Season 2 of Sugar dives straight into the aftermath of the Season 1 finale, with private investigator John Sugar (played by Colin Farrell) choosing to stay on Earth and traveling to another country in search of Henry Thorpe, hoping to uncover the truth about his missing sister, Djen. When Sugar finally locates Henry, he finds him bleeding out from a self-inflicted wound. Before Henry can share any information about Djen, he takes his final breath, leaving Sugar without the answers he was seeking.
Now entirely on his own on Earth, Sugar returns to sunny Los Angeles and takes on a new investigation: the disappearance of Ji Moon (played by Raymond Lee), the brother of Korean boxer Danny Moon (played by Jin Ha). In Danny’s apartment, Sugar and Danny listen to a series of voicemails Ji left behind. In the messages, Ji sounds terrified, frantically fleeing from someone as he runs into traffic in a desperate attempt to escape.
That night, Sugar makes his way through Koreatown, showing Ji’s photo to locals and asking if anyone has seen him. His search brings him to a pool hall, where he meets a woman who seems to be withholding information. Before she can reveal anything useful, a man interrupts to tell Sugar that his Corvette has just been stolen.
Sugar rushes outside, where a woman (played by Sasha Calle) approaches him, claiming the car thief is a friend of hers. She offers to recover the stolen Corvette—for a fee of $300. With no choice, Sugar hands over the money, and she sets off in pursuit. Moments later, the woman from the pool hall steps outside and finally shares a lead. She tells Sugar that Ji had been involved with a woman named Hannah McDaniels and goes on to admit that she’s concerned for his safety, hinting that dangerous people may be after him. Not long afterward, the mysterious woman returns with Sugar’s Corvette.
Later, back at home, Sugar pulls out a communication device and sends out a message, hoping to discover whether any other members of his species chose to remain on Earth.
The following day, Sugar tracks down Hannah McDaniels at St. Anthony’s Hospital, where she works as a nurse. The two sit down for a private conversation, during which Hannah reveals that Ji had been at the hospital only four days earlier. A flashback then reveals Hannah secretly helping Ji break into a restricted area of the hospital, where he steals drugs and stores them inside a Thermos.
That night, while at the hotel bar, Sugar meets Charlotte (played by Laura Donnelly), a woman who had been eyeing him flirtatiously for the past few days. She mistakes him for someone she met before, and Sugar introduces himself. However, before their conversation can go any further, Sugar receives a notification that a package has arrived, forcing him to leave abruptly.
He drives up to the Hollywood Hills and enters his new home, where a box of his belongings is waiting for him. Stepping out onto the balcony, he notices it overlooks another property—the home of Senator Tyson Pavich, father of Ryan Pavich, the man responsible for Olivia Siegel’s disappearance in the previous season. As Sugar watches the senator’s house through his binoculars, he reveals his suspicion that the senator may be hiding secrets of his own. The episode ends with Sugar listening again to the voicemails Ji left behind. As the messages play, a flashback reveals what happened: Ji flees the hospital carrying the Thermos filled with drugs before running into the street in a desperate escape.
The first episode of Sugar Season 2 successfully maintains its L.A. noir aesthetic, using meticulous editing, including snippets from classic Hollywood films, paired with Sugar’s introspective and brooding voiceovers as it introduces a new mystery in the world of boxing for its suave and fearless protagonist. However, it occasionally feels like it may be juggling more than it can fully explore. The opening minutes quickly put an end to Season 1’s cliffhanger surrounding Henry Thorpe’s connection to the disappearance of Sugar’s sister, Djen. It’s hard not to view this as a bit of a letdown, especially considering the Season 1 finale ended with Sugar dramatically declaring that he “will find Henry Thorpe,” suggesting that the search for Henry would serve as the central focus of the new season. Instead, the series shifts its attention toward Sugar’s personal investigation into Senator Tyson Pavich and what secrets he may be hiding—particularly regarding Sugar’s own alien identity. Combined with the ongoing mystery surrounding Ji Moon’s disappearance, the episode introduces several storylines that feel somewhat compressed. Still, the setup leaves plenty of room for viewers to look forward to the answers Sugar may uncover as both investigations unfold.
Rating: 6/10