Sugar
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Another day in John Sugars California.
Any L.A. noir worth its salt brings the city to life in its own way.
But like John Sugar,thishumble TV gumshoe aint going anywhere.
But the case is still on, and therealexciting twists and turns are just beginning to materialize.
So where did we leave off?
The newly minted David Siegel scandal had just broken while grandfather Jonathan was onstage at a repertoire event.
Margit puts on a big show about her sons innocence.
Women were always weird around me …
I just never knew how to benormalwith them, that kind of thing.
So David started going to Byron Stallings, a guy hed heard could get you girls.
David knew Stallings was trafficking these women from the border and went along with it anyway.
I just thought he would scare her.
Tell her to chill.
I never thought he would …
She was your sister, Sugar replies.
You were supposed to take care of her.
Sugars case is getting him awfully close to finding out about some things.
Its only a matter of time before he sees things hes not happy about.
Things that, frankly, Im not happy about, says Ruby.
Theyre just observing, like always.
This isnew, Ruby replies, with a tone of Lovecraftian dread.
And he barely takes a beat to relish in the beauty of the cottonwood trees surrounding them.
Fertile and dead at the same time, he says with admiration.
Very normal and not an ominous thing to say.
Its the first weve seen of the killer inside this benevolent agent of observation.
He senses her concern immediately.
You wanted to hurt him, she says.
He doesnt deny it.
I could say thats not me, thats not who I am.
But lately, Im not so sure.
David Siegel doesnt seem to think so.
He takes himself out of the equation in the putrid glow of his mothers fanning flames of illusion.
Theres something about Davids suicide that rings false to me.
It lands more like a plot-convenience decision than it does a heavy thematic beat.
The shit that sticks with you always falls from above.
Sugar is alone in the darkness, looking up at the ceiling like hes being watched.
He moves to the front room and lays down on the floor next to Melanie.
