Sugar season two

Colin Farrell returns as the titular sharp-suited private investigator in the second season of Sugar. After the trail to find his sister goes cold, Sugar finds himself back in LA, living in a ritzy hotel. Just when it looks like his luck is about to completely run out, he’s put in touch with boxing protégé Danny Moon (Jin Ha), who hires him to find his missing brother Ji (Raymond Lee). What starts as a straightforward missing persons case quickly spirals into a city-wide conspiracy involving drugs, street gangs, and crooked cops. While the pulpy neo-noir tone adds a tantalising layer of style and the investigation offers enough compelling twists to keep viewers engaged, the script ultimately struggles to tie its various plot points together, resulting in a muddled narrative that loses momentum.

Farrell is once again excellent as the movie-loving gumshoe. He’s suave, cool, and capable, frequently delivering brooding inner monologues and wry one-liners that perfectly match the show’s aesthetic. He’s joined by an impressive supporting cast comprised of Laura Donnelly, who plays this season’s femme fatale, Sasha Calle as a street hustler Sugar takes under his wing, and Better Call Saul‘s Tony Dalton. Ha and Lee likewise give exceptional performances that form a substantial part of this series’ heart.

As fantastic as the performances are, the characters themselves are disappointingly shallow. Despite modelling himself after classic Hollywood heroes, Sugar lacks their complexity and depth, with the script mistaking idiosyncrasies like being allergic to cinnamon and being a cinephile for meaningful characterisation. Although the intoxicating jazz score strengthens the show’s sense of place and style, the abundance of movie references and clips included throughout the series feel like they’re there for the sake of existing rather than providing a deeper purpose.

The plot starts promisingly: Sugar is swept into an intriguing investigation, and episodes are bookended by gripping sequences designed to keep viewers hooked. The deeper into the mystery the plot goes, and the more pieces that get added to the puzzle, though, the more disjointed the series becomes as story beats are habitually dropped for long stretches while the plot spins its wheels.

Season two of Sugar has everything it needs: it’s stylish, carried by a superb cast, and has an exciting premise. Frustratingly, its ideas are misplaced, culminating in a show that’s completely serviceable but isn’t able to fulfil its potential.