Apple TV+’s investigative thriller took a sci-fi turn in the latter parts of the narrative and given Sugar a new purpose
For a very long time, the showrunners of Apple TV’s Colin Farrell-led series Sugar had audiences believe it was a neo-noir detective thriller. Sugar’s (Farrell) a private investigator who specializes in finding missing people and his latest job involves finding the missing granddaughter of a film moghul, Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell). That is what we thought it was all about.
There were hints that there was more than meets the eye. What makes Sugar so good at what he does? Catching a fly with chopsticks, deflecting a bullet, fighting abilities, his conduct with a homeless man and Melanie (Amy Ryan), the inability to get drunk, no matter the amount of alcohol he has, and his special connection with dogs. There was something about Sugar and episode 6 finallt revealed that he’s not a spy as Melanie suspected. He is an alien, one of many who are on an ‘observe and report’ mission.
All of his friends have day jobs like he does, but the ultimate goal is to learn about the ways of man. Violence is not something his people prescribe to – they are not supposed to hurt people, although Sugar does end up killing a few in his pursuit of finding Olivia. Sugar and his people are on earth to preserve their peaceful life. Considering that humans have been a murderous bunch right from the times of Cain and Abel, what were Sugar and co hoping to learn? How not to become wretched beings?
Sugar not only finds Olivia (Sydney Chandler), but he also realizes that the reason Ruby (Kirby) didn’t want him taking the case was because everyone in their ‘little club of aliens’, knew about her abduction and who was behind it. Turns out, some humans got wind of this alien operation and Sugar was supposed to stand down, which, of course, he didn’t. But that wasn’t all. Olivia had been taken by the depraved son of a politician, who’s pet project was torturing and killing young women and he wasn’t along. Sugar’s friend Henry (Jason Butler Harner) had taken an academic interest in this torture chamber.
But what kept Sugar from heading back home on the evacuation shuttle was that Henry’s strange ways didn’t start on earth. He had something to do with Sugar’s sister Djen’s disappearance. A case Sugar could never crack and the reason he made finding missing people his life mission. Djen may not be alive, after all, but seeing something that belonged to her gives Sugar hope at finding out the truth and for that, he has to find Henry, no matter how long that takes.
And this should mean that the friendly-neighbourhood alien with a nose for detail should be back soon.All eight episodes of Sugar are now streaming on Apple TV+
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