odd, but there is a lack of balance between the flashbacks, Jae-yoon’s plot, and Young-joo’s plot that makes it distractingly disjointed.

Newtopia Episode 4 swings the bulk of the attention towards Kang Young-joo in both the present and past. Things start off with a flashback, answering the question that’s been on many viewers’ minds: how did these two end up together? Young-joo doesn’t come out looking too great. A cringeworthy confession in a university lecture hall immediately shows that she’s highly sought after, and a conversation later on in the episode reveals that she knows she’s hot.

In that same conversation, Young-joo insults Jae-yoon’s appearance, comparing him to a fish whilst simultaneously complaining that he doesn’t find her attractive. In a moment of brief comedy, Jae-yoon is right behind her, overhearing everything, and she loses face, but he brushes things off. His lack of overt reaction only adds to the intrigue that is building up in Young-joo’s mind. It’s not long before she starts crushing on him.

So far, a lot of the information about Jae-yoon has been from her interactions with Jae-yoon on the phone or through Jae-yoon’s worries. Even still, there hasn’t been much of a tableau for Jisoo to really explore the character more deeply. There’s a little bit of that in Newtopia Episode 4, but a lot of the writing is still pretty surface-level stuff. Even still, Jisoo tries to do what she can with the character, playing around with the more intriguing qualities without going too far. But Young-joo isn’t quite three-dimensional yet.

The arrival of Tang Jun-sang in Newtopia Episode 4 adds much-needed personality.

As we jump forth into the present, Young-joo is still trying to tie her shoe. Alex (Lee Hak-joo) and Seo Jin-wook (Kang Young-seok) are rightfully trying to get her to focus on the situation at hand. They are in the middle of the street with zombies nearby. Any sound can trigger them. The arrival of a strange man, simply referred to as Tripeater (Tang Jun-sang), livens things up. This becomes clear as soon as his cell phone goes off and the zombies come running.

The thing is, the zombies avoid him. The reason? He’s been bitten. This naturally freaks the group out. One, because they need to survive, and two, because this stranger is a liability despite his sheer likable personality. Seriously, actor Tang Jun-sang is a breath of fresh air, and his character’s presence has the group reaching new lengths of silliness. But first, Tripeater must regale them with his tales of his testing failures. It makes for a relatable moment but also lets us know the character may not be the smartest tool in the shed.

Frankly, neither is the rest of the group. After they encounter a zombie in the restaurant they’ve holed themselves in, the group tries to determine why Tripeater hasn’t transformed yet. Their verdict? His body’s alcohol level content. In arguably the most ill-advised decision in zombie media in a good while, Young-joo, Alex, and Jin-wook get drunk. It makes for some more natural humor, particularly as Jisoo gets physical in channeling Young-joo’s drunkenness. But it also adds tension because alcohol equals mistakes happening.

They don’t make it too far, especially once Young-joo drunkenly wanders outside. Her loud voice easily attracts the zombies, yet she has no sense of danger remaining. Jin-wook uses Tripeater to distract the zombies since he can still repel them. It makes for another nail-biting moment due to the questions that pop up. If the alcohol theory proves to be true, the question is, what happens once the body is done processing the alcohol? Will Tripeater turn, or will the zombies eat him? We don’t find out in Newtopia Episode 4, unfortunately.

Jae-yoon and his cohort take a bit of a backseat.

Comparatively, Jae-yoon and his cohort get markedly less screen time. This is a shame since, after the previous episode, something about the chaotic, hilarious energy that the group brings to the show is such a highlight. However, despite having less screen time with this group, the plot moves forward, and the stage is set for the next conflict they’ll have to face.

At the forefront is the loss of several of the men. There’s a somber tone to the group now that the realization of what is going on is crashing down on them. It’s further amplified when Jeon Hyung-bae (Park Kang-sub) amplifies and goes after Ra In-ho (Im Sung-jae). This encounter sparks a conversation surrounding what likely delayed Hyung-bae’s transformation, with actor Im Sung-jae continuing to knock out the comedy of the scene. But we also learn that Oh Soo-jeong (Hong Seo-hui) was a former competitive shooter before high school.

Fear and uncertainty come back into focus with the death of another, rattling Sergeant Jung (Lee Joo-won) further. But a call comes in that sparks hope in everyone. A helicopter is arriving soon that will give them new supplies. However, as the helicopter looms closer to the camera, Newtopia Episode 4 ends with an ominous tinge. It may not just be supplies coming the cohort’s way.

In their own separate categories, each plot featured in Newtopia Episode 4 isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, each provides substantial growth for some of the characters who are being primed to capture our attention. The Young-joo story is made stronger by the arrival of a new member, even if his life hangs in the balance. What completely throws the episode off is how the story is edited together. It’s like mismatched puzzle pieces trying to be crammed together. Sure, it kind of fits, but something is off.

In that way, Newtopia Episode 4 is a mismatch of tones that never quite comes together. The cuts between past and present are poorly transitioned, making it hard to gauge what the writers were going for. What started as a promising series has quickly fallen to the wayside. With four more episodes remaining, it will be interesting to see whether or not this series can adjust accordingly to deliver a strong finish.

Newtopia Episodes 1-4 are now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping every Friday.