Colin Farrell's "Sugar" unfortunately stumbles into the pitfalls of many TV dramas; it's grasping for a unique voice but ends up sounding all too familiar. Episode 4 epitomizes this struggle, leaving much to be desired in terms of character development and originality.
A significant issue in this episode is the blatant disregard for realistic tech portrayals, a common thread in many shows but painfully obvious here. The scene where a character receives an "unauthorized access!" alert on her computer in bright red is particularly grating. Not only does it defy basic understanding of how cybersecurity and access protocols work, but it also assumes viewers will accept this lack of authenticity. The question of why she, presumably not an admin, receives real-time alerts about file accesses is left unanswered. More realistic would be a scenario where breaches are discovered through routine checks, not flashy, real-time warnings.
This kind of creative oversight reflects a broader problem in "Sugar": a deficiency in clever, thoughtful writing. The show seems content to recycle familiar elements of the detective genre without injecting the nuanced character study or sharp dialogue that elevates a series from ordinary to exceptional.
For those of us yearning for the gripping narratives and rich character arcs seen in shows like "Severance" and "Succession," "Sugar" feels like a missed opportunity. It tries to dress up in noir trappings but lacks the substance needed to make its identity crisis compelling.