Chris Connor reviews the seventh episode of Sugar…
Sugar’s twist in episode 6 threatened to upend just about everything we thought we knew about the show, revealing that Sugar and his associates are aliens sent to observe humanity. The penultimate episode returns to the noir tone of the majority of the show with the sci-fi kept more to the background and Sugar’s associates wanting to return home. Sugar of course won’t rest until the case of Olivia Siegel’s disappearance is solved.
It is a race against time as his associates reveal there are some dangerous humans who have found out about them and their aims. There is a sense of urgency that the show hasn’t always had, at just 30 minutes it is breathless as Sugar looks to find out the truth, crossing paths with some dangerous people and introducing new players to the game, perhaps set up for larger roles in a planned second season.
It is surprising the sci-fi elements haven’t been expanded upon more here and with just the one episode to go, this is perhaps being saved for further down the line as the lines between noir and sci-fi become more intertwined. There is a growing sense that information is being withheld from Sugar as the motives of everyone involved come into question.
While the show has been an uneven ride at times, the ambition to blend such unexpected genres has made it an intriguing prospect and Colin Farrell’s dishevelled, driven detective has been one of its highlights. Fingers crossed this season can stick the landing and find the right balance between its genres while setting up threads for further storylines.
The penultimate episode of Sugar is a thrill ride, that moves the plot along, finally revealing some answers about Olivia’s fate and those involved. There are still a few loose ends to wrap up in this opening season but the ambitious swings have made it an engaging watch, led by Colin Farrell’s performance.
Chris Connor
