Sugar
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Things got a little esoterically and physically rough for John Sugar at the end of the pilot episode.
I dunno … issues.
But its back to business in part two of Sugars premiere night.
Bernie thinks Sugar is wasting his time as well as Bernies father Jonathans money.
Olivias disappeared like she has many times before, and shell come back again soon enough.
John plays it cool, but hes incensed at Bernies blase attitude toward his own daughters whereabouts.
These Hollywood dynasties: ever the paragon of healthy family life.
I know Olivia better than anyone, says Bernie.
Certainly better than my father.
And I know her a lot better than Melanie, Ill tell you that.
You had quite a time with her last night, didnt you?
But what about Olivias mother, Rachel Kaye?
Bernie was married to her when those dirty little Polaroids were taken, right?
But Bernie didnt take those photos, and Sugar knows hes telling the truth.
He gathers that shed been getting sober going back a year.
Before then, shed started to get out of control.
Did stuff in her teen years that wouldve landed most kids in way bigger trouble.
But some kind of edge-of-the-cliff life-changing moment had shaped her up.
Time to update Jonathan Siegel and get in a few questions while were at it.
Jonathan isnt surprised, nor that Bernie doesnt share his concerns for Olivia.
Olivia is a screw-up, she always will be, thats the narrative that suits Bernie the best.
It lets him focus on making bad movies and his idiot son.
Im sensing yours is not the closest of families, Sugar says.
They have their reasons, Jonathan retorts.
But thats as far as the conversation goes.
The GPS record from Olivias car indicates she made repeat trips to a concerning location.
A woman who lived at the address, Carmen Vasquez, was raped and murdered recently.
Olivias car was there the night that Miss Vasquez was killed.
Whats more, theres a body in Olivias trunk that had something to do with Miss Vasquezs murder.
Clifford Carter was his name; arrested for assault, rape, and human trafficking.
Turns out shed just broken a 20-year streak of sobriety when Sugar met her at the bar.
In the morning, she dumped out all her booze, and here they are.
Back at Melanies, they talk over sparkling waters.
Sugar knows from Olivias car GPS that Olivia was at Melanies almost every night the week before she disappeared.
Whats up with that?
In both Melanie and Olivia, Sugar sees kindred, lonely by choice spirits.
And it seems to hurt him a bit when he knows shes lying.
I just cant figure out why, he says.
Let me make this clear: Iwillfind Olivia.
You know I think movies are conspiracy?
Gena Rowlands says from the silver screen.
They set you up to believe in everything.
In ideals and strength and good guys and, of course, love.
I never met Clark Gable.
I never met Humphrey Bogart.
I never met any of em, you know who I mean.
They dont exist, Florence, thats the truth.
The flicker of the screen illuminates the heartache in Sugars eyes as he watches.
But as fate would have it, Karl never quite made it to his sisters.
Sugar finds him on the floor with a needle in his arm, no longer breathing.
But someone beats him to the punch.
No body or bag in sight when Sugar opens the trunk.
Why cant I see it?
Easy there, cowboy.
Youre not supposed to getthisinvolved.
Remember what Ruby keeps telling yall: Just observe and report.
Thats the real mission.
But its too late.
John Sugar is involved.
Olivia reminds him of Jen, his sister.
And already theres another innocent young woman out there in the clutches of some real nasty bad guys.
Theres the mission, then theresthe job.
And for John Sugar, thejobis the juice.
