Apple's New Mystery-Thriller: Worth Watching Or Complete Disappointment?
Is "Sugar" worth watching?
The highly-anticipated Apple TV+ series with Colin Farrell premiered this past Friday, and I've been amped to check it out.
Unfortunately, it took a bit longer than I'd hoped due to the intense chaos and carnage of the women's and men's NCAA Tournaments.
I finally got around to it Monday, and I'll be honest, I truly have no idea what the hell to think about Apple's latest major series.
"Sugar" is a strange show.
The plot of the series is pretty straightforward on the surface. Farrell plays private detective John Sugar - a mysterious man with secrets.
He's been hired by a wealthy man to find his missing granddaughter, and soon finds out that, like in many mystery-thrillers, things get pretty dark and sinister once you start pulling the layers back.
That's where viewers are left after the premiere episode, and I have conflicted feelings. On one hand I am intrigued by the character of John Sugar. He seems like a good guy who wants to do right, but is also capable of violence and turning a blind eye. He lives in the gray area of life. I've always appreciated characters like that.
I also enjoy some of the noir elements of the Los Angeles mystery-thriller. Everyone has secrets, little is as it appears on the surface and there's a lingering sense of doom and dread over everything.
The dialogue is also very solid.
"Sugar" is Apple's newest major show. (Credit: Apple TV+)
However, there are some really annoying elements of "Sugar" as well. Mostly, I can't stand some of the way it's shot. It's just strange, and a bit hard to explain. You'll know it when you see it.
Furthermore, the opening scene is in black and white, seemingly completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things and seems like it's straight out of an art flick.
Now, is this by design? A purposeful choice? I have no idea, but I can't get over how bad the opening scene is. It was so weird and poorly put together I almost wanted to stop watching.
"Sugar" is a bit of a mixed bag after one episode. (Credit: Apple TV+)
Should a bad opening scene and a few other problems derail an entire show? I don't think so, but I'm definitely not sold on "Sugar" being outstanding. The foundation is there for a really strong TV series, but a strong foundation and a strong house are two very different things. Right now, I rate "Sugar" as INC (short for incomplete) until I see a few more episodes. It's worth your time if you enjoy mysteries, but it has a long way to go before it proves it belongs among the top shows of the year.