Apple TV’s ‘Sugar’ Sidelines Its Boldest Sci-Fi Swing in Season 2

Sugar is a strange show. The Colin Farrell-led Apple TV series, which first premiered two years ago, follows an LA-based private eye and cinephile investigating the case of a missing woman. Sounds simple enough, but there’s a twist: The titular John Sugar isn’t human, nor is he from Earth. He’s a blue-skinned alien, disguising himself as a human with Farrell’s handsome looks.

Sugar Season 1 began as a promising throwback to film noir of yesteryear before unveiling a twist that would go on to make or break the series for many. Almost two years later, Season 2 is finally premiering on Apple TV, with Farrell returning alongside a mostly new cast, and the marketing has been odd, to say the least. Not only are trailers for the new installment still hiding the fact that its lead character is an alien, but Season 2 itself also devotes less focus to the show’s biggest sci-fi revelation, both for better and for worse.

What Is ‘Sugar’ Season 2 About?

While most of the members of his alien race have left Earth, John Sugar is still working as a PI on the streets of Los Angeles. He longs to find his missing sister, Djen (Maeve Djen), but he also needs another case to keep him preoccupied. That’s when he meets Danny Moon (Jin Ha), an up-and-coming boxer whose brother and trainer, Ji Moon (Raymond Lee), has gone missing. Ji has had a long history of drug abuse and running with the wrong people, but his disappearance could be tied to something even greater.

After taking the case to find Ji, Sugar ends up paired with an unlikely new ally, Val (Sasha Calle), an ex-con he bonds with while staying in a luxurious hotel. He also finds a shot at romance after meeting the whip-smart Charlotte Fischer (Laura Donnelly), but feels conflicted about revealing his true identity to her. This season’s heavy, Ray Vega (Tony Dalton), is a mysterious man with ties to Djen and Danny’s past. Much like its first season, Sugar is still steeped in its film noir influences. It doesn’t run away from the genre’s tropes; it embraces them, albeit with a more otherworldly twist. That also comes with a cost, as the series never fully commits to its boldest sci-fi swings from Season 1.

‘Sugar’ Season 2 Tries To Have Its Cake and Eat It Too

Image via Apple TV

We don’t get many true noirs anymore, especially not ones with star-studded casts like Sugar. Showrunner Sam Catlin is aware of that fact, and as a result, Sugar Season 2 suffers from an identity crisis. When you introduce a wild swing in a television series, you should embrace it, but this new season is more restrained, like it’s embarrassed of itself. The alien reveal isn’t completely forgotten; there are still mentions of it throughout. We see Sugar using his extraterrestrial powers, whether it be to evade deadly conflicts or simply to play with a group of dogs at the dog park. His identity is also used for thematic purposes, serving as a parallel to immigration, but it is also heavy-handed and without much nuance. For comparison, the recent Prime Video series Spider-Noir wore both its comic book pulpiness and noir influences proudly on its sleeve. Whereas Sugar is attempting to shed some of its own identity.

The filmmaking itself is engaging, with directors like Michael Morris and Armat Escalante stepping behind the camera this time around. It’s a gorgeous show to look at, beautifully capturing Los Angeles nightlife in cinematic ways, including retro movie theaters, nightclubs, glamorous hotels, and boxing rings. On a visual level, Sugar Season 2 is never boring. You can sense the grand and expensive scope, and there’s a lot of passion put into it.

The noir genre typically revolves around stories that become more complicated as more is unveiled; in that vein, Sugar Season 2 tries to tie all its storylines together, but doesn’t succeed as neatly as it could. Everything culminates in a finale that wraps up on a whimper, rather than a bang. Although the ending leaves room for more story that could fix some of Season 2’s biggest tonal mishaps of this installment, the direction Sugar is heading in isn’t very interesting.

Colin Farrell and a Stellar New Cast Carry ‘Sugar’ Season 2

Image via Apple TV

Farrell is always a welcome presence, and his performance in Sugar‘s first season helped make the series’ most jarring plot twist easier to buy into. His character is trying to be more gruff and stoic, but there’s an innocence and warmth that make him an easy protagonist to root for. He’s back in fine form in Season 2, retaining all of John Sugar’s charisma and gentle nature. Farrell’s performance also proves that this series wouldn’t work at all without him. He is fully comfortable portraying both a classic gumshoe and a lost, lonely alien attempting to become more in touch with humanity.

Most of the cast members from Sugar Season 1 don’t return for Season 2, although this change is also the one area where the new season improves upon its predecessor. New faces inject more life and humanity into the series; Sasha Calle is a major standout, and her natural and endearing chemistry with Farrell morphs into one of the season’s strongest arcs. Tony Dalton also turns in an exciting performance, bringing a sense of menace and fear and putting a face to the danger that lurks in Sugar’s latest case. Shea Whigham, Laura Donnelly, and Raymond Lee are also welcome new additions, with their characters actually being memorable rather than just mere plot devices.

Sugar‘s sophomore season undoubtedly had a tough hill to climb, especially while juggling two very different genres. There are moments of pure thrills and intrigue, but Season 2 often becomes bogged down by a story that gets sloppier the deeper it gets. It’s watchable, but it isn’t as confident as Sugar‘s bold premise demands.

Sugar Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV.

Release Date

April 4, 2024

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Mark Protosevich, Sam Catlin

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Pros & Cons

• Colin Farrell is still excellent in the titular role.
• The new characters are more memorable than Season 1’s ensemble.
• Season 2 is gorgeously shot and visually stunning.

• It’s almost like the series is embarrassed of its own identity.
• The story becomes too convoluted as the season progresses.
• The finale ends things on a whimper.