As Sugar season 2 episode 3 came to an end, our titular detective hit a dead end, literally. He’s tracked down the man he thought wanted Ji Moon (Raymond Lee) dead, but that man was killed in a police raid right in front of his eyes. He had targeted the wrong big boss.
Sugar season 2 episode 4, “Off-15,” shows Sugar (Colin Farrell) getting back on track.
Eight days earlier
We begin the episode in the past. We flashback to the fateful night when Ji Moon went to the hospital and, with the help of Hannah McDaniels (Nona Parker Johnson), was able to score some pills. But as he’s making his way out, he hears someone on the stairs. He heads back up to the fifth floor and enters a patient room to hide. It’s Chuy’s room, and Chuy is about to be murdered.
In fact, Ji is hiding in the closet when it happens. He’s stumbled into a big issue in his attempt to hide from potential trouble. But he’s found out when Vega (Tony Dalton) opens the door. With alarms going off, Vega doesn’t have time to deal with Ji. So, he snaps a picture and we flash to the credits.
The aftermath
We return to the aftermath of the police raid that killed Guapo (Rene Moran). Sugar, who was present, it answering questions for the Sheriff’s Department. One of those asking questions is Vega—who turns out to be a Sheriff’s Department supervisor. Sugar plays everything off and the interview ends quickly. Vega sends the other deputy away and when he’s gone, turns his attention to Sugar.
It's clear Vega knows who Sugar is and is aware that Sugar knows who he is. They have a frank conversation about the case. They have a frank conversation about Ji Moon. And by the end it’s clear Vega is still hunting Ji Moon, a loose end that needs to be tied up. That means the race is on to find him before it’s too late.
And Vega is using all his resources. He turns back to the source, Hannah McDaniels, using his position with the Sheriff’s department to get information about Ji Moon. He’s able to lure him into a trap to track him to a place where they can quietly get rid of him. But, Sugar finds him first. Using Danny (Jin Ha), he’s able to figure out where Ji is hiding.
But when he arrives, Ji has just shot up, and he’s in no condition to move. With Vega closing in, Sugar turns to a desperate plan. He gives Ji a hot shot to make it appear as if he’s overdosed just as Vega and his team enter. The gambit works, with Vega assuming Ji Moon is dead and his problem solved. As Vega departs, Sugar pops out and tries to revive Ji Moon. It doesn’t work at first, but as we close, he takes a deep breath. Ji Moon is alive, and Sugar aims to make sure he stays that way.
A misunderstanding
Along the way, we got more of Sugar’s ongoing interaction with Charlotte (Laura Donnelly). But it doesn’t go well thanks to the fact Sugar is a bit paranoid. But if you’d been shot at and knew you were dealing with corrupt cops, you might be paranoid, too. So, when Sugar sees Charlotte enter his room and go through some things on his secret video camera, he’s upset. So upset, he goes to confront her in the bar.
Charlotte is enjoying a drink with some colleagues. Sugar comes with some big accusations in front of the group, which doesn’t sit well with Charlotte. She pulls him aside and in a brisk manner states she didn’t break in, the cleaning staff let her in so she could leave him a flirty note. Though the time for flirting and romance seems to have passed with this exchange.
Sugar heads back to his room to see what he can find. He does, indeed, find a note in a book. He looks embarrassed a bit. But does this mean Charlotte is in the clear? Does it mean their back-and-forth is over? I’d wager the answer to both questions is no.
A lot happened in a short span in this episode. Sugar is at its best when it’s focused on his private detective work and sort of forgetting the other storyline. That’s the case this week. Vega seems like a compelling big bad that should make for an interesting back half of the season. I’m also curious to see where things are going with Charlotte. I feel like there are still some secrets to be uncovered.
Sugar streams Fridays on Apple TV. Check back next week as we recap all the action of season 2 right here.
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