Apple TV+’s Sugar kicks off its second season with a quieter but emotionally dense premiere. After the revelations of Season 1, John Sugar is more alone than ever, weighed down by unanswered questions as he dives into another mysterious disappearance.
The season opener is about loss, loneliness and the beginning of a new investigation that could pull Sugar further into a web of secrets.
Henry’s Last Moments Raise More Questions Than Answers
The episode opens with Sugar, who is looking for Henry, one of the few people who might know what happened to his missing sister, Djen. His quest takes him overseas to a dilapidated house where he finds Henry in a bad way.
Henry has just tried to kill himself, and can hardly talk. Sugar tries to get some information from Djen but Henry just apologises and dies. Whatever secrets he held vanish with him, leaving Sugar no nearer the truth.
The encounter is a bitter reminder that his quest for Djen is far from over.
Life After Everyone Else Has Gone
Back in California, Sugar tries to return to normal life. But nothing feels normal anymore.
With the other aliens gone and no way home, Sugar realizes he may be really alone. He is on a routine these days, and with Ruby not around to help him manage his workload, chances come few and far between.
That loneliness permeates every scene, and it is clear that Sugar is looking for some sort of purpose in a world that has suddenly shrunk considerably.
A Boxer’s Missing Brother Is Sugar’s New Case
Sugar’s newest case arrives when rising boxer Danny Moon seeks her help in locating his missing brother, Ji Moon.
Danny shares two disturbing voice messages from Ji. In both recordings, Ji sounds frightened and seems to be running away from someone. Despite his fear Ji encourages his little brother to continue training and take care of himself.
The messages suggest Ji knew he was in serious danger, making the case impossible for Sugar to ignore.
The Clue to the Heart of Koreatown
Sugar’s search leads him to Los Angeles’ Koreatown, where he starts asking people if they’ve seen Ji.
One lead is from a woman who sees Sugar at a bar. He’s trying to gather some intel, playing a friendly game of pool, when his car gets jacked right outside.
The odd episode introduces a streetwise young thief who later asks for money to get the car back. Sugar eventually gets his car back but not before learning an important detail.
The woman at the bar said Ji had been seeing a nurse named Hannah McDaniels and had a lot of dangerous people after him.
Hannah’s Dangerous Secret
The investigation shifts to a hospital where Sugar meets Hannah.
She denies being Ji’s girlfriend, but says they worked together on a recent attempt to steal drugs from the hospital. They were supposed to meet up after but Ji never showed up.
This news raises the stakes considerably. Ji wasn’t just missing, he might be involved in something much bigger and much more dangerous.
At the hospital, Sugar hears a familiar sound from the voicemail recordings. The sound matches the hospital’s fire escape staircase, giving him a new trail to follow.
The Second Mystery’s Shape
Meanwhile, another story quietly develops as Sugar digs deeper into Ji’s disappearance…
He goes back to his hotel and sends a message into the void with a communication device, hoping another alien may have stayed behind. It shows how badly he needs connection.
Viewers later learn that Sugar has purchased an apartment overlooking Senator Tyson Pavich’s residence.
This is no accident.
Sugar suspects the senator is in league with the forces that are driving the aliens away from Earth. He starts to watch Pavich in order to find out the truth, and continues to look for Ji.
The two investigations suggest that Season 2 will strike a balance between a traditional detective story and the larger science-fiction mythology of the show.
Sugar Will Not Follow Henry’s Lead
The episode ends on a very personal note.
Sugar looks at an old photo of himself and Djen and reflects on all he’s lost. Henry’s tragic end is a warning, and Sugar vows silently that grief and obsession will not swallow him up as they did Henry.
It’s a small moment, but it encapsulates the emotional heart of the premiere.
Review: Slow Burn With Potential Mysteries
Season 2 gets off to a very deliberate start. Most of the first season is spent walking through Sugar’s emotional state and loneliness after first season events.
That slower approach could try the patience of viewers looking for instant action. Colin Farrell is still good, but there’s a lot of melancholy and introspection for this episode.
Luckily the mysteries are interesting themselves. There is plenty of intrigue to keep audiences hooked, from Ji Moon going missing, to stolen drugs, to cryptic voicemails, to Sugar’s growing suspicions of Senator Pavich.
The big question going forward is whether the show can successfully marry its alien mythology with its detective-driven narrative. “If it can, Season 2 can be better than the first.
Final Thoughts
Sugar Season 2 doesn’t kick off with a bang but with tears and unanswered questions, more emotional than with big twists. It’s a slow pace, but the introduction of a strong missing person case and the continuing mystery around Djen give a good base for the season.
3.5 out of 5