Sugar (2024) s02e08 Episode Script

1
[wind whooshing]
[engine revving]
[in Spanish] Professor!
What happened?
Number 22!
Come with me!
[chuckles]
[in Spanish] It worked.
[in English] Beautiful.
[in Spanish] Wait until you publish…
when you tell the world…
No one can know about this.
What?
We will when it's ready.
We have to test it in other environments.
Jungles,
oceans, the Arctic.
Yes.
I understand.
[in English] It's so beautiful here.
[in Spanish] Who is that?
[suspenseful music playing]
[beeps]
[line beeps]
- [John, in English] Hey.
- How's it going?
- Uh, fine.
- [colleague speaks Spanish]
Tell me.
She's, uh, talking about sex
and what a swell time she's having.
I told you.
Even the best of us can wander
and get lost down here.
[speaks Spanish]
Where are you? You sound strange.
[colleague speaks Spanish]
Oh, it's just… My…
My English is out of practice.
[colleague speaking Spanish]
Uh, everything's fine.
But I should probably go.
Um, I just wanted to say that I love you.
[colleague speaking Spanish continues]
All right. Yeah, I love you.
[speaking Spanish]
- [in English] No, no, no!
- [body thuds]
[Henry] You did it.
Congratulations.
[doorbell jingles]
[grunts] My, uh, sister.
[theme song playing]
What's it gonna be?
Because I'll kill you right now.
[grunting]
[pastor] Our brothers and our sisters
serve as a reminder…
[Vega exhales sharply]
[pastor] …in an effort
to prepare ourselves
for the everlasting life as promised
to us after this life on earth.
[panting]
[pastor] May God grant all of us strength,
comfort, and patience
during these difficult times.
And may he grant all of us
the perseverance to continue forward
in our remaining days
with the utmost of faith.
And so we remember these people,
in this beautiful place,
in this beautiful moment
and where we will never lose you again.
Standing before these 2,719 souls,
it's clear to me that we still
have a ways to go.
[John] Assemblywoman Spiro, John Sugar.
- [Spiro] Yes.
- [John] Pleasure to meet you.
[Spiro] Ah, pleasure to meet you.
Thank you for everything you've done.
Of course, of course, of course.
The sheriff's deputies,
the medical examiner,
- chief of staff.
- [siren wails]
- [John] Now, they've all been arrested.
- [Spiro] Hmm.
- [siren blares]
- [officer] Oh, shit.
What about Lieutenant Vega?
They're still looking.
[agent 1] FBI.
- Freeze.
- All right, all right.
Sometimes the worst ones get away.
Oh, I doubt he was the worst,
don't you think?
- I don't know.
- No?
Peter Bruno.
[John] Dealing drugs and forging
death certificates is one thing.
But securing government housing grants,
I mean, that's a whole different
point of access.
There had to have been others.
I mean something as big as Fire Sale?
Jonathan Siegel
was one of your first supporters
- when you ran for office, wasn't he?
- That's right.
Back in 1998.
He called you…
our next great defender
of the defenseless.
In this world, in politics,
it's one long compromise.
I wish it wasn't like that sometimes.
- And if you want to win in this game…
- Betty.
You haven't won. You've lost again.
[radio chatter]
[John] Hmm.
So, how are you doing?
Hmm, good.
Haven't spoken much since, you know, Vega.
- Mm-hmm.
- Wondering how it's sitting with you.
It's all right.
Mmm.
[Tom] You know,
I've been listening to this podcast.
Happy, Healthy Wellness or some bullshit.
Guy says the number one reason
women live longer
is because men don't talk.
[John] Hmm.
Lack of conversation
being detrimental to health.
[John] Hmm.
- Anyway…
- Stallings wasn't self-defense.
Yeah?
Yeah, I told you it was self-defense.
It wasn't.
And Vega was the same.
Afterwards I was… Tom, I was sick.
I couldn't figure out…
What is wrong with me?
I couldn't…
I couldn't even remember the moment.
It was like a blind rage.
And I can't…
- I can't reconcile who I thought I was.
- Mm-hmm.
Hey,
two less miscreants in the world.
Fine by me.
Yeah, but Vega had a daughter
who loved him. Stallings had a mom.
But sometimes all we can be
is just… [mutters]
…a little bit better than the alternative.
I guess.
What's a five-letter word for birdlike?
Avian.
[Tom] Shit, that works.
Mr. Flybjerg.
[breathes deeply]
Hey. Can I come?
Yeah, sure.
[big band music playing]
- One moment.
- Okay then.
- Hey.
- [Charlotte] Hey.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
No, you're not.
Your case is over.
You're restless, and you don't know
what to do with yourself.
[John] A little.
How about a movie?
Gotta be something in black and white
showing somewhere in this town.
[John] Yeah, Out of the Past
is playing at The United.
Which one is that?
It's Robert Mitchum.
He's in over his head with Jane Greer.
[Charlotte] Doesn't sound like
the Robert Mitchum I know.
It happens.
Ugh, I'd love to come with.
No, you're busy.
Yeah, it's… this presentation.
All hands on deck. [sighs]
Forget about me and go relax.
[John] Don't work too hard.
- We're still on for the beach tomorrow?
- Of course.
[no audible dialogue]
[John] On second thought,
I didn't feel like a movie.
[cheering]
[tense music playing]
All right. Go on.
[John] Is this what it is to be human?
Come on, bro. Come on, bro!
[both grunting]
[crowd clamoring]
Whoa!
Go, go!
[John] "On my way
to a new case in Abu Dhabi."
[John scoffs]
"Hendrik lied about the last time
he saw his father."
"Watched starling murmurations…
[chuckles]
…over Sassari."
[gasps]
[breathing deeply]
[Stanley] Dr. Livingstone, I presume?
This is Stanley Ondaatje.
- Please leave a message.
- [beeps]
Stanley, it's me. Call me back.
Ready?
Yeah.
You look beautiful.
Thank you.
[gentle music playing]
[no audible dialogue]
[riders screaming, shouting]
[both laughing]
[grunts]
- [John speaks indistinctly]
- Okay. Got it. [giggles]
Biggest ocean on the planet,
and just up the street,
and somehow,
I always forget that it's here.
[Charlotte] Hmm, most of us do.
I've been having a hard time lately.
I feel like I'm losing hold of something,
who I am, where I'm from, how I started.
I used to see and know things so clearly,
but now I'm just…
I don't know. I really have been
having a hard time lately.
Yeah, I see that.
I'm sorry.
Should we go back to the hotel?
Is it wrong to just wanna
stay here with you on the beach?
Well, I think if we wait
until we stop hurting to be happy,
the beach will be gone.
[music continues]
[music ends]
- So here's the thing.
- [John] Uh-huh?
[Charlotte] Milan.
[John] Milan?
[Charlotte] My job here is done,
so I'm going to Milan
for debrief and reassignment.
[John] You're leaving?
[Charlotte] Yes.
When?
Soon.
Okay.
This has been nice.
It has been nice.
So come with me.
Come with you? To Milan?
See what it's like.
I've been. It's… It's lovely.
See what we are like.
Penelope, a friend of mine,
she's got a café in the Cinque Vie.
You just sit outside in chairs,
and you drink your espresso,
and you watch people walk up and down
the Via Santa Maria, all day.
So, just up and leave?
Why not?
You need a break. Your job's over.
You… All your friends are gone.
- We get along not bad.
- All my friends are gone?
[fading] What's keeping
you here? The crime?
Traffic?
[continues indistinctly]
What's keeping you here?
["Dido's Lament" playing]
No pressure about Milan, okay?
Just think it over.
I will.
[sniffles]
[sobs]
[breathing shakily]
[exhales deeply]
I slipped up. He knows. I'm sorry.
What do I do?
[music ends]
[door closes]
[footsteps approaching]
Very well.
We'll see you tonight then.
Okay, thank you.
Ms. Fischer. Your car's ready for you.
[Charlotte] Thank you.
[suspenseful music playing]
[suspenseful music continues]
[valet] Good evening, sir.
Here you go.
Thank you.
[host] Good evening.
Would you like to sign in?
No.
Uh, sir. Excuse me, sir.
It's all right. That's John Sugar.
I'm sorry.
Someone wants to see you.
John.
John.
["Trans Fatty Acid" playing]
[person] Mr. Sugar.
Senator Pavich.
A pleasure.
Welcome to my home.
Where you going?
It's Pavich. I have to talk to him.
That's not who you're looking for.
This is going to be hard.
But I'm happy for you.
What do you mean?
Wait. Who is that?
Who is that?
[hopeful music playing]
- Brother.
- Djen.
- Brother. Brother. [sobs]
- Djen.
- Oh, my God. [sniffles]
- [John sobbing]
[Djen] My God,
I've missed you so much, my brother.
[John crying, sniffling]
I know, I know.
- I'm so sorry.
- [John crying]
[cries] Where have you been?
All these years.
[both laughing]
It caused me so much pain
to know that you were looking for me,
that you were hurting.
I never stopped…
I searched everywhere for you.
- I know.
- I-I-I thought you were dead.
How?
- My God, I've missed you so much.
- Where were you?
What happened?
- Was it Henry? Did he…
- No. No.
Henry would never hurt me.
He was the one that told me you were gone.
He-He led me to believe that he…
Because…
Because I asked him to.
I couldn't see you.
As painful as that was.
I had work to do.
I could see that you weren't ready.
Ready for what? What work?
I-I had work. We all had work.
I-I could've helped you.
Not with this.
You didn't know this place yet.
You'd just arrived.
And you hadn't seen what I'd seen,
not just the beauty, but…
but the horror too, the cruelty.
Their disregard
for the sanctity of nature.
And I just couldn't
pull you into that work.
It was too soon.
What work? What are you talking about?
Observe and report, that was our mission.
You know that that isn't enough.
Right?
I couldn't just stand by
and watch this planet die,
so I created a technology.
- The circles.
- Yes.
- That was you.
- Yes.
And Henry supported me.
And Ruby and the others were against it.
And so you…
Did what I had to do.
I sent them home.
You exposed us.
You told the humans we were here.
You sacrificed…
We were hunted.
Some of us were killed, our friends.
Djen, this is wrong, in the wrong hands.
Playing with something you can't control.
[person] We're ready to begin.
We'll be right there.
I know it's a lot.
Will you come with an open mind?
Will you see what I've created?
And then you can tell me how you feel.
Charlotte will find you a chair.
She knows?
What I am? What we are?
[Djen] More talk after the show.
I'm scared.
Sister, you've changed.
[menacing music playing]
But you've changed too.
Everyone, it's time. Let's head outside.
Are you all right?
[applause]
About to start. We should go outside.
[Djen] We, all of us,
live on this special unique planet.
Fragile biosphere
that through human action or inaction
is rapidly warming.
Which is why I started the Acalica project
so many years ago.
To protect the riches
of this incredible planet.
And to defend against those
who would carelessly destroy it.
- Tonight, fingers crossed it goes well.
- [audience laughs]
Earth is finally ready to fight back.
[audience applauding]
[Djen] What you're about to witness…
Well, you'll see for yourselves.
[applause continues]
[applause dies down]
[audience gasping, clamoring]
[whirring]
[tense music playing]
[Djen] Everyone ready?
[thunder rumbles]
[audience exclaiming]
[thunder rumbles]
Go.
[audience cheering]
And last but not least,
ladies and gentlemen, let there be…
light.
[cheering]
[whistling]
- John.
- Yeah?
[grunts]
[choking]
[menacing music playing]
[distorted] Now I have to go away again.
- [John wheezes]
- Promise me, Brother.
Promise me you'll come find me
when you're ready.
Because… Listen.
- [John wheezes]
- They think that this is for them.
[chuckles] Them.
They have no idea… [chuckles]
…this is for us.
[thunder rumbles]
[John wheezes]
[Charlotte] "Meet John Sugar.
Have a conversation.
What's he like? How's he doing?
Write down your impressions
and send them to me."
That's all. The rest was me.
The rest was true.
- [wheezes]
- [Charlotte inhales sharply]
The rest was me.
She's right.
You're incredible.
[music ends]
[gasps]
[panting]
[panting continues]
[jazz noir music playing]
[John] The final scene from The Third Man.
The case is over. Arrests have been made.
The hero's won.
All that's left is he waits
by the side of the road
for the girl he loves
to rush into his arms.
So he thinks.
But the hero is a fool.
An American abroad
in a world he doesn't understand.
And his love walks by…
without even a look.
[film reel whirring]
[waves crashing]
[John] Maybe I wasn't
completely surprised.
Maybe somewhere inside
I suspected all along.
My sister.
Charlotte. This place.
Maybe I knew and I just wanted
to believe something else. I don't know.
I just knew
I had an appointment that I couldn't miss.
["Back on My BS" playing]
[grunts]
[Ji] Chin.
- [Danny grunts]
- [Ji] Chin.
- [Danny] What about my chin?
- You're lifting it.
- No, I'm not, bro.
- [Ji] Bro, you…
100% you were. You were.
[Danny] Ji, you're full of shit, man.
Again. Shoeshine.
- [grunting]
- [groans]
Okay, okay, okay! What's up, baby?
You ready to go? You ready to go?
- Can I get pre-fights for the socials?
- Of course. All right.
Can we please get that going?
Come on around.
Get all of it right here.
Just get all of it right there.
[John] Hey.
Yeah?
Straight back to rehab.
After the fight, no casinos,
no nightclubs, nothing.
[Val] You know he tried talking me
into a "sober strip club."
- [John] What?
- I asked him if there was such a thing.
Fucking Ji. Anyway, baby goes back.
Well, it's a service business.
It's all part of the job.
It's not the only part though.
I mean, look at them.
Yeah.
[John] They wouldn't be together
if it weren't for you.
[Val] Yeah, that part feels good.
Val. Thank you.
All right. Talk later.
[person] Yeah. Yeah, hey.
[Danny] Yo, Sugar. Where you going?
I wanted to say goodbye,
but, um, you know, you were busy.
- You're gonna miss the fight?
- No, no. Of course not.
But you're gonna have
so many people around you,
I may not see you after.
Oh, okay.
Um…
Thank you.
[John] You're welcome.
[crowd cheering]
Yo, I messed up your suit.
I got others.
You certainly do.
[John] Hey, Danny.
Tuck your chin.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd cheering]
[camera shutters clicking]
["Jazz Interlude" playing]
[Jonathan] That was the '70s, '80s,
even the '90s.
You'd go to Vegas, screen your picture.
And if you were lucky enough
to have made something good,
theaters would crawl over broken glass
for the chance to show your picture.
Now, the movie business
has seen better days.
At least I can still come in for lunch
whenever I want.
[chuckles] I should hope so.
You built the place.
How you doing?
What?
Nothing. I was just talking to Melanie
the other day, and, uh…
And what? She… She told you?
About me… About-About, uh, where I'm from.
Sugar, you're from Ohio.
Everyone knows that.
Don't worry.
When it comes to my personal life,
you've always been discreet.
Least I can do is return the favor.
[John inhales sharply]
Almost.
[John sighs]
- You excited?
- Yeah, a little nervous too.
[grunts]
He's not the only reason
I-I came to see you today.
Okay.
I got a question
that's kind of been eating at me,
and I didn't know who else to ask.
So go ahead.
How do I seem to you?
I mean since we last met.
Do I, uh… Do I seem different?
How so different?
Some of my friends, um…
friends from Ohio, they…
they were…
Well, they used to warn me
about assimilation.
The longer someone stayed here,
you know, the more it might change you.
And were your friends right?
I've done some things
since I've been here. Things I…
[sighs] Things I never thought
I was capable of before.
Uh-huh.
Doubt, anger, ambition, sin.
It's everywhere, grows on trees.
It's hard not to let it affect you.
Maybe even impossible.
But it's not all bad.
We got some good things too.
Like movies.
[chuckles] Like some movies.
And some people.
And the beach and the Lakers.
And the dog that's about
to pull up in a limousine.
But I'll say this much.
And I mean it as a compliment.
You will never be like us Californians.
I bet you're not even like
anyone back in Ohio.
How do you seem to me? [inhales deeply]
You seem like Sugar.
[vehicle approaches]
[vehicle door opens, closes]
[vehicle door opens]
[Wiley barks]
[vehicle door closes]
Thank you.
For what? It's your dog.
[Wiley barks]
["Summer Wind" playing]
[John softly] Hey.
Hi, buddy.
[John] My sister said to find her
when I'm ready.
I don't even know what that means.
But for now,
I'm settling in.
I got my buddy back.
And we're gonna meet some new people.
I'll see some movies.
We'll go to the dog park.
That's the plan.
Maybe find a new case.
Maybe not.
We'll see how it goes.
[Wiley barks]
[John] All I know is…
this place…
these people…
It's good to be home.
[song continues]