Notice! Contains spoilers for Hellbound season 2!Netflix Hell The first season ended with several unexpected twists, including baby Toughie surviving his execution – but how and why did that happen? The fact that newborn baby Toughie received a decree is already a huge blow to the doctrines proclaimed by the New Truth Society, which assert that only sinners receive decrees, but also do not recognize the concept of original sin.
During the end of Hell In the first season, when Song So-hyun (Won Jin-ah) and Bae Young-jae (Park Jung-Min) successfully sacrificed themselves and absorbed the enactment of baby Toughie’s demonic death sentence, the newborn baby’s existence has become an even greater thorn in the side of The New Truth Society’s previously unshakable authority.
Why Baby Toughie Surviving the Decree Was So Significant
The child’s fate defied what was known about the decrees
Baby Toughie’s survival wasn’t just a shocking moment in Hell season one finale, but it also called into question everything viewers thought they knew about death decrees. Baby Toughie was not only the first newborn baby to receive a death sentence, she was also the first person to survive through the sacrifice of others. On the one hand, these events could refute the doctrines of the New Society of Truth. On the other hand, the new age cult’s central committee could still interpret this event in a way that would benefit the organization.
The Toughie case established several new and important factors about the decrees in Hell. The shocking moment made it clear that anyone can obtain decrees, even newborn babies who have not yet committed sins or crimes. What’s more, Baby Toughie’s survival also revealed that the decrees are not ineffable and are somehow transferable through the act of self-sacrifice. While the former refutes the teachings of the New Society of Truth, the latter can still be interpreted to serve the cult’s needs, as the idea of self-sacrifice thwarting decreed executions can be argued to be a clause based on morality.
How Baby Toughie’s Story Brings Biblical Themes
The child’s fate reflects the story of Isaac and Abraham
Although the New Truth Society is built on the Christian mythology-based lies of its founder, President Jung Jin-soo (Yoo Ah-in), Toughie’s case actually echoes the story of Isaac and Abraham in the Book of Genesis. God decrees the death of Isaac through his father Abraham. Similar to how So-hyun and Young-jae respond to baby Toughie’s execution, Abraham submits to God’s authority and puts his son Isaac in danger, as God commands. In both Hell and in the Book of Genesis, God spares the decreed child from the mortal blow.
The only difference is that Abraham almost stabs Isaac while Toughie’s parents try to protect their son. However, in both cases, the willingness to offer a sacrifice to God saves the day. God also gives Abraham the power of authority over all the prophets, which indicates both Baby Toughie’s future and his significance in history. Hell 2nd season.
What Baby Toughie Surviving Meant for Hellbound Season 2
The shock at the end of Season 1 was crucial when the show returned
HellThe revelations about baby Toughie were just the beginning of the K-Drama unraveling the truth about its supernatural events. The surviving cast and characters of Hell faced even more revelations in Hell season 2. The second season of Hell arrived on Netflix in October 2024, and to say it’s upped the ante when it comes to shocking moments, deep lore, and visually mesmerizing moments (and monsters) is an understatement. What’s more, baby Toughie (whose real name is Jae-hyeon) continued to play a pivotal role in the narrative.
There is a four-year time jump between Hell season 1 and season 2. When viewers return to the series’ sinister reality, Baby Toughie/Jae-hyeon is now four years old. The level of importance of her surviving the decree is also made quite clear, as she remains the only person to survive being marked for death. She is under the care of the Sodo organization when Hell season 2 begins, being kept under observation in a secure room.
The impact of his survival had enormous ramifications for the New Truth Society. The legend of the baby who defied the death decree has spread and the New Truth Society’s control over the population is significantly weaker. However, Hell Season 2 has its own twist when it comes to Baby Toughie’s survival, as it appears she didn’t actually survive. Instead, she died and was immediately resurrected. This in no way detracts from its significance, but the new twist once again throws everything into disarray. Hell established on the rules of the death decrees in question.
This also leaves things open for season three and again fuels the parallels with the story of Isaac and Abraham. Whatever Jae-hyon’s fate may be when the time comes Hell ends, it becomes clear that she is special. Many are already theorizing that she has some kind of power just like Jung-ja. Much of Season 2 is spent following various characters trying to capture, kill, or free Jae-hyon, and it’s clear that the impact Baby Toughie survived at the end of Hell Season 1 will continue to shake up the narrative in Season 3 and beyond.
Netflix’s Hellbound is a Korean dark fantasy drama series directed by Yeon Sang-ho and based on his graphic novel, The Hellbound Volume 1. The series is set in a modern, fantasy version of Korea in which strange creatures choose and they choose individuals to send to Hell.
- Cast
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Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Jeong-min, Won Jin-ah, Yang Ik-Joon, Kim Do-yoon, Kim Shin-rock, Ryu Kyung-soo
- Release date
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November 19, 2021
- Seasons
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1
- Directors
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Yeon Sang-ho