We’ve passed Apple TV+’s Sugar season one’s halfway point, and if you assumed we’d learn John Sugar’s secret in episode five, you were mistaken. Episode five only slightly nudges us closer to learning the true nature of John’s mission. Instead, episode five’s big reveal was David’s connection to his half-sister Olivia’s disappearance.
Episode five, “Boy in the Corner,” begins with a flashback of David Siegel (Nate Corddry) shooting a scene from Man in the Corner. It’s his comeback film, and the flashback shows him becoming increasingly frustrated with the crew. It also shows him hitting on his female scene partner.
Back to current events, and David’s whining to his mom about the fact no one will ever see his new film. His disgusting secret was just revealed, and he believes he’ll never work in Hollywood again. His mom, Margit (Anna Gunn), promises that after he inherits his family’s fortune, he can tell Hollywood where to stick it.
Elsewhere, John Sugar (Colin Farrell) is in a bad mood. He needs to find David, certain he knows something about Olivia’s whereabouts. John stops by Jonathan Siegel’s place and enters a room that Jonathan has kept as a shrine to the memory of Lorraine, his deceased actress wife. The dress from the Polaroid photo is there and so is the couch Rachel Kaye, his daughter-in-law, was leaning against in the risqué photos. That raises a lot of questions, but Jonathan’s recovering from a heart attack and in no condition to answer them.
Bernie (Dennis Boutsikaris) is there with his unconscious dad and offers to pay John’s fee and send him on his way. John declines the offer; he’s set on staying on the case. Bernie warns John to stay away from David or else…
His next stop is Margit’s place and since Kenny answers the door, John knows David is there. Margit insists none of the women who claimed her son sexually assaulted them are telling the truth. She also claims she can prove it. John isn’t buying it when Margit says David told her the woman who went public must be in pain to lie like this.
John hates that neither Bernie nor Margit seem overly concerned that Olivia’s still missing. Both Bernie and Margit are consumed with protecting David, and they view Olivia as just an afterthought.
David steps in from the other room and agrees to speak privately with John. David starts the conversation explaining he never knew how to be normal around women. He was famous as a kid and never learned how to interact with women. John steers the conversation toward Olivia’s disappearance and David admits he knows more than he’s let on.
David was involved with a man who trafficked women, but he insists the women weren’t mistreated. John brings up Byron Stallings and David panics. (Byron threatened him, ordering him to keep his name out of John’s investigation.) Reluctantly, David admits to getting women through Byron and then hanging out with him as “conversational acquaintances.” John visibly winces at that description.
David confesses he told Stallings about the women threatening to sue him. He also told Stallings about Olivia telling one woman not to settle or sign an NDA. All of this was happening just as his comeback film was about to be released. David begs John to believe that he thought Stallings was just going to scare Olivia. He thought nothing bad would happen to her. Olivia didn’t like him, so he decided not to like her.
David confirms his mom knows about the women but not about Olivia. He gives John a description of where Stallings lives and says he’s expected back from his trip to Tijuana tomorrow.
John’s had Charlie (Andrea Placido) watching Melanie (Amy Ryan), and Charlie follows Melanie when she leaves her home. Melanie visits her friend who owns a music studio, and they catch up on life. She admits she trusts John Sugar and that they’ve been looking for Olivia together. “It’s not romantic. It’s not sexual. I can’t explain it,” says Melanie.
Meanwhile, Ruby (Kirby) meets with the mysterious Miller (Paul Schulze) in the middle of nowhere. They discuss John Sugar and the Olivia Siegel case, and Ruby thinks John’s going to learn things that are best kept secret. Ruby dislikes these “things” but Miller assures her they’re just new methods being used to observe. It’s an incredibly cryptic conversation, with Miller insisting they’re only doing what’s necessary. Miller also insists Ruby should do whatever it takes to stop John from finding out “things.”
It’s dark by the time Melanie makes it home. Charlie sets up surveillance outside and John joins her, while inside the house Melanie’s fighting for her life against one of Stallings’ thugs. She manages to lock herself in a bathroom as John and Charlie talk in the van, unaware of Melanie’s predicament.
John instructs Charlie to surveil Stallings’ place in the morning and then leaves, ready to take a night off. As he’s driving away, he notices the F-150 truck that was outside Teresa’s apartment when Stallings was holding Melanie against her will. He throws his car into reverse and heads into Melanie’s place.
Melanie stabs the thug’s arm with a pair of scissors after he drills a hole in the bathroom door. She hears noises outside the door and realizes someone else is in her house.
John has the upper hand and pummels the thug as Charlie and Melanie yell at him to stop. He finally listens and actually apologizes to the guy whose face he used as a punching bag. John’s going to let him go because it’s Stallings they’re after. This guy’s just a meaningless small fish.
Considering what just happened, John suggests that Melanie should stay with him at the hotel. She immediately agrees, and Wiley’s happy to see them both. John admits he wanted to hurt that guy because that guy wanted to hurt Melanie. “I’m sorry if I scared you,’ says a contrite John.
John volunteers to sleep on the couch but Melanie insists she’ll take it. After all, she’s an ex-junkie rock and roller and slept on a couch or two in her younger years.
It’s the dead of night when a bus pulls up next to Stallings’ van. The passengers exit and a woman instructs the younger females to get into the van. She lies and says their families will follow. When one man objects, Stallings has his thug knock him out.
Margit and David drink wine and chat about his big hit as a kid. He recalls it was difficult for him to film one specific scene, and his mom reminds him he ultimately nailed it. David finishes his wine and heads upstairs to the bathroom. He sits and contemplates his life and then makes a rash decision.
David finds his mom’s gun and places it to his head. Echoing his mom’s words from earlier in the day, David says, “F**k this town” and pulls the trigger.
Margit calls Bernie and he rushes over. Bernie finds Margit cradling their son in the bathroom, blood on her clothes and on the floor. He’s critically injured but alive, and the paramedics rush him to the hospital.
John’s in bed with Wiley writing notes about his day. He’s still upset that he reacted so violently to Melanie’s intruder, claiming that’s not who he is. John thinks it’s possible he’s been here too long. (Here? As in LA?)
He promises himself he’ll do better tomorrow. John’s ready for his showdown with Stallings.
He can’t sleep so he grabs a pillow and lays down on the floor next to Melanie’s couch. He confesses he has a secret, and Melanie asks him to share it. The episode ends with John replying, “I can’t.”
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Sugar premiered on Apple TV+ on April 5, 2024 with the release of the first two episodes. New episodes stream on Fridays.
- 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 6 “Go Home” Recap
