Newtopia episode 5 recap: Alex dies while trying to protect Kang Young-joo

Newtopia returned with episode 4 on February 28, 2025, delivering another intense chapter. Starring BLACKPINK's Jisoo and Park Jeong-min, the series centers on engineer Kang Young-joo and her boyfriend, Lee Jae-yoon, as they struggle to survive a sudden zombie outbreak.

With danger lurking at every turn, they fight not only for their lives but also for their future together. Newtopia is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in select regions, and new episodes drop every Friday.

In the earlier episode, Alex develops a theory that zombies do not attack people who are intoxicated. The group tests this successfully while, at the same time, the military base receives food supplies from headquarters.

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Newtopia episode 5 recap: Alex makes a fiery sacrifice as the student begins to turn into a zombie

Episode 5 of Newtopia opens with a military helicopter carrying food as it approaches Tower A from headquarters. However, In-ha quickly realizes that the pilots are no longer human.

He warns the Sergeant, who, despite his disappointment, orders the team to fire and destroy the chopper. Later, he is reprimanded by his superior at the base for taking such action.

With food supplies running dangerously low, the Sergeant decides to lead the troops downstairs to search for rations. The soldiers gear up, firearms in hand, and Oh Soo-jeong also dons a military uniform, taking up arms alongside them. The team moves through the building, eliminating zombies with precise headshots as they descend.

Meanwhile, in this episode of Newtopia, Kang Young-joo and her team—Seo Jin-wook, Alex, and a newly joined student—head toward the military base at Tower A. However, the tower's entrance is swarming with zombies, making entry impossible.

The team decides to take a different route, heading into the basement to retrieve Alex's car, which contains tools that could help them fight the undead. Once inside, they split into pairs: Young-joo and Jin-wook in one group, Alex and the student in the other.

As Young-joo and Jin-wook search for the car, a horde of zombies suddenly rushes toward them. Alex's panicked scream alerts them just in time, and they climb onto nearby vehicles to escape. But the zombies begin scaling the cars as well.

Fighting back with hockey clubs, Young-joo and Jin-wook struggle to keep the growing horde at bay. Alex, in a desperate move, hurls Molotov cocktails he had prepared earlier, setting several zombies on fire.

Seizing the opportunity, Young-joo and Jin-wook flee, but as Alex tries to follow, the zombies overwhelm him. He fights back, but they drag him down and start biting him.

Young-joo instinctively rushes to save him, but Jin-wook pulls her away, calling it a suicide mission. The two retreat into a valet parking booth.

Meanwhile, the student, who had been away from the chaos, returns and tries to rescue Alex. However, the Molotov cocktails in Alex's backpack ignite, engulfing both the zombies and Alex in flames. The student watches in sorrow before walking away.

Upstairs in the same tower, the military team reaches the hotel lounge, fighting zombies. While searching for food, they discover a chef hiding.

As they gather supplies, Lee Jae-yoon's phone connects to Wi-Fi, allowing him to call Young-joo. The two are emotional upon seeing each other, and they exchange updates on their safety.

Young-joo reveals that she is inside the tower, alarming Jae-yoon, who knows how dangerous it is. He lies, saying he is not in the tower, and urges her to go to Suseo Station, where the military is setting up a base, promising to meet her there. The call is cut short when Young-joo's phone dies.

Later in episode 5 of Newtopia, the military team, realizing food is scarce, sits down for a much-needed meal. As they eat, the Sergeant steps away to grab a drink from the pantry, only to be attacked by a zombie.

Hearing the commotion, the team jumps into action, and soon, the zombie rushes towards the team. Soo-jeong fires, killing the zombie, but to their horror, the Sergeant begins turning into one. Despite his transformation, he walks toward them, tears in his eyes. Team leader Kim Young-man steps forward and, with a heavy heart, shoots him in the head.

In the basement, the student and Jin-wook argue about leaving Alex behind. Before they can continue, more zombies close in, forcing them to focus on finding Alex's car.

Further in this episode of Newtopia, the student, still slightly intoxicated and temporarily immune to zombie attacks, locates the vehicle. He rescues Young-joo and Jin-wook by killing the zombies surrounding the valet booth with a car.

Jin-wook then takes the wheel, driving through the zombie-infested streets and killing them. Instead of heading directly to Suseo Station, he decides to stop at his mother's hospital first, insisting that Young-joo needs medical attention for her injuries.

Meanwhile, the student starts noticing strange reactions in his body. The bite he had sustained earlier is beginning to take effect. Realizing he is turning into a zombie, he asks to be dropped off, claiming he wants to go home and study.

Hiding the truth, he insists on parting ways. Young-joo hesitates, but he reassures her and exits the car. As she is still unsure, he picks up a fight with Jin-wook and insists he drive.

Seeing a group of zombies approaching them, Jin-wook drives away. Worried about it, Young-joo suddenly realizes they never even have asked for the student's name.

Standing alone in the middle of the road, the student watches the car disappear into the distance. When zombies begin chasing after it, he fights them off, yelling at them to leave Young-joo and Jin-wook alone.

But then, in the last scene of episode 5 of Newtopia, the transformation begins. The student’s body convulses, and his eyes glaze over, transforming him into a zombie.

On this note, episode 5 of Newtopia concludes.

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Newtopia episode 6 is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on March 7, 2025.