If you’ve seen the first season of Sugar on Apple TV, then you know there’s a monster twist that takes place near the end of the first season. You may already know about the twist even if you haven’t seen it, but either way I’m going to tread lightly when discussing it in terms of where Sugar Season 2 might be taking us.
To zoom out, Sugar is ostensibly a sort of modern noir drama that takes place in Los Angeles and stars Colin Farrell. That amount of information alone made me interested in Sugar, and for the most part I really enjoyed the first season (he said, avoiding mention of my feelings about The Twist in this context).
Farrell as private investigator John Sugar is cool, dashing, mysterious, and a little weird – all the things you want in a modern noir tale, and the prestige TV treatment makes the show look dazzling, all with a sun drenched LA vibe.
If you’re aware of The Twist, it’s a very reasonable question to ask, “where the hell are they going to take this thing in a second season?”
Great question, and thanks for asking. Season 2 “features a whole new case involving the missing brother of a boxer on the verge of the big leagues,” via Total Film, and more importantly brings Tony Dalton to the cast “as a corrupt sheriff.”
Let’s be clear here. Tony Dalton starring in a TV show is plenty enough information for me to watch that TV show. It could be a multi-camera sitcom about three single dads living together, it could be a reality show competition involving speed toothbrushing – it doesn’t matter.
If you’re not familiar with Tony Dalton, a good litmus test for your knowledge of the modern TV landscape is whether you’ll completely understand what this means: Tony Dalton is Lalo.
Lalo Salamanca.
Now, if you’re not down with Lalo, I suggest you go back and watch Better Call Saul with extreme urgency.*
* Related: check out where Better Call Saul slides into Pop Thruster’s best 100 TV shows ever. Spoiler: it ranks very highly indeed.
In short, among a dazzling cast that includes Giancarlo Esposito playing the iconic Gustavo Fring, Dalton as Lalo stole every scene he was in on the gangster side of BCS. Lalo is so charismatic, resourceful, and dangerous, in fact, that he inspired many, myself intensely included, to pine for a Better Follow Lalo prequel spinoff series.
But alas, Dalton as a corrupt cop in Sugar sounds like a sweet and worthy helping of Dalton, so we’ll take it.
Here’s the Sugar Season 2 official trailer.
There’s more of Farrell looking cool and enigmatic, driving around LA in a slick classic convertible, there’s boxing, there’s the season’s new case teased, there’s Dalton, and someone named Charlotte (Laura Donnelly).
What’s missing? You know, the thing. The big thing. The massive thing.
“Where are you from?” Sugar is asked at the end of the trailer.
“Can we skip that one?” he replies.
Sugar Season 2 premiered on June 19th on Apple TV.