Sugar (2024) s02e06 Episode Script

1
["The Windmills Of Your Mind" playing]
[patrons chattering]
[Peg] Ay!
[financier] …chat to all of our clients,
and then we'll, uh, fix everything.
See ya.
Where ya going?
I'm going home?
Yes.
Um… As described
in the Sixth Provided Rules of Behavior,
"To lie, defraud, or in any other way
manipulate human beings
or human institutions for the sole purpose
of self-enrichment."
What do you call yourself?
I'm Sugar.
Then give me a break with that shit,
Sugar, I know what I've done.
["Coming Home" playing]
You just get here?
- Uh, few weeks.
- And?
How does this compare?
[breathes deeply]
Ah, it's interesting.
- Yeah?
- Yeah, I mean, I haven't seen a lot
and, you know, I haven't traveled much.
I haven't chosen an employment. But it's…
it's interesting.
I chose kindergarten teacher,
and I loved it.
"Mrs. Rosenthal.
Good morning, Mrs. Rosenthal."
I mean, they taught me more than anything.
And one day during nap time,
I was poking around
on the school computer,
and I was exposed to what they call
the financial markets, and I was hooked.
That was that.
All of a sudden,
finger painting with six-year-olds
was not that interesting anymore.
What's finger painting?
Oh, where… where they dip
their hands in color,
- and then they draw with their fingers.
- [chuckles]
So, I stopped teaching,
I started a hedge fund and then…
- [server] You know what you'd like?
- Papaya?
- No papaya.
- Toast, dry, no butter, no jellies.
- And no cinnamon, I'm allergic.
- I'll have a Caesar salad,
a hanger steak with crinkle fries
and green beans.
And yes, I am ignoring the rule
against consumption of animal meat.
I'm sorry?
Talking to him.
For dessert, do you like
the ladyfingers or the chocolate torta?
- Uh…
- One of each, but no cinnamon.
I have the same allergy.
We should be honoring these bodies.
I have been…
by giving it what it wants.
It all works, you know.
In case you ever get curious.
It's good you're going home.
[phone rings]
Oh, excuse me.
There you go.
- If you need anything else, let me know.
- Mmm.
Hi.
Yeah, I love you.
[grunts] My sister.
So what are you thinking job-wise?
Maybe a psychologist,
something with animals.
Okay, what else?
Hmm… [chuckles]
Tell me.
Uh, a policeman.
Explain.
Well, human beings in crisis…
and needing help from injustice…
misfortune.
I don't know, they share a variety
of experience, it kinda…
[inhales sharply] …it kind of excites me.
I can see that.
There's some violence in that.
I mean… [stutters] …not much…
[stutters] …Maybe, but…
you know, I'd be careful.
- Would you?
- Uh-huh.
Or is that kind of
sort of part of the excitement?
[chuckles] No.
No, no, I, uh…
Violence?
No. I'd be careful.
[server] All right.
Steak will be right out.
[John] Thank you.
[melancholic music playing]
[breathes deeply]
This is a good thing.
- Your family, your friends…
- [sobs]
They're gonna be at home waiting for you.
Why would they want me now?
It wasn't just the sex
and the food and the money.
It's a slippery slope.
One thing after another.
By the end, I'd done worse things.
- [sighs]
- Well, home is still home, you know.
No matter what we've done.
Home is still home.
I'm glad it was you they sent…
[chuckles]
…to take me back.
- [softly] Me too.
- [chuckles]
[breathes deeply, cries]
I've never cried before.
Can we stop and get some Kleenex?
Of course.
[John] It's beautiful, isn't it?
And every night it's different.
[chuckles]
I'm gonna miss the finger painting.
Be back in a minute.
[breathes shakily]
That was actually
one of my favorite parts.
[breathes deeply]
[panting] No.
No! No, no!
No!
No.
[panting]
[John] The slippery slope.
One thing leads to another.
[beeping]
[theme song playing]
[doorbell rings]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hey, I brought you a…
a bunch of microdasys.
Oh, come on in.
- Yeah, it's from the prickly pear genus.
- Hmm.
[person] And it's quiet too.
That's the thing I love the most,
is the quiet.
And if you don't mind my asking,
how do you, uh… how do you afford it?
We don't.
It's free.
- It's free? How's that possible?
- [person] It's a federal grant.
Some new billion-dollar program
they started for new housing.
- They? Who's they?
- [person 2] The city.
We had to qualify.
[person] Yeah, have a job
or be looking for one,
pass a drug test, that kind of stuff…
"Demonstrate constructive
engagement with society."
That's what they said?
[person] Mm-hmm. Still, we're so grateful.
Mmm. [slurps] I bet.
God, that's good, guys. So happy for you.
[John] Human beings…
what they can do to one another.
Making each other qualify to live…
It is quiet.
[door bell rings]
Whoa.
Tyler Ko?
Yeah?
Yeah, I wanted to ask you
a couple questions about Ji Moon.
[sighs] I mean, fucking Ji.
I still can't believe it.
I mean, I can 'cause he's a drug addict,
but still…
it fucking sucks.
Can I come inside?
Sure, whatever.
[Tyler]
When the last time I seen fucking Ji…
…how did I hear that he died,
that kind of stuff.
- And what did you tell him?
- Nothing, just like we practiced.
- I was aces.
- I'm sure you were.
- You think he believed you?
- Um… I think so.
- I'm really good at lying.
- But you're not sure?
Nah, sorry, man, I'm not.
[John] Vega's suspicious.
It's only a matter of time.
[breathes deeply]
Ji? Hey. There he is.
- Hey. [sniffs]
- Mmm.
Brought you some, uh, walnuts.
I read they help with withdrawal.
Oh, no. Yuck. [sighs]
I was hoping for some gummies.
- No gummies. Can I sit?
- [grunts]
[sighs]
Garry tells me you're…
you know, you're doing better.
Yeah, I'm not dead anymore.
[chuckles] Wow. Well,
then this place is worth every penny.
[chuckles] Nah, man,
thanks to you. For real.
You were smart enough to have it on you.
The Narcan in your bag, I mean.
I'm just, uh…
[sighs] …glad I was there to use it.
Okay, well, you're right,
I'm a fucking genius then.
- I didn't say that.
- Mmm, mmm. Well…
[inhales deeply, sighs] And how's Danny?
He's good. Misses you.
He's excited about the fight.
Yeah? Yeah, I gotta get out of here,
man, I gotta get back to training.
We got less than two weeks till Vegas.
Can't do it.
- It's still not safe.
- When's it gonna be safe?
I don't know. I gotta figure out how to
deal with this deputy who wants you dead.
Where's it at though?
- What's that?
- Your plan to get this fucking guy.
I mean, thank you so much
for this bag of nuts,
but, like, what are you doing?
I am… working on it.
So, uh, you got one guard at the gates.
He's unarmed, right?
We're private, we're secluded,
but we're not a fortress.
He can't leave.
[Garry] Okay, I will strongly recommend
that Ji finish his treatment here.
- Good.
- But, um…
- we're also not a prison.
- I can see that.
- Who is this guy?
- He's a good kid.
He just got a little, um…
- unlucky out there.
- [Val chuckles]
I mean, he unluckily picked
the wrong time to rob a hospital, so…
- True.
- Not like he's Mother Teresa.
And he's 33, Sugar,
which is far from him being a kid.
All good points.
- Thanks, Garry.
- Oh. All right.
Oh, I brought him some walnuts.
- Not a hit.
- Oh. [chuckles]
- He says he has candy in his bag.
- Yeah.
We try to keep 'em
from the sweets when they're detoxing,
but he's past the worst of it now.
Aha.
Hey. What's this?
[Garry] His phone, I guess.
[Vega] You said he was here with someone?
[Collins] Hmm, I don't know.
[Vega] Take the money. Grab the phone.
Get that tracker. Let's go.
But he shouldn't have a phone.
Where did this come from?
- Bro, what are you talking about?
- The phone, bro, where did you get it?
[groaning]
[Ji] Your phone?
[toilet flushes]
[Val] What the fuck, dude?
You just forgot you had that?
Yeah, I guess. I don't know.
I had some serious shit going on!
- Clearly.
- All right. Come on, let's go. Thank you.
- [laughing, on video]
- Let's see about that.
So, here's your next.
30,000 more units
from my friends down south.
[Lolli] Still the shit?
[Vega] Yeah. Pure Apache.
[Chuy] Same deal? Ten cents a pill?
- [Vega] Yeah, yeah. Same deal.
- [Lolli] Fucking A.
[Chuy] Explain this fucking
Fire Sale thing to me again,
in like business terms,
'cause I don't get it. [chuckles]
Business terms?
Um… [breathes deeply]
Okay, you identify the clientele,
you, uh, stake out the territory,
and then you flood it.
Well, like, why like this?
I mean, nobody's making money.
You have so many questions, ese.
What the… Fuck do I care?
I mean, we're making our nut.
[stammers] I was just curious. That's all.
Yeah, yeah. I could see that.
[coughing]
[exhales deeply]
Close.
- What does that mean?
- Meaning we're near to making a case.
No, but, Tom, we're not close or near.
This is… This is it. We're right there.
Okay, but Deb says in cases like this…
In cases like what, Tom?
He's right… He's on the video.
He's on the video
with no visual evidence of narcotics.
There are inferences, but he's…
he's careful with his words.
Any good attorney will make a case
for an alternate explanation.
And Vega walks?
She sees he's dirty.
He's obviously dirty.
- [groans]
- It just, you know, might take time.
I don't have time, Tom!
He's a deputy. He took an oath.
He put on a badge, Tom.
It makes him worse!
He should be easier to get, not harder!
You understand?
There is a way out of this.
- It's not anyone's first choice.
- Tell me.
I don't condone. I don't condemn.
It's a wild fucking world out there.
- We make rules that work for us.
- What are you talking about?
Vega's divorced, yeah?
Kids are with the mom?
He lives alone.
Just saying.
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
I can't do that.
Okay.
No, I can't.
Good.
[people in movie yelping]
[John] I should be working,
but I don't have any ideas.
Or maybe I don't have any ideas
that I like.
And I just want to be here…
with her.
[chuckles]
[chuckles]
What?
It's funny.
[Charlotte chuckles]
Aquila, the eagle.
And then, Cygnus.
And then, Lyra.
Lyra's just like a rectangle
and a triangle inverted.
See?
- And that?
- Which?
The one like a horse kicking its legs?
- Oh, there?
- Yeah.
That is Boötes.
The Herdsman.
Boötes?
And beyond that, if…
if it weren't for the light pollution
and Arcturus being so bright,
we'd see the galaxy Triangulum,
2.9 million light-years away.
What's so special about that one?
There's nothing special. I just…
I like it.
Well…
not too shabby.
Dinner and a movie
and an astronomy lesson. [chuckles]
It was a nice date.
- Yeah.
- Right?
It was.
Food in my teeth?
No, no. [chuckles]
No, your teeth… your teeth are fine.
Maybe you're not ready?
Maybe not.
For some
whatever reason
I will not take personally.
You shouldn't.
It was a very nice date regardless.
Yes, it was.
- Good night then.
- Good night, Charlotte.
[phone chimes]
I tried not to say anything, Mr. Sugar,
but he scared me.
I'm really sorry. I told him everything.
[rap music playing on speakers]
[people chanting] Drink! Drink!
Drink! Drink!
[Danny] Okay, okay. All right,
I'll do one drink! I'll do one drink!
[cheering]
[John] Look, I can have him
on a plane in 6 hours.
I can get him an apartment,
whatever you need.
Korea?
Fuck, man.
[stutters] There's no other way?
We gotta put him on a plane immediately.
Danny, it's the only way to keep him safe.
Okay, but can't-can't we
just move him first, you know?
- Hide him somewhere else?
- Where?
What, Utah, New Mexico? It doesn't matter.
I mean, I have resources, but
nothing compared to what this guy's got.
- I mean, have you heard of a BOLO alert?
- No.
"Be on the Lookout."
It means he can have 10,000 cops
looking for Ji in the space
of one phone call.
- There's nowhere to hide!
- Just until the cop gets arrested?
If he gets arrested, and even then an…
an indictment could take months. He'd be…
He'd be free the whole time.
[rap music continues]
Look, I know it's not ideal.
I know it's difficult,
but sending him home is…
No, no, no, no, man. This…
That's not a home anymore.
This is, man. I'm his home.
- [both chuckle]
- Yo, can we have a minute, please!
Fuck!
[sighs, breathes deeply]
This… [stammers] This cop is no joke.
I get it.
Yeah.
And Ji's stepped into shit with this guy,
and I know you've thought it through,
Sugar, but…
[breathes deeply]
I don't know, man.
Yo, he's all I got left.
I know.
Don't take him from me, man.
Please?
[Chuy, on video]
Same deal? Ten cents a pill?
[Vega] Yeah, yeah. Same deal.
[Chuy] Explain this fucking
Fire Sale thing to me again,
in like business terms,
'cause I don't get it. [chuckles]
- [Vega] Business…
- [video pauses]
[John] The price of fentanyl
is down 90% in Ez4 territory.
[Chuy] Well, like, why like this?
I mean, nobody's making money.
[Lolli] It's America.
Someone somewhere gotta be making money.
You have so many questions, ese.
[Sandra] I don't have to think of a reason
for someone to hurt my son. I know it.
It's all because of Fire Sale.
Careful…
- [gun fires]
- [groans]
[Sandra] …or they'll get you too.
[Katie] Drug overdose.
My fifth of the day.
They say the city-wide rates are way down,
but I don't know.
Seems busier than ever to me.
[John] Why the colored tags?
[Oscar] WTNs.
"Who To Notify."
Green tag means they have
survivors that are known and notified.
And a blue tag means unknown.
[John] Unknown like a John Doe?
It means they're dead
and there's no one to tell.
[John] But numbers don't lie.
People can.
Where are these numbers coming from?
[Vega] He's a junkie. A guy like that…
It's just a matter of time.
[John] The guy from the morgue.
Dr. Peter Bruno.
[John] Old habit from your army days?
[Vega] Marines.
[John] Right. Semper fi.
Always faithful.
Vega and Bruno are in this together.
If all these people are dying,
then who's living in those apartments?
[knocks on door]
- [John] I've knocked on 20 doors.
- [doorbell rings]
Only two answered.
That's the thing I love the most,
is the quiet.
We thought living in an apartment block,
there'd be noise all around us.
But it's very peaceful.
[door bell rings]
[knocks on door]
[door bell rings]
[John] Vega floods the market
with cheap fentanyl.
When addicts die,
Bruno steals their identities,
calls them a success story,
and bills the government
for millions in housing contracts.
I could stop this. Stop it all now.
Stop Bruno. Stop Vega.
Save Ji and countless others.
Vega is the tool.
I could break the tool
and silence the whole mechanism.
It's clear to me now.
Vega has to be stopped.
[panting]
[movie score playing on TV]
[microwave beeping]
- [static blaring]
- [Vega grunts] Goddamn it, Jessie.
[microwave door opens]
[microwave door closes]
[movie score playing on TV]
- [panting]
- [engine starts]
[John] The rules are to protect ourselves
as much as anyone else.
We travel universes…
see multitudes.
We experience new sensations
in foreign bodies.
But we must stay ourselves.
[knocks on door]
[piano playing out of tune]
Mr. Sugar,
there is a gentleman here to see you.
Hey, man.
Late night?
Yeah, you too?
Finally figured it out.
I think we need a drink.
- I was at a wedding here once.
- [sighs]
There's a dance floor out back.
- Blastin' Earth Wind and Fire.
- [liquid pouring]
It was fun.
[sighs]
[inhales deeply]
You can't hide him forever.
Look, think of what the kid faces.
If he comes forward, I mean,
he's got burglary in the second.
He's got possession
of, uh, controlled substance
with intent to distribute.
Got identity theft,
and he's looking at doing some serious
prison time if he talks, which he won't.
On my word. You'll never see him again.
Look… [stammers] …I know, I know, okay?
I've done the math in my head many times.
Let it go, Ray.
[breathes deeply]
I can't risk it, man, I'm sorry.
You're gonna have to tell me where he is.
[sighs]
Okay, so, you're not gonna do that
'cause you got some PI code
or whatever the fuck it is.
[inhales sharply] It's fine. It's fine.
But, you know,
a couple days to think about it.
You're gonna tell me.
How many people you think
have died because of Fire Sale?
I mean, how many identities erased?
You don't even know, do you?
No, of course not
because you're the muscle.
But who do you work for exactly?
I'm not quite there yet.
I have the other one,
Danny Moon.
[pounding on door]
The fuck?
Guys, come on, the party's over!
Huh?
[Vega] He hit a security cop
at a grab-and-go a few nights back.
I mean, It's not a big deal.
Any two-bit lawyer can
get him out in 30 minutes.
The problem is it's late on a Friday night
and the courts don't open
till Monday morning.
[inhales sharply] We try to look out
for anybody who's in there
and protect them from any kind of trouble.
But, you know, these days with
the economy and the staff cuts, man.
I mean, we just…
We can't be everywhere.
[inhales deeply]
And you could save him
a whole bunch of trouble,
but you're not gonna do that, are you?
You're gonna try
to think your way out of this.
Well, do it your way.
All right, so…
[inhales deeply] …why don't
we meet Sunday at whatever place you want.
Pick a spot that has coffee.
See you there.
Hey, Ray.
I was in your house tonight.
A few hours ago.
You were watching TV with your dog,
and I was right behind you.
Standing right there…
with a gun pointing to your head.
I could have killed you.
Aw, man.
You should've.