Part II Sung Kang’s Absence Explained

Code 8: Part II brings back almost all surviving characters from the first movie except for Sung Kang’s Officer Park, who showed more empathy and compassion for people with superhuman abilities than his then-police partner, Officer Davis. The 2016 short film Code 8 was made into a full feature in 2019, taking the audience to an alternate version of Earth where a small percentage of the population has superhuman abilities. With time, these people started to be seen as menaces and were forced to live in poverty and are in constant danger due to the police tracking them through drones and robots.

After taking crime lord Marcus Sutcliffe down at the end of Code 8, the sequel, simply titled Code 8: Part II, reunited Connor (Robbie Amell) and Garrett (Stephen Amell) to protect a fellow Power named Pav (Sirena Gulamgaus). The young girl became the target of the Lincoln City Police Department, led by Sergeant Kingston (Alex Mallari Jr), who implemented a new program involving companion robots that he claimed were harmless, but they were the complete opposite. Unfortunately, Connor, Pav, and Garrett didn’t count on Officer Park’s help this time, and his absence wasn’t ignored in Code 8: Part II.

Related

Code 8: Part II Cast & Character Guide

Netflix’s Code 8: Part II includes a robust cast full of both familiar faces from the first film and new actors who offer incredible performances.

Officer Park Had Trouble With The Corrupt System In The World Of Code 8

Code 8 followed Connor as he accepted a job with Garrett and his team as he needed money to pay for the treatment of his sick mother (who was also a Power and could no longer control her abilities due to her illness). As the city was facing a major drug issue due to the substance Psyke, made from the spinal fluid of trafficked Powers, police officers kept a close eye on traffickers and Powers alike. Code 8 introduced Officer Park, who, along with Officer Davis (Aaron Abrams), was shown conducting a raid on an apartment owned by Marcus.

Connor met Park and Davis when he was brought in for questioning, with Davis suggesting they planted evidence and coerced Connor into informing, while Park insisted on letting him go due to lack of evidence. Not long after, it was revealed that Park’s empathy and understanding of Powers was personal, as his daughter had superhuman abilities. At the end of Code 8, Connor made a deal with Park, and Marcus was killed, while Connor was sent to prison and Davis and Park were awarded for it, with the latter reluctantly accepting the award.

Park was the biggest absentee in Code 8: Part II, and though he’s mentioned a couple of times throughout the movie, an exact reason for him not being around wasn’t given. Davis mentioned to Connor that Park was obstructed by the corrupt system, which could mean many things: Park could have retired, been transferred, or might have been killed. The first one seems the most likely, given how worried he was about his daughter’s safety, and his decision might have been key to Davis’ change of perspective in Code 8: Part II.

Officer Davis Takes Park’s “Good Cop” Role In Code 8: Part II

To the surprise of Connor (and the audience), Davis took Park’s “good cop” role in Code 8: Part II and became a valuable ally to Connor, Pav, and Garrett. Davis first approached Connor at the community center to try to get him to team up against the system, but Connor had had enough of it. Later, Davis tracked Connor, Pav, and Garrett down and together they came up with a plan to expose Kingston and his many crimes. At the end of Code 8: Part II, it was Davis who stopped the other cops from shooting Connor and Pav.

Through this, Davis ended up redeeming himself from his antagonistic role in the first movie, and though Park’s absence was felt and he would have been a valuable ally in Code 8: Part II, he most likely made the best decision for his daughter’s safety and benefit.

Code 8: Part II

Code 8: Part II is the sequel to the 2019 sci-fi action film by director Jeff Chan. Connor has been released from prison and intends to turn his life around, but he is dragged back in when a teenager named Pav crosses his path. Running afoul of corrupt police officers, Pav flees with the help of Connor, but to succeed, he’ll have to reach back out to his former criminal partner, Garrett.

Director

Jeff Chan

Release Date

February 28, 2024

Cast

Robbie Amell , Stephen Amell , Alex Mallari Jr. , Jean Yoon , Aaron Abrams

Runtime

100 Minutes