Sugar (2024) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[JOHN] Haven't been sleeping well.
Nightmares.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
Doubt I'm the only one these days.
[GROANS, CHUCKLES]
Although Wiley looked pretty rested.
[SIGHING]
[LINE RINGING, CLICKS]
- [RUBY] Hello.
- Good morning.
Good morning. Everything okay?
Yeah, I'm just calling to
check in and say good morning.
Well, thank you. Good morning.
- How's your dog?
- Uh, he's not my dog, okay?
He's a dog. And he's a dog who
snores and kicks in his sleep.
So he's, uh Unfortunately, he's
What's the word?
Unhaltbar? Okungaphatheki?
Untenable.
Right. Yeah, he's an untenable dog.
[GROANS] I better get to work, um,
but [STAMMERS] I was
wondering, have you heard anything?
About the Siegel girl?
[JOHN] Yeah.
You mean, since you
called me four hours ago?
No, it's all been quiet on my end.
[SIGHS] Okay. That's good. Um,
we'll talk later. Thanks for
Sugar, I'm gonna say it again.
I don't like this case for you.
I know.
[JOHN] Why does she keep saying
that? What's she so worried about?
I mean, other than the
drugs and bad dreams,
and sometimes my hand shakes,
I'm fine.
Another beautiful day in California.
[WATER RUNNING]
[KETTLE WHISTLES]
- [LINE RINGS]
- [TERESA] Hey, I've been calling you.
Sorry. I needed to sleep. I
turned my phone off. What's wrong?
Uh, last night, this man
[MACHINE WHIRRING]
Sorry. Um, I'm I'm making
breakfast. This man came over,
- asking about Carmen and about you.
- [MELANIE] Shit.
[TERESA] I didn't say
anything. I played dumb.
"What do I know about my sister
- and her business?" Right?
- Okay.
I just don't think
that they believed me.
So sorry to bother you,
but my kids are here,
- and this guy really freaked me out.
- [METAL CLANKS]
- It's okay. I'm on my way.
- Okay.
- Seriously?
- I I didn't mean to.
[DOOR BUZZING]
Great job, Teresa. Super-duper.
Hey. [STAMMERS] You okay?
I'm so sorry, but I had no choice.
There she is. Finally. Melanie Matthews.
- [WATER RUNNING]
- [CELL PHONE BUZZING]
[JOHN] Charlie is an old
friend I like to work with.
- [WHINES]
- [JOHN] Yep.
A civilian, but I trust her.
I was in the shower.
Uh-huh. What's up?
Where?
Okay. I'm on my way.
Right now she's got eyes
on Melanie Matthews.
Not that I think Melanie is
behind Olivia's disappearance.
But after my talk with
her yesterday, it's clear
she knows more than she's letting on.
- [PERSON] Hey. Sugar got a dog?
- [JOHN] Hey, Charlie.
He's not mine. [BREATHES HEAVILY]
How long has she been in there?
Eight and a half minutes.
How was she? How did she seem?
I don't know, Suge. She seemed
like a lady driving her car
- from one place to another.
- Uh-huh.
- What, you think Olivia Siegel's in there?
- I don't know who's in there, Charlie.
See that brand-new F-150 truck?
- [CHARLIE] Yeah.
- It's a nice truck, huh?
- For a neighborhood like this, it's nice.
- Uh-huh.
You see the truck across
the road? Exact same, F-150.
You see the creepazoidal
sitting in the front seat?
He's not listening to music. He's
not on his cell phone. Eyes wide.
- Oh, yeah. He's working.
- Uh-huh.
I don't like it.
I'm gonna go take a look.
If I'm not back in, say, ten?
Got it. And I'll get their
license plates to Ruby.
Okay.
[MELANIE] Again, like
I said, I have no idea.
- Right.
- But since your friend Clifford is
an asshole and a wife-beater
and from what I can see
the prime suspect in
Teresa's sister's murder case,
if I did know where he was,
I would have said something to the
cops long before you ever asked.
I think you're lying.
[MELANIE] I honestly don't know.
[GANGSTER] Oh, my God. I can't
Let's try something different.
[JOHN] Vasquez, as in Carmen.
Uh, breakfast boy, would you
bring the, uh [WHISTLES]
[JOHN] Olivia connects to Carmen Vasquez
connects to Clifford Carter
connects to Melanie
[GANGSTER] No, I hear you. Uh,
it it definitely tracks. The
The logic part tracks for me. Um,
but on an illogical,
like, intuitive level
[GRUNTS, PANTING]
[JOHN] connects to
whoever the hell's upstairs,
- so
- Shit.
- [HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]
- [BREATHING HEAVILY]
Not now. I've gotta go.
Not now.
I think you're lying, but
I'm not completely sure
because you made some logical points.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
So, uh, we're going to put
your friend Teresa's hand,
uh, inside this blender
- [RINGING CONTINUES]
- Not now.
- turn it on
- [MELANIE] What?
- and, uh, see what happens.
- [MELANIE] What?
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[RINGING FADES]
[GANGSTER] You'll scream,
of course. We know that.
- The kids will hear you scream
- Please, don't.
- and start to cry.
- [JOHN BREATHING HEAVILY]
- But what will you do?
- [TERESA] Please stop. [SNIFFLES]
What will you say about Cliff then?
That's what I'm really curious about.
Come on.
- So let's see.
- [WHIRRING]
- [STAMMERS] No, no! Please!
- Okay! Jesus Christ, I'll tell you!
- Oh, I know.
- [TERESA] No!
- [SHOUTING] Stop it!
- [KNOCKS]
- [SHOUTS]
- [WHIRRING STOPS]
- [JOHN] Teresa, open up!
- [KNOCKS]
Teresa, open the door!
Teresa, I know you're in there. I
can hear you. Open the door. Come on.
The more, the merrier.
- [JOHN] Come on, Teresa.
- [DOOR LOCK CLICKS]
We've discussed this, Teresa.
When I ring, you answer.
My bad about the door.
We were making smoothies.
Uh, who are who are these guys?
Who are you, buddy?
First of all, I'm not your buddy.
I'm an officer of the court.
Secondly, Teresa Vasquez
is my probationer.
- You're her PO?
- [JOHN STAMMERS]
This place is a mess.
What are you gonna do?
Did you forget that Child Protective
Services are coming in an hour?
You forgot you had an appointment.
You forgot. You forgot your Great.
Right. Everybody out. Come on.
Out. You, you, you, you, out.
You stay and help her clean. Get out!
I'm gonna start running fucking IDs
and seeing anyone else
in parole violation.
Get out! Come on. Go. Out, buddy. Out.
Nah. Nah, man.
What "nah, nah"? Get out!
That suit? That watch? Oh, no.
[STAMMERS] A real PO an actual
PO could work his entire life
and not pay for that shit.
You like the suit?
Why don't you tell me who you are, pal?
- [CELL PHONE BUZZING]
- [JOHN] Hmm.
I'm strangely tempted.
But what if instead
What?
- [JOHN] That'll be Charlie.
- [HORN HONKING]
[GANGSTER] What?
What the fuck?
You're coming with me.
- They don't move.
- [JOHN] Okay.
Stay.
- [BOTH GRUNT]
- [MELANIE SHRIEKS]
- [BREATHES HEAVILY] Get the kids.
- [SIGHS] What the fuck, Sugar?
Exactly.
[SIRENS WAILING]
Told you to watch this truck
like it was your mother.
I I know.
- Fuck.
- [SCREAMING]
- Thank you.
- [JOHN] All right.
- All right, Charlie. Get 'em outta here.
- Got it. Hey, what about the dog?
[SIGHS]
Boss.
- [GANGSTER 2 WHIMPERING]
- [SIRENS WAILING]
It's a trick.
Call Manny.
[GANGSTER 3] No answer.
- [JOHN] All right. We gotta go.
- [MELANIE] What? What?
We gotta go.
[MELANIE] I can't believe
you were following me.
- [JOHN GRUNTS]
- [MELANIE] Oh
[GRUNTS] Come on. In. Good boy.
It's all right. I got you.
Well, hello, stranger.
This is a pleasant surprise.
[PANTING]
I hope you don't mind
me showing up like this.
[PANTS]
Not calling or nothing.
No, not at all.
[PANTS, CHUCKLES]
- Would you like to come in?
- [CHUCKLES]
[PANTING]
So I need a favor.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Hmm?
Of course, you do.
John Steven Sugar, born September
2nd, 1976 in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
[INHALES SHARPLY] One of two
kids. Father's an electrician.
Died when John was 12.
Mother, retired teacher.
Let's see. Uh, smart kid.
Got good grades at his public school.
Top of his class at Vassar. After
that and this is interesting
he enrolled at the DLI in Monterey.
That's the Army language school.
Super intensive crash course.
Russian, Spanish, Urdu, whatever.
Stuff that takes years to
learn, these guys learn in weeks.
- No shit.
- [GRUNTS]
- So who goes to this place?
- Lots of people.
Military officers, future
State Department officials,
- future foreign diplomats.
- Future spies?
Sure. Who is this guy, Kenny?
Keep digging.
Well, I'm glad nothing happened to you.
Glad you weren't hurt.
You gotta tell me what's going on.
Why were you there?
How do you know Teresa?
[MELANIE SIGHS]
I volunteer at a shelter.
I do outreach, helping women
get out of abusive relationships.
A while back, I helped Teresa get
away from her nightmare of a husband.
And then [STAMMERS] a month
ago, her sister Carmen calls me.
I mean, both great ladies.
Both shit luck with men.
[SIGHS] And Olivia was helping me
then. I mean, she she loved it.
It got her outside herself,
you know, like it does me.
Gets you away from your demons
and your bullshit, and
She loved Carmen. They got really close.
During this time, Olivia She
w She wasn't using? She was
She was clean.
- Until
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
[SNIFFLES]
what? What then? I
mean, s-something happened.
That night, she calls
me from Carmen's house.
She was really scared.
It's not good. [SNIFFLES]
Uh, C-Carmen wasn't answering,
and I I was calling.
So I decided to come over.
There's this blood, and
[STAMMERS] she's
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Carmen, she's [BREATHES SHAKILY] She
[STAMMERS] So I'm
I'm I'm calling
I'm calling the cops. I'm dialing.
There's this gun just
sitting on the mantel,
which really doesn't make any
sense until this guy He walks in.
[SOBS] He's He's carrying a body bag.
I mean, who who the
fuck has a body bag on hand?
I mean, who [BREATHES SHAKILY] who?
The gun was over there.
[STAMMERING] He was over there.
He saw me. Well, he didn't
like s-seeing me seeing him.
And [STAMMERS] so
Yeah.
[MELANIE SHUSHING]
- I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to.
- [SHUSHING] It's okay.
[OLIVIA SOBS]
She did nothing wrong.
- Why didn't you call the police?
- I I I kept saying it over and over,
"We should have called," and
[STAMMERS] sh she refused.
- She didn't want the scandal.
- What scandal?
I've seen Clifford's rap sheet.
The cops would have given her
a medal and a foot massage.
She'll do anything for her
family. Her family comes first.
It's two years they haven't
been in the tabloids
- Wow.
- and now this.
[STAMMERS] She panicked.
We both panicked.
[BOTH GRUNTING, GROANING]
[MELANIE] That's the last I saw her.
I I mean, she's my kid.
You know, at least that's the
way I like to think of her.
[SIGHS] But it was stupid.
She does a lot of stupid
stuff, but, you know, so do I.
So, oh, fucking well. [CHUCKLES]
You love her.
You know, I think if you're
gonna do something stupid,
it's probably the best excuse going.
Spoken like a true Virgo.
[JOHN CHUCKLES]
We'll find her. Okay? We will.
I'll find her.
I promise.
[MELANIE] Who are you, John Sugar?
[BEEPING]
- [TYPING]
- [MIREMBE MEOWING]
[COMPUTER CHIMES]
[CHIMES]
[RUBY] Who's this?
So he gets out of this DLI,
goes into the Marine Corps.
[PERSON] Mm-hmm.
- [KENNY] Strange life.
- [EVERETT] Mmm.
[KENNY] So no wife, no kids?
How do I get at him?
There's always the mother.
- [KENNY] This is true.
- [TYPING]
[EVERETT] Uh, Helen Sugar,
currently residing
in Flagstaff, Arizona.
I've seen the rough cut,
Bernie. He is brilliant.
I can't argue with that. It's a
great performance. It really is.
[MARGIT] It's gonna change his life.
Our son nominated for Best
Supporting Actor as a child,
winning Best Actor now.
I really think he has
a chance. What's wrong?
There's a chance Davy's
indiscretions may come to light.
Well, give me her name. I'll
make sure she never says a word.
It's a lot more complicated than that.
Ah, the detective.
Yeah, Sugar. [SCOFFS]
[SCOFFS] Davy told me he
was helping you with that.
Well, he was just sitting
around getting bored.
And when he's bored,
he gets into trouble.
- So, I gave him a task.
- Yeah.
What?
Success?
Oh, yeah, brother.
- Very wise. [CHUCKLES]
- Thank you.
- Big time. [CHUCKLES]
- [LAUGHS]
[JOHN] So what do I
think of Melanie's story?
I don't know. After
all her bad-girl days,
Olivia didn't want to
embarrass her family again.
- [TV PLAYING IN BACKGROUND]
- Makes sense.
Explains the dead man
in her trunk anyway.
Then what? When the panic subsides,
you reach out and you
call for help, right?
But Olivia hasn't. That's
the part that worries me.
That someone somewhere doesn't
want her calling out at all.
[PERSON ON TV] make it on its
own. It has to have a little help.
All right, your water bowl is full.
Clinton's gonna bring your
dinner. You got your movie.
Are you crazy?
Not that crazy.
- Goodbye, Mrs. Dietrichson.
- What's the matter?
Oh, man. This is a good one.
You wanna knock him off, don't you?
- [JOHN] Classic.
- That's a horrible thing to say.
What'd you think I was anyway?
The guy that walks into a good-looking
dame's front parlor and says,
"Good afternoon, I sell
accident insurance on husbands."
[JOHN] Do I really have
to go to this thing?
- Yeah, I really do.
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
[PERSON 2 ON TV] I think you're rotten.
- You lucky guy.
- [PERSON 1] I think you're swell,
- so long as I'm not your husband.
- Get out of here.
- You bet I'll get out of here, baby.
- All right.
I'll get out of here, but quick.
Don't wait up.
[JOHN] It's not as though
I don't enjoy a good party.
Old friends. Good music.
What's not to like?
Anyway, here I am. Stop
complaining. Let's get it over with.
- [INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]
- [PARTY GUESTS CHATTERING]
[CHATTERING STOPS]
[IN GERMAN] This is the most
boring party I've ever seen.
[LAUGHING]
[RUBY, IN SPANISH] ¡Atención, por favor!
[IN ARABIC] Alaintibah!
in the language of this country,
if you don't mind.
- I'm told I need the practice.
- [LAUGHING]
[CHUCKLES] Here we are again.
We scatter, and we return.
We go out into the
world, and we do our work.
Our essential work. The
work we cannot fail to do.
But tonight we return to one another.
I'm so happy to see each
and every one of you
here, safe.
Now, there's food. There are drinks.
There's, "Mia taught herself
how to make angel food cake."
- [LAUGHING]
- [CHUCKLES]
So welcome.
[PARTY GUESTS CHATTERING]
[GUEST SPEAKING FRENCH]
[GUESTS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[IN FRENCH] You put on a big
hat and all this "sunscreen"
- but still you step outside
- [CHUCKLES]
and it's as if
your skin's too tight.
And you, Sugar?
The beach?
- Do you like going?
- Yes.
- I love the beach.
- Oh.
- Excuse me.
- [SPEAKS FRENCH]
You're looking better than ever.
Hey, Henry. I didn't see you come in.
No, I just got here. Work.
- Everything all right?
- Yeah, everything's great.
Come on, I hear there's cake.
Shibuya Crossing, you know it?
[IN JAPANESE] Never been.
- [CHUCKLES, SNIFFS]
You'd love it.
It's the busiest
intersection on the planet.
3,000 people cross the
street every two minutes.
All day, every day
and on into the night.
I sit in a coffee shop, and I just,
I watch this, uh this-this blur
and flow of people
just walking, laughing,
happy, angry, sad, back
and forth, back and forth.
I sat there for hours,
Henry, just watching them.
Well Feeling them.
That sounds beautiful.
Yeah, anyways. What about
you? Tell me something.
I'm having trouble sleeping
lately. Do you sleep well?
No, actually, uh, not very.
Yeah. So, I've been
having trouble sleeping.
And last week, in the
middle of the night,
I woke up, and I bought a garlic press.
- [LAUGHS] Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
I was staring at this thing. And
I just felt like, uh, I want it.
I gotta have it. I don't
even like garlic, so
[LAUGHING]
[HENRY] Have you gone?
- No, not yet.
- Mmm.
- How's the anthropology business?
- You know me.
[STAMMERS] Give me some books, theories,
throw in a lab coat, I'm content.
[LAUGHS] That's good.
How's your other work going?
It's good. It's a missing girl case
- Which is
- All-consuming?
Young woman, 25.
- John.
- What?
Just, please be careful.
Right.
What is this?
An objective account
of personal interactions
that occur as a result
of my stated profession.
Is it?
Yeah.
"I love how the curtains move back
and forth above the air conditioner.
It's said that UFO is a great rock band
but often overlooked, and I agree."
I'm not sure what's
objective about any of that,
nor the several entries
about how it feels
to watch people cross
some street in Japan.
Shibuya Crossing.
And then there's this case that
you're already obsessed with.
- That I told you not to take.
- I'm not obsessed.
"I have to find her. I feel
like when I look at Bernie,
all I see is lies and pain.
I fear she's hiding
from her own family."
I, I, I. Feel, feel, feel.
[STAMMERS, SIGHS]
[CLEARS THROAT]
We're here to observe these people,
not participate in their lives.
- I know.
- I mean, this was your idea.
- I know.
- Because of what happened to Djen.
[RUBY] Sugar, you need to stay
focused. Don't forget who you are.
[SIGHS]
Here's a new one.
Thank you.
Have you heard from them?
Mm-hmm.
And? What do they say?
They say that they're counting on us.
Oh. Hey, hey, I meant to ask.
The guys outside Teresa's,
did you get Charlie's
surveillance pictures?
- Mm-hmm.
- And?
I did some digging into
this, uh, party invitation.
Turns out Société Polyglotte
Cosmopolitaine is French
for the Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society.
- Oh.
- [RUBY] Okay.
The main guy's name is Byron Stallings.
He's in the system, no surprise.
But California Corrections
has this new encryption server,
which is annoying me, so I
just need another day. Okay?
Skip ahead to this society.
Okay, but I don't just want his
sheet. Get up on his comms and
Guess what a polyglot is.
Someone who's proficient in languages.
Exactly.
- Yeah, I got it.
- Cool.
Kenny heard these rumors
about this group of spies
from all over the globe.
I wanna know who he's
talking to, where, when, why.
- Sugar.
- All that.
Used to be enemies.
Once they all quit their jobs,
they got together and made a pact
to do something good for a change.
Or something bad,
depending on the rumor.
I produced a movie once about a cabal
of ex-spies who came
together to save the world.
Beyond Caution.
- It's a great movie.
- It was a piece of shit.
It was stupid because the
premise was preposterous.
Look, I'm not saying we have
every single answer about him yet.
I need every single fucking
- I said I've got it. Okay.
- All right. Okay.
I'm sorry I yelled.
Have you seen Dr. Vickers yet?
- Oh. No, I'm just I'm just
- Okay. All right.
You're making an appointment
for tomorrow. You're going. Okay?
- [SIGHS] Okay.
- All right.
There's a lot at stake here.
I know. I'm on it.
You coming back inside?
Hmm. I think I might just, uh
You've done your penance.
Okay. Yeah, you can go home.
- All right. Good night.
- Good night.
[DAVID] Kenny and I are
driving to Arizona tonight.
Arizona?
Flagstaff. Sugar's mother.
- Davy.
- You asked me to handle it.
I'm handling it.
[ENGINE STARTS]
[JOHN] There's blood in the water
and the sharks are circling.
I got a lot of people angry at me today.
Ruby at least has a right to be.
- Vickers.
- [DR. VICKERS] Ruby, what is it?
I'm sorry for the hour.
But we have a problem.
Sugar is onto Stallings.
It's only a matter of time
before he discovers the rest.
[DR. VICKERS] Well, we need to stop
him. It's time to tell the others.
[RUBY] The others.
[DR. VICKERS] Do what you can,
but it's time for Miller to know.
[JOHN] And the mission comes
first. She's right about that.
But I'm not gonna back off this case.
What am I missing?
It's usually something obvious.
Something or someone.
The lies I expect. The lies are typical.
Separating people from
their secrets is the job.
But this case. These Siegels.
Something's not right.
I don't know who's
involved, or how, or why.
Not yet anyway.
Hey, you.
Hey, you too.
I'm calling the cops. I'm dialing.
There's this gun [SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
[WHISPERS INDISTINCTLY]
[JOHN, ECHOES] I'll find her.
I promise.
[PANTING, INHALES SHARPLY]
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
[JOHN] I've got to keep it together.
[PANTING]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[JOHN] There's always
something they're hiding.
Something they're afraid of.
Something they'll do anything
to keep out of sight.
That much I understand.
["DA FUNK" PLAYING]
We all have our secrets.
Even me.
Especially me.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
["DA FUNK" CONTINUES]
[THUNDER CRASHES]
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
- [SONG ENDS]
- [THUNDER RUMBLING]