Some men are a mystery.
Sugar is a "genre-bending" Detective Drama TV series developed by Mark Protosevich, which premiered on Apple TV+ in April 2024.
John Sugar (Colin Farrell) is a Los Angeles Private Investigator with a throwback style and a love of classic cinema. In the premiere, Sugar is hired by elderly film producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell) to locate his granddaughter Olivia (Sydney Chandler), a reformed drug addict who has gone missing. Sugar's investigation immediately causes waves within Hollywood and its criminal underbelly, but the secrets that he uncovers might just pale in comparison to the ones Sugar keeps about himself...
The series also stars Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Amy Ryan, Dennis Boutsikaris, Nate Corddry and Alex Hernandez.
Sugar contains examples of the following:
- As Himself: Ben Mankiewicz
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Sugar is always dressed in a dark suit and more than capable of taking care of himself in a fight. In the first episode, he makes a passing remark that the suit he's wearing is from Savile Row.
- Batman Cold Open: The premiere opens with Sugar on the job in Japan, tracking down a kidnap victim.
- Beware the Nice Ones: John prefers using words and guile to get out of sticky situations and does everything he can to avoid violence. However, he's very good at hand-to-hand combat and willing to kill if necessary.
- Bilingual Conversation: The Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society's members converse in multiple languages, slipping from one to another, with each member seemingly able to keep up with no problem.
- Cool Car: The 1953 Chevrolet Corvette that Sugar drives once he returns to LA.
- Covert Group with Mundane Front: The Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society appears like a social club for world travelers who love learning new languages. As it turns out, they're aliens on an unknown mission.
- Definitely Just a Cold: Sugar has tremors in his hand, suggesting a serious neurological condition, but he tells everyone it's no big deal.
- Doesn't Like Guns: Sugar says he doesn't like guns and doesn't carry one as a result. However, he's very appreciative of being gifted the revolver used on-screen by Glenn Ford in The Big Heat.
- Drink-Based Characterization: John can't get drunk but likes to drink high-end whisky neat because he likes how it evokes the romance of classic films. This hints that he's putting on a facade for those around him, leading to the reveal that he's an alien masquerading as a human.
- Driven to Suicide: After his true colors are publicly revealed, Davey shoots himself in the head.
- Foreshadowing: The first five episodes drop subtle hints that there's more to the situation than meets the eye, such as John's inability to get drunk, fascination with mundane human activity, ability to lift a man off the ground by the neck without strain, plus Ruby stressing the need to remain detached from people and asking if John is keeping up with his medication. This builds up to the reveal that John and, by extension, the rest of the Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society are aliens.
- Former Child Star: Davey Siegel (Nate Corddry), another grandson of Jonathan Siegel, who is trying to relaunch his career as a serious grown-up actor. It's revealed that he's a sexual predator, and suggested he may be involved with at least one murder.
- Genre Shift: From a modern play on the noir to sci-fi with the reveal that Sugar is an alien.
- The Handler: Ruby seems to function as this for Sugar and the rest of the Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society.
- Mission Control: Ruby does this for Sugar when he's working.
- Mysterious Past: An NSA agent digs into Sugar's background a finds some details. However, the woman identified as Sugar's mother turns out to be a decoy, putting the rest of the information the agent found into doubt.
- Never Gets Drunk: Sugar claims he's incapable of getting intoxicated, and thus he drinks solely for the enjoyment of it. It's the first clue that Sugar is more than what he seems.
- Nice Guy: John is notable for how friendly he is and sincerely providing help where he can — such as introducing his chauffeur to a high-end doctor and trying to help a homeless guy get off the street.
- Omniglot: In the first episode, John demonstrates proficiency in Japanese, Arabic (saying he spent some time in Syria), and Spanish. A peek into his background reveals he's a graduate of the Defense Language Institute, where he sailed through several intense courses, and is a member of a polyglot society.
- Private Detective: John Sugar is not only a working PI, but he's pretty clearly styled himself after the old-school movie type of private detective.
- The Reveal: In episode 6: Sugar, the oddball detective who can't get drunk and speaks every language? He's an alien.
- Secret Circle of Secrets: "Shibuya Crossing" reveals that Sugar is part of a secret society known as the Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society. They report to Ruby, and are expected to remain detached from their "work". Davey suspects they're a cabal of spies.
- Sexual Extortion: This is revealed to be one of the many ways Davey coerces women into sex.
- Wham Shot: In episode 6: Sugar transitioning to his blue, alien form.
