Sugar (2024 TV series)

Last updated

Sugar
Sugar TV series logo.jpg
Genre
Created by
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Adam Arkin
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Colin Farrell
  • Mark Protosevich
  • Simon Kinberg
  • Audrey Chon
  • Scott Greenberg
  • Chip Vucelich
  • Fernando Meirelles
Running time32–49 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Apple TV+
ReleaseApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05) –
present (present)

Sugar is an 8-part American mystery drama television series created by Mark Protosevich with Fernando Meirelles directing 5 episodes and Adam Arkin directing 3 episodes. The series stars Colin Farrell, who also serves as executive producer. It premiered on Apple TV+ on April 5, 2024. [1]

Contents

Premise

It is described as "a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles". [2]

Cast

Main

Guest

Episodes

No.Title  [4] [5] Directed byWritten by  [4] Original release date  [6]
1"Olivia" Fernando Meirelles Mark Protosevich April 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
John Sugar is a private investigator who is recruited to investigate the disappearance of Jonathan Siegel's granddaughter, Olivia. Sugar investigates Siegel's family and is suspicious as to why Olivia's father and half-brother are so suspicious about Sugar himself. The episode opens in Tokyo where Sugar is on a mission to recover a kidnapped boy, Yuma, from a man named Hideo, suspected of the kidnapping. After successfully rescuing Yuma, Sugar learns the boy's father is a Yakuza leader who had hired him. Sugar then receives a new case and heads back to Los Angeles. There Sugar is contacted by Jonathan Siegel, a legendary film producer whose granddaughter, Olivia, has gone missing. Despite her history of drug-related disappearances, her lack of contact this time concerns her grandfather deeply. Sugar begins his investigation at Olivia's apartment, where he encounters her stepbrother David and his bodyguard, who are suspicious of Sugar's motives. Sugar's investigation leads him to discover a dead body in Olivia's car and a suitcase of Polaroid photos that may hold clues to her whereabouts. These photos, showing Olivia's biological mother, Rachel, in compromising poses, suggest that Olivia was digging into her mother's past. The episode ends with Sugar experiencing severe neurological pain, complicating his efforts to solve the case.
2"These People, These Places"Fernando MeirellesMark ProtosevichApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Detective John Sugar meets with Bernie Siegel, Olivia's father, who appears indifferent about her disappearance, assuming she's on another drug-fueled escapade. Bernie denies any involvement in the compromising photographs of his late wife, Rachel Kaye, found in Olivia's possession, and becomes defensive when questioned. Meanwhile, Sugar's hotel room is broken into by David Siegel and his bodyguard, Kenny. Sugar cleverly thwarts their attempt to spy on him by misleading them with false information. Sugar also meets again with Melanie Mackie, Olivia's stepmother, who remains evasive about Olivia's frequent recent visits and their discussions. Like Bernie, she dismisses the urgency of Olivia's disappearance, suggesting it's just another one of her disappearances. Sugar identifies the dead man found in Olivia's car as Clifford Carter, a criminal linked to the recent murder of Carmen Vazquez, whom Olivia had been visiting. It's implied that Olivia may have killed Clifford in retaliation or defense related to Carmen's murder, and subsequently disappeared. The episode concludes with goons breaking into the home of Carmen's sister, Teresa, searching for Clifford, indicating a larger conspiracy.
3"Shibuya Crossing" Adam Arkin Mark Protosevich and David RosenApril 12, 2024 (2024-04-12)
Melanie Mackie, a key figure and volunteer at a shelter for women, finds herself in a dangerous situation orchestrated by a gang led by Byron Stallings, seeking information about Clifford's whereabouts. John Sugar, having been tipped off about Melanie's suspicious movements, manages to rescue her and Teresa from Stallings' aggressive interrogation. In the process, Sugar disguises himself as a law enforcement officer to deceive the gangsters and ensure Melanie and Teresa's escape. Melanie then reveals to Sugar that Olivia killed Clifford in self-defense after discovering him with Carmen Vazquez's body. Olivia, fearful of scandal tarnishing her family's name, persuaded Melanie not to report the incident. Despite her knowledge and involvement, Melanie asserts that she doesn't know Olivia's current whereabouts but is deeply concerned for her safety. The episode also introduces a mysterious secret meeting involving international spies, suggesting a broader conspiracy at play. Ruby, Sugar's handler, expresses frustration with his emotional involvement in cases and warns of potential repercussions for his continued investigation into Olivia's case. Meanwhile, David and Kenny escalate their efforts to undermine Sugar by investigating his personal background, planning a trip to Arizona to pressure Sugar through his supposed family connections, based on misled information.
4"Starry-Eyed"Adam ArkinMark Protosevich and Donald JohApril 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)
Private investigator John Sugar continues his search for missing Olivia Siegel. He learns from Melanie Mackintosh about Olivia's friendship with Taylor, who reveals David Siegel's blackmailing. Sugar informs Jonathan Siegel at a screening party, where David's offenses are exposed, leading to Jonathan falling ill. Sugar suspects a connection between Rachel Kaye and Jonathan Siegel. Meanwhile, David Siegel and his bodyguard visit Sugar's fake mother in Arizona, while David receives a threatening call from Byron Stallings. Stallings is seen preparing for conflict, with Olivia's necklace found in his shelter, suggesting his involvement in her disappearance.
5"Boy in the Corner"TBAMark ProtosevichApril 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)
6"The Gun"TBADonald Joh and Sam Catlin May 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)
7"Cabal"TBADonald Joh and Sam CatlinMay 10, 2024 (2024-05-10)
8"Farewell"TBADonald Joh and Sam CatlinMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)

Production

It was announced in December 2021 that Apple TV+ had won a bidding war for the rights to the series, which had Colin Farrell attached to star. [2] Farrell would officially join the series in June 2022, when it was given the greenlight from Apple TV+. [7] In August 2022, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Amy Ryan, Dennis Boutsikaris, Alex Hernandez and Lindsay Pulsipher joined the main cast, with Anna Gunn and James Cromwell cast to recur. [8] [9] [10] In September, Nate Corddry, Sydney Chandler, Miguel Sandoval, Elizabeth Anweis and Jason Butler Harner were added to the cast. [11]

Production for the series began in August 2022, which was expected to extend into in the fall, delaying another project for series star Farrell. [12]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 66 critics gave the series a positive review, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A modern noir steeped in the classic tradition, Sugar could use stronger clues to go along with its ample style, but Colin Farrell's cool performance keeps things compelling." [5] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13]

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References

  1. ↑ Schwartz, Ryan (February 5, 2024). "Apple Sets Dates for Jake Gyllenhaal's Presumed Innocent Remake, Michael Douglas' Franklin and 10 Others (Watch)". TVLine. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Otterson, Joe (June 9, 2022). "Apple Orders Drama Series 'Sugar' Starring Colin Farrell From Writer Mark Protosevich". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Apple TV+ drops new teaser showcasing star-studded, upcoming lineup of new and returning series and films". Apple TV+ Press. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Sugar - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Sugar: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Shows A-Z – Sugar on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic . Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  7. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (June 9, 2022). "Colin Farrell to Star in Genre-Bending Apple Series 'Sugar'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  8. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (August 17, 2022). "Sugar: Kirby Howell-Baptiste To Star Opposite Colin Farrell In Apple Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  9. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 18, 2022). "Amy Ryan Joins Colin Farrell & Kirby Howell-Baptiste In Apple Series Sugar". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  10. ↑ White, Peter (August 29, 2022). "Sugar: Alex Hernandez, Lindsay Pulsipher & Dennis Boutsikaris To Star In Apple Series, Anna Gunn & James Cromwell To Recur". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  11. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (September 27, 2022). "Sugar: Nate Corddry, Sydney Chandler & Miguel Sandoval Among 5 Cast In Apple Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  12. ↑ Sharf, Zack (August 1, 2022). "Colin Farrell Hopes Penguin Series Starts Filming in 2023, and He Still Wants to Star in The Batman 2". Variety . Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Sugar: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved April 18, 2024.
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