When Sugar first landed on Apple TV+ two years ago, it promised a fresh take on the noir genre with a wild sci-fi twist: its private eye protagonist, John Sugar, was actually a blue-skinned alien hiding in plain sight. Now, Season 2 is here, and while Colin Farrell remains a magnetic lead, the series seems to be backing away from its most daring idea.
The new season picks up with John Sugar still working cases in Los Angeles, longing to find his missing sister Djen (Maeve Djen). To keep busy, he takes on the case of Ji Moon (Raymond Lee), a boxer and trainer who has vanished. Along the way, he teams up with ex-con Val (Sasha Calle) and finds a potential romance with the sharp Charlotte Fischer (Laura Donnelly). The season's heavy, Ray Vega (Tony Dalton), ties into both Djen's disappearance and Danny Moon's past.
Visually, Sugar Season 2 is a treat. Directors Michael Morris and Armat Escalante capture Los Angeles in all its noir glory—retro theaters, neon-lit nightclubs, and gritty boxing rings. The show looks expensive and cinematic, and there's no shortage of style. But beneath the surface, the series struggles with an identity crisis. After Season 1's bold alien reveal, Season 2 seems almost embarrassed by it. The extraterrestrial elements are still there—Sugar uses his powers to evade danger or play with dogs—but they're downplayed. The show tries to have its cake and eat it too, leaning into noir tropes while shying away from the sci-fi that made it unique.
This restraint is frustrating, especially when compared to other genre-blending shows like Spider-Noir, which wears its comic-book pulp proudly. Sugar, by contrast, feels like it's trying to shed its own identity. The alien angle is used as a heavy-handed metaphor for immigration, but without much nuance. The result is a season that never fully commits to either genre, leaving it in a tonal no-man's-land.
Fortunately, the cast steps up to save the day. Colin Farrell is as charming as ever, bringing warmth and vulnerability to a character who could easily be a cliché. His John Sugar is both a classic gumshoe and a lonely alien trying to understand humanity. Newcomer Sasha Calle is a standout, sharing natural chemistry with Farrell that becomes one of the season's best arcs. Tony Dalton brings menace as Ray Vega, while Shea Whigham, Laura Donnelly, and Raymond Lee add depth to the supporting cast. For a refresher on where it all began, check out our Sugar Season 1 recap.
The plot, however, gets messier as it goes. The noir tradition of complications piling up is honored, but the threads don't tie together neatly. The finale ends on a whimper rather than a bang, leaving room for more story but pointing in a direction that feels less interesting. It's watchable, but it's hard to shake the feeling that Sugar is playing it safe when it should be swinging for the fences.
If you're a fan of Colin Farrell or noir aesthetics, Sugar Season 2 is worth a look. But if you were hoping for the show to double down on its alien premise, you might be disappointed. The series is now streaming on Apple TV+.
