What Is The Twist In 'Sugar'? (And How It Perfectly Set Up Season 2)
Apple TV+ has finally released Sugar Season 2, starring Colin Farrell as an old-fashioned private investigator, John Sugar, in LA, solving missing-persons cases while hiding a world-changing secret. But Season 1 of Sugar was the perfect example of a show that doesn’t focus on the big secret until it’s necessary.
With Sugar Season 2 releasing weekly, it’s impossible to know what’s coming next. However, the pacing of the show works to its advantage, as Season 1 ended with the revelation that John Sugar wasn’t from Earth all along. While the hints were there from the start, the twist was still a shock and gave audiences a perfect reason to tune in to Season 2.
’Sugar’ Season 1 Teases John Sugar’s Alien Nature Early on
Sugar Season 1 never tried to hide the truth of its titular lead, but it also never called attention to it, either. Instead, the series was more focused on Sugar’s good-natured desire to help others while ensuring that they feel seen, no matter their station. But that doesn’t mean the show didn’t give hints as to his alien origins early on.
One tease came when he was talking to a potential lead, and they spent the night drinking. There, he revealed to her that he has a condition where a high metabolism makes it impossible for him to get drunk. Had this not followed a scene where he showed adept fighting skills for a private investigator, it might’ve gone under the radar.
There was also his strange fascination with classic film and the human condition, along with his innate ability to calm any animal around him, including dogs. Apart, all of these things don’t seem so strange, but together, they add to the reveal that he’s actually a blue alien in disguise, sent to Earth with others of his kind to observe humanity without revealing themselves.
’Sugar’ Season 1 Gives John a Reason to Stay on Earth
Sugar Season 1 establishes a trend that is followed into Season 2, where John Sugar’s story isn’t treated as seriously as the case he takes on. Instead, the cases impact him and reveal truths he must face, like how much he loves humanity and if that means he will forsake his own culture and people. There’s also a more personal thing that drives him and ultimately forces him to stay on Earth at the end of Season 1: his sister.
The case John takes on, to find a missing girl, is personal to him throughout Season 1 because she reminds him of his sister, who went missing and was presumably killed. It’s not until the end of Sugar Season 1 that he discovers her disappearance had something to do with another of his kind, Henry, who had grown fascinated by the brutality of humanity, especially a serial killer he learned from.
While his people were called back to their planet, Sugar knew he couldn’t leave with his sister possibly still alive. As a result, he chose to stay on Earth, looking for Henry in hopes he could get some answers and potentially reconnect with his sister.
’Sugar’ Season 1’s Ending Is a Perfect Setup For Season 2
Sugar Season 1 is a perfect example of an ending that gives you just enough to be satisfied but holds back what you need to return for more. We see Sugar find the missing girl and get closure with the friends he made along the way. He left his kind on good terms and also with a hope that he could finally gain closure with his sister.
Sugar saw the violence and beauty humanity could bring, and through him, we also learn to appreciate the beauty of the world. But the alien twist was what made this show a standout, and it’s commendable how even after the reveal, it never loses sight of what kind of show it is.
Now, with Sugar Season 2, we are perfectly set up to see Sugar try to find Henry and get answers about his sister. The next season also shows us how a character so reliant on the resources of his people can operate when they aren’t a phone call away and whether he will be able to survive the experience.
