Sugar season 2 review: Colin Farrell's noir returns with a daring genre-bending twist

So, Apple TV has decided to double down on its most intriguing weirdo noir — and I mean that as a compliment. 'Sugar', which had its big genre-bending reveal two years ago, is back with a second series. Yes, we're finally in a world where it's not a spoiler to say Colin Farrell's John Sugar is not just a hard-boiled LA private investigator, but an actual alien as well. That twist divided audiences back in the day, but, if you ask me, it gave the show a bit of personality where so many modern detective series feel interchangeable.

Series two kicks off post-exodus: all of Sugar's fellow visitors have buggered off back to the home planet, leaving him the loneliest extraterrestrial in LA (not exactly a small claim). There's a new missing persons case right out of the noir playbook, but the writers spin it out into something much bigger — police corruption, homelessness, a classic conspiracy, the lot. And all the while, Sugar's still, in his own understated way, hunting for his sister. You get strong echoes of Chinatown and The Long Goodbye, only here your detective's struggling with his own humanity, or possible lack thereof.

The New Case (With Some Proper Twists)

This time round, John Sugar gets hired by Danny Moon (Jin Ha), a rising boxer determined to track down his older brother Ji (Raymond Lee), who's vanished after nicking some drugs. It's that familiar 'troubled family member' angle, but unsurprisingly, things spiral outwards:

• There's Ray Vega (Tony Dalton), a high-ranking police officer with questionable connections
• A wider plot involving the displacement of LA's homeless population — if this sounds heavy, that's because it is, but the show never gets stuck in its own misery
• Sugar's own background becomes a much bigger thread — the writers sprinkle in flashbacks to his alien arrival, and Laura San Giacomo pops up as another member of his species
• New allies in the form of a grizzled investigator played by Shea Whigham and a resourceful new employee Val (Sasha Calle)
• A romantic subplot with Charlotte Fischer (Laura Donnelly), a hotel neighbour with genuinely old-school movie star looks — the show leans heavily into the noir archetype here, and you're never entirely sure whether she's to be trusted

Genre References and All That Jazz

One thing 'Sugar' absolutely nails is wearing its influences right on the sleeve. If you're the sort who recognises a reference to 'The Lady from Shanghai' or spots a bit of 'Sunset Boulevard' in the framing, you'll have a field day. But for those less obsessed with Hollywood's back-catalogue, it works just as well as a smart, character-driven mystery. The musical score by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge is all jazzy noir swagger, which keeps everything just cool enough. Special effects? Minimal and judicious — this isn’t a Marvel thing.

The Cast (Minus a Couple of Old Favourites)

Farrell is still magnetic — his version of a lost, melancholy gumshoe is somehow both more human and more alien than you expect. As much as I miss the likes of Amy Ryan, Kirby, or James Cromwell from the previous run, the new additions deliver. Sasha Calle and Shea Whigham fit in like regulars, Donnelly keeps you guessing, and Tony Dalton brings just the right amount of menace. The real trick is, the ensemble feels properly balanced again.

Behind the Scenes

Bit of a shuffle behind the camera: showrunner duties hand over to Sam Catlin (who wrote the bookending episodes and previously worked on 'Preacher', so that gives you a clue about the tone), while series creator Mark Protosevich sticks around as exec producer. This time, directing credits go to Michael Morris, Amat Escalante, and Adam Bernstein. Somehow, even with more cooks in the kitchen, the atmosphere stays consistent — still moody, stylish, and oddly sentimental for such a modern noir.

Not Just for Noir Nerds

Here's the thing: plenty of shows bandy about the 'noir' label, especially these days, but most never crack the code. 'Sugar' actually gets to the heart of it, modernising the genre without binning the rules. It’s brisk, not showy, and (mercifully) avoids tiresome post-'True Detective' nihilism. And yes, there’s another massive swing at the end of the series that’ll have people talking — or arguing — about where it's headed for a potential third round.

'How far will he go to do what’s right?'

Just in case you were wondering if the existential bit is still there — it absolutely is. 'Sugar' series two, eight episodes, hits Apple TV on June 19th.