Apple TV's bringing back Colin Farrell for more of a show that I thought was almost certainly dead
Sugar returns for more investigation
When the first season of Sugar ended on Apple TV, I wouldn't really have guessed that we'd be getting any more of Colin Farrell's disturbed private investigator. While the show was a really interesting one, and Farrell's commitment was pretty clear, it didn't do all that well critically. Still, it must have got the numbers Apple was hoping for, because we're about to get a second season after all.
A new trailer came out this week ahead of a premiere date of 19 June, and it looks like potentially a slightly more tied-down season than the last, focusing a little less on Sugar's own ongoing crisis and a little more on the case he's working on. It's a classic missing person mystery, with some fun details to explore.
Sugar's looking into the disappearance of the brother of a promising young boxer making his way through bouts, and it looks a little like that brother might not actually want to be found. Given that Sugar's also trying to locate his own missing sister, there are clearly parallels to be explored here.
He's going to have to dive into gang-run underbellies to get closer to figuring out what's happening; that much is clear. The show continues to have a really fun visual identity, too, with a pulpish commitment to looking grimy and sun-baked, fitting given its LA setting.
This time we'll also clearly get more time looking into dirty cops, which again is growing into a theme for the show. As Sugar gets closer to the truth, he'll almost certainly get into more and more potential trouble with police officers who're heavily incentivised to keep him off the scent.
If you never checked out Sugar, I think this is probably a pretty good prompt to do so, and it's another example of how Apple seems to be pretty far-sighted and patient when it commissions shows. While viewer numbers are likely the ultimate guide, its willingness to renew flawed shows like this one is heartening.
