THE STORY – Private detective and film connoisseur John Sugar, who stayed on Earth in hopes of finding his sister, takes on a new missing persons case—searching for the older brother of an up-and-coming local boxer.
THE CAST – Colin Farrell, Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Tony Dalton, Laura Donnelly, Sasha Calle & Shea Whigham
THE TEAM – Sam Catlin (Showrunner/Writer)
To those out there, including myself, who actually tuned in for the first season of the bizarrely hypnotic Apple TV+ original “Sugar,” we were rewarded with more than an entertaining neo-noir that contained one of the wildest zags out of any program in ages. No, but seriously, if you’re reading this and haven’t witnessed one of the most bonkers plot twists in television as of late, leave because it’s truly something to behold. Besides audiences sticking around to find out what oddity compelled them through most of the series’ first season, “Sugar” at times is essentially a litmus test to see if viewers would be satisfied enough with just watching Colin Farrell drive through the streets of Los Angeles in his baby blue 68′ Corvette Stingray while constantly referencing classic Hollywood films. It turns out it’s actually more than enough, as the mystery itself that props up Sugar’s journey is solid enough before the series dialed in on the genre elements that made this such an enigma when it first aired in 2024. Luckily for us, the second season only continues to double down on what made it work in the first place, as “Sugar” is still as enjoyable as ever, while still managing to find a few new tricks up its sleeve.
When we left our favorite extraterrestrial private detective, John Sugar, he forgoes the opportunity to flee Earth with the rest of his colony after their presence is exposed, in hopes of finding his missing sister, Djen. Sugar’s desire to find this absence within his soul, a part of himself which he long thought was gone, has left him a lonely wanderer on this planet, slowly spiraling. At least he’ll always have Los Angeles (and issues of American Cinematographer) to come back to as Sugar decides to dive into the work to set his mind free, this time looking for the missing brother of an up-and-coming boxer, Danny Moon, played by Jin Ha. Of course, the simple task of finding Ji Moon, played by Raymond Lee, eventually leads to a larger conspiracy involving crooked police officers, Chicano gangbangers, stolen drugs, and a whole lot of trouble.
Sam Catlin, who wrote for the first season, serves as the showrunner this time around, contributing to some of this season’s improvements. One of which is its efficient pacing, even as the series navigates the expected deviations that come with most serialized detective stories. The sci-fi elements are somewhat pushed to the back burner as the narrative attempts to have Sugar balance the missing-persons case involving Ji Moon while also digging into the affairs of the powers that led to his people’s expulsion. The latter of which is ultimately left to fill in the context of Sugar’s past and emotional headspace for where he is this season. Catlin certainly has a more grounded approach, which, while entertaining to witness, feels like they’re not going headfirst into the eccentricities of clashing these two differing genres. It’s a gradual windup, like it was back in the first season, building towards larger revelations about the Sugars’ secret life, some of which set the stage for interesting character dynamics in the future of the series.
There is something to be said about the absence of Fernando Meirelles’s visual flair as the acclaimed filmmaker isn’t involved with the second season. The series doesn’t degrade visually, but this time around, a noticeable sheen is developing, quickly becoming associated with the look of most Apple Original Series as people compare it to Netflix programming. “Sugar” still retains its signature editing style, injecting clips from classic films as Farrell’s narration sets the mood. It’s an at-times masturbatory tactic that unfortunately plays to my sensibilities, such as a moment where Sugar, playing pool for information on his case, is juxtaposed with scenes from Robert Rossen’s “The Hustler.”
What keeps the series flowing is that Farrell is great as always, continuing to embody the classic archetype that has surrounded this cool, calm, and collected protagonist. Sugar’s sincerity is what makes him stand out to the people who enter his life this season, but even this is ultimately challenged as his prolonged presence on Earth leads him to question everything he’s ever known. This crisis of belief allows Farrell to bring more nuance to the character, peeling away at someone who has plenty to offer beyond being a well-suited charisma machine. One of the ways he’s pushed to his limits is with the presence of Laura Donnelly’s Charlotte Fischer, a resident of the hotel where he lives, whose flirtatious banter slowly develops into something more. It’s fascinating to see Sugar, who mostly manages to present himself as human as possible, crumble whenever some form of intimacy is offered to him.
The inclusion of Tony Dalton as Lieutenant Ray Vega also leads Sugar to challenge his morals, as this powerful figure in the LA County Sheriff’s Department constantly comes to blows with Him, impeding his investigation. It’s a nice touch by the writers to give Sugar a rival of equal pedigree, even as Dalton conjures up some of the nefarious magnetism he brought to a character like Lalo Salamanca in “Better Call Saul.” It’s refreshing to see Sugar on his back foot, both tactically and emotionally at times, which gives this season an edge compared to the novelty of the alien reveal that shrouded the series last time around. It’s far from the best series out there, yet at least “Sugar” remains worth one’s time, especially when you add someone like Shea Whigham to fill in for audiences and Sugar himself on key information. The ending certainly packs in all the weirdness one was expecting more of, but even if used as a hook for a possible third season, it doesn’t take much convincing for me to watch another John Sugar mystery.
THE GOOD – Colin Farrell is great, as always, in a more streamlined mystery with plenty of twists and classic film references.
THE BADÂ – Those hoping for more sci-fi weirdness are going to be disappointed, as they’d have to enjoy it sparingly with this season’s more grounded approach.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – None
THE FINAL SCORE – 7/10
