Apple TV+’s Sugar episode six revealed John Sugar’s secret and it was, literally, out of this world. Episode seven discloses a bit more about Sugar and his associates, including that they need to do more than just call home at this point.
Now that we know John Sugar’s true identity, watching Ruby (Kirby) open the typewriter in her secret room as episode seven begins takes on a whole new meaning. She sends a message to her home planet, with Miller (Paul Schulze) observing as she types. The reply tells Miller to bring John in, and Ruby hopes he’ll come peacefully.
John (Colin Farrell) wakes on the floor by the hotel room’s bed and Melanie (Amy Ryan) is concerned he was talking in an unfamiliar language in his sleep. He claims he’s feeling better, but Melanie refuses to leave his side except to fetch a coffee.
John confesses to himself that he wants to tell her everything but can’t.
Elsewhere, David Siegel’s funeral is attended by his family and few others. Jonathan (James Cromwell) expresses sadness over outliving his grandson and extends sympathy to his son, Bernie (Dennis Boutsikaris). Neither has heard from Olivia, and Bernie’s genuinely concerned. She wouldn’t have missed David’s service unless she was in trouble. Jonathan remains convinced that something happened to her.
And, finally, we get our first look at Olivia (Sydney Chandler) that isn’t just a social media post. She’s being held in a small, dark room under a set of stairs, and she’s shown warning her captor not to touch her. Her captor signals for her to stand up.
Back at the hotel, John hears Moss’s phone buzzing and scrolls through messages about himself and Stallings. Someone’s busy looking for Moss.
Melanie returns with coffee and asks about Djen, the woman John called out to in his dream. John admits she’s his sister, but quickly shushes Melanie when he hears movement outside. It’s Miller, but John doesn’t want to open the door. Miller and two associates bust in, but it appears John and Melanie have escaped through a window. Miller looks around and sees lots of blood in the bathtub. He also finds John’s medical kit with his special alien drugs that allow him to go home.
Miller notices a door to a connecting room and correctly assumes that’s where John and Melanie are hiding, much to the shock of the room’s occupants. Miller grabs John by the neck and lifts him into the air with just one arm. (That confirms Miller is also alien, in case there were lingering doubts.)
Melanie reacts by hitting Miller on the head with a towel rack and freeing Sugar. John runs after Melanie to the car while wondering why Miller attacked him. Miller’s his boss and they’re supposed to be on good terms.
They drive a short distance and John has Melanie pull over. John rips off a tracking device on the car and they take off, not stopping until they reach a parking garage. Melanie’s worried the man she hit is dead, but John assures her he’s fine. She demands real answers and John explains they work together, but not as private investigators. His associates all have their own day jobs.
John insists he can’t tell her more, other than that they’re all members of a secret organization. It’s just too dangerous to explain further. However, he confesses he wants to tell her everything but can’t. Melanie is convinced that he works as a foreign spy. John replies, “We’re just here to observe. That’s our mission. That’s our only mission.”
John figures out Miller will be after Henry next, which means they need to get to the university ASAP.
Unfortunately, Henry (Jason Butler Harner) is delivering a lecture and not answering his phone. He finally checks it once class is over, and he’s gone before John and Melanie burst into his classroom.
John realizes someone is grabbing everyone connected to Stallings. That means their next stop should be Moss’s place. As they head there, John tells Melanie that his people are trying to stop him from finding Olivia. However, they aren’t responsible for her abduction.
Melanie agrees to stay in the car when they pull up in front of Moss’s house. But naturally, she doesn’t stay put and follows him inside the house. They make their way through the place and discover Moss’s dead body in the kitchen.
John drops Melanie back at his real hotel room and asks that she stay there with very good boy Wiley. John swears he won’t return without Olivia.
Night falls, and John promises himself tonight he’ll get the answers he’s looking for. He doesn’t understand why Moss was killed; they are not supposed to hurt people – even lowlifes. They’re only on this planet to “preserve their peaceful way of life.” Unfortunately, Earth is changing them.
John joins his fellow aliens for a meeting he wasn’t invited to and learns the mission is over. Ruby informs him they got word that morning, which is why Miller was looking for him. John’s shocked since their mission isn’t supposed to be complete yet, but now Ruby says they’re heading home in a day or two.
John swears he won’t leave without finding Olivia, despite what Ruby claims. He’s frustrated and angry, and yells at his associates. Miller reminds him Olivia isn’t the mission, but John won’t give up. Henry pulls him aside and hands him the address where Olivia’s being held. He also confirms that some powerful humans found out about them, and the aliens have been protecting them so as not to be exposed.
“They can exterminate us at any time if they want to,” insists Henry. The address is to the home of a politician’s son who was a client of Stallings. Henry claims not to know how humans realized they are aliens. But John still has time to rescue Olivia before they return to their home planet.
Before their conversation ends, Henry gets John to admit he killed three humans at Stallings’ house. He also gets John to admit the first two kills were self-defense, but the third man was because he was angry. John’s still not sure murdering Stallings was justified. He confesses he killed him because he felt like it.
Henry says he hopes John can find Olivia. However, without Djen, John will always be lost.
John leaves, now understanding his associates are being blackmailed. They need him to back off or else they’ll be exposed. John’s able to admit to himself that being outed as an alien would be disastrous. He also admits that they’ve stayed too long on this planet.
John arrives at the address and a sign on the lawn reads: Vote Pavich U.S. Senate “On Your Side.” He’s undeterred and climbs in through a window. The house seems empty, and he uses a flashlight to look around. Suddenly, a security guard yells, “Freeze,” and tases John as John attempts to explain he’s a private investigator. The security guard puts John in the back of his car as John continues to explain what he was doing inside the house. The guard doesn’t care until John insists a woman is being tortured inside the house.
They head inside, and the guard looks around as John remains cuffed and seated on the couch. While the guard’s calling out to anyone home, John sees a campaign poster with the guard’s face on it. The guard is the senator’s son, Ryan.
Ryan returns with a hammer, and then nonchalantly grabs a drink out of the fridge. He drops the charade and demands to know who told him about the girl in the basement. John remains calm while Ryan threatens him with the hammer. John reacts by kicking him and knocking him down. He works his hands in front of him and they fight, with Ryan’s gun landing a short distance away. They reach it simultaneously, but John immediately gains the upper hand.
John wants to just call it a day, but Ryan understands what comes next. He pulls the trigger and kills himself. John retrieves the handcuff keys and then carefully enters the basement. He’s shocked to discover walls lined with torture instruments and a shower stall with a hook installed above it. There’s also a table with straps.
More importantly, there are dozens of numbered CDs. The most recent, #44, is open on the table next to a microphone.
John spots a lock on a cabinet under the stairs and breaks it open. The episode ends with John raising the lid and saying, “Olivia.”
Sugar Season 1 Recaps:
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 1 “Olivia” Recap and Review
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 2 “These People, These Places” Recap
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 3 “Shibuya Crossing” Recap
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 4 “Starry Eyed” Recap
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 5 “Boy in the Corner” Recap
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 6 “Go Home” Recap
- Sugar Season 1 Episode 8 “Farewell” Recap
