Brilliance in 'Shōgun' and Don't Miss 'Sugar'

[00:00:00] Hey, welcome to Taking It Down. Hope you enjoy your stay. We are the TV and streaming podcast for the Alabama Take, one of several of the Alabama Takes Family podcast. Before I go any deeper, let's hear from our friends over at Polyphonic Press.

[00:00:16] Hey, this is Jeremy from Polyphonic Press. Along with my co-host and best friend, John Van Dyke, we are exploring classic albums completely at random. At the top of each show, we have no idea what album we're going to be listening to.

[00:00:30] We have the patented random album generator to give us an album. Sometimes it's an album we're very familiar with and sometimes it's an artist we have never heard of. Either way, it gives us a chance to really listen to these classic releases and gives us insights that we may never have thought of before.

[00:00:46] For something to come out of them. Maybe he needed the other Beatles in the room at that time.

[00:00:52] Well, I think so. And I think if you watched that Peter Jackson documentary from a few years ago about the Let It Be sessions, I think it was kind of the writing was on the wall. I mean, they were breaking up.

[00:01:08] John Lennon didn't sign the papers to officially dissolve the Beatles until 1974.

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[00:02:07] I am one more episode deeper into three body problems. Slow going on that one. A few things are standing out to me though. I'm not sure I'm as interested in the video game stuff as the show thinks I should be.

[00:02:19] Parts of it seem too disjointed for even a three quarter series about the 1960s China present day London scientist and in a video game.

[00:02:28] Let me give you an example. We're talking about Benedict Wong's detective seems to be operating in a completely different show than the rest of the cast.

[00:02:36] Plus there's like this huge component of this type of show. It's made for message board investigating, which is probably avoided with Netflix's drop all episodes and forget about it method.

[00:02:48] I'm still in. I still find it interesting. I'm curious as to where it's going to go. I haven't read the book, but it just doesn't feel as lived in or as palpable as Benny Elf and Wise's previous work with adapting Game of Thrones.

[00:03:02] And so much of that show felt tangible and real despite its fantasy and medieval tropes. Then there's Manhunt on Apple TV Plus. Are any of you watching this?

[00:03:13] Because again, I can recommend it based off of some aspects that are going on. But I can criticize a lot more. The show just feels so anachronistic with its choices that I wouldn't even be surprised if it ever so featured the Rolling Stones playing in a bar.

[00:03:29] There's there's a story there and it's one I haven't heard enough of.

[00:03:34] On today's show that we're going to talk about show gun episode seven, a stick of time will talk broadly before we discuss any of the details of the show. And I will talk broadly about sugar on Apple TV Plus.

[00:03:51] And then in the back half, I will spoil a lot of those first two episodes of sugar. So let's get into the show this week.

[00:03:59] I'll take projection.

[00:04:04] Alrighty, welcome. Hey, I'm not sure about other podcast apps at this point, but Apple podcasts have implemented transcripts and I cannot recommend that enough.

[00:04:17] If your podcast app of choice has transcript option and it's got like a search function, that's a way to go. I was listening to one the other night and I got interrupted, you know, and so I just clicked on the transcript and read a little muted it and then just read along. It's perfect.

[00:04:34] Can you like do keyword search?

[00:04:36] Yeah, it's what I'm listening to.

[00:04:37] Alright listeners now search for boner.

[00:04:41] It'll come up later. It'll scroll through all the times it'll come up.

[00:04:46] That'll be like control f-ing the word the at the end of like a long you're looking at one of 420 options.

[00:04:59] 69.

[00:05:00] Well, it was one of the other.

[00:05:02] We're going to continue our discussion of show gun a series that warrants the discussion we think and we're gonna get into I will actually solo get into the Apple TV plus show sugar on the back half.

[00:05:16] We don't start with anything that'll spoil either of them until we get past a few things.

[00:05:21] Did I think the bears first spin off would be centered on sugar and on Apple TV? No, not at all. But here we are.

[00:05:28] Yeah, next season salt.

[00:05:32] If it's a show we haven't discussed, we open the floor to label it as you know recommendation or recommended with certain qualifications or just a hell no stay away from it.

[00:05:42] We've discussed how good show gun is but this is first time Donovan's been back in a minute.

[00:05:47] Donovan, what do you think?

[00:05:49] I'm a little primed for this because my college has a like communication and media arts program.

[00:05:58] We we subscribe to American Cinema Teographer and the cover story this month was show gun and all the like just how gorgeous it looks and like all the behind the scenes stuff with the sets and all the work that goes into it.

[00:06:13] And like, yeah, there's there's parts where you zoom out and it's like okay like that's Osaka Castle is CGI but like this show for if nothing else, it looks gorgeous.

[00:06:24] Donovan also owns nine katanas it should be said.

[00:06:27] So that's definitely majoring in samurai.

[00:06:30] Yeah, yeah.

[00:06:32] Actually, you know, I always like I've always been a little suspicious of people who own swords because it's like just get a gun and kill people the normal way.

[00:06:40] Yeah, for real.

[00:06:42] Just be normal.

[00:06:44] Yeah, come on dorks.

[00:06:46] Be more English or American.

[00:06:49] So we're going to cover a stick of time in a little bit.

[00:06:52] Let me go over a few spoiler free discussion points about sugar on Apple TV plus like to get everything spoiler free out of the way in case anybody wants to just listen at the beginning and then come back later.

[00:07:05] Guys, you gotta get on this sugar.

[00:07:09] Does he does he put his donkey outside when he's sad?

[00:07:12] Is that what makes it so good?

[00:07:14] I'm not putting me donkey out.

[00:07:15] He's like I'm not putting me donkey outside when I'm sad.

[00:07:18] Yeah, no hell no.

[00:07:20] This show is brazen and wonderful.

[00:07:24] I cannot brazen in its style.

[00:07:28] I just fucking love it.

[00:07:30] It was like, oh man, it was a breath of fresh air and it's Donovan is going to scratch that Perry Mason itch.

[00:07:37] We've been good.

[00:07:38] So hard.

[00:07:39] I'm very curious for this show because I've seen good stuff for it.

[00:07:43] And I've also seen Alan seven will say like it's one show and this is a spoiler free headline because this is his review.

[00:07:51] Right?

[00:07:52] So he's like, it's one show and then there's a twist and it's another show and he's like and I liked both shows pretty well.

[00:07:58] But I didn't feel like the twist works.

[00:08:00] So I'm also I'm interested to see if it well Apple.

[00:08:03] Stains Apple TV plus has put up the first two episodes in that first one.

[00:08:08] Man, that's just a stellar as stellar of a pilot as I've seen in a while.

[00:08:14] I was floored in a way it's very stylistic but I love fan for that ship.

[00:08:20] You know if you're going to do something do a little different put your own spin on it.

[00:08:24] This is certainly leaning into the noir aspects and it wants to be that and I'm not hearing any problems.

[00:08:33] Yeah, for real Colin Farrell is magnetic in this show.

[00:08:37] As a hetero man I'm just dying to have sex with him.

[00:08:41] You don't have sex with Colin Farrell Blaine.

[00:08:44] What's what happens he has sex with you?

[00:08:46] He has sex with you.

[00:08:47] Well, yeah that can happen.

[00:08:48] So I'm going to cover sugar the first two episodes on the back half today.

[00:08:52] Let's get into show gun.

[00:08:53] Here's your spoiler warning a stick of time is what we're going to.

[00:08:57] I'm asking for these two gentlemen's a stick of time from each of them.

[00:09:01] You know we're back in the settle the horse riding to the gates of Edo once again.

[00:09:05] And this week's episode of show good the seventh of the series my goodness we don't have much left and it seems like there's a lot of things to get finished right.

[00:09:13] They're blowing through it.

[00:09:14] I really are it makes you wonder.

[00:09:15] But I also don't feel like they're spinning their wheels but yeah there's no kind of stuff still to do apparently they're only about the halfway point of the book.

[00:09:23] Okay, I've never read it.

[00:09:25] Yeah I want to but no.

[00:09:27] Hey the significant I mentioned this last week when I was flying solo.

[00:09:31] Have you all made an inference on the significance of the gentleman with the shaved heads versus those who have full head of hair and I have seen some chatter online that they could be using this to show a difference in generation that the younger men tended to have that and it's it is purely a personal choice.

[00:09:50] It's not.

[00:09:51] I mean first it was like to denote that they are a different you know once you graduate to a full samurai with all the the rights and privileges that that entails you could just let your hair grow.

[00:10:03] But you know they reference Korea a lot and apparently the men who would have been in Korea may have opted for styling that took less upkeep since they were away at war for a prolonged period.

[00:10:18] It's also been theorized that they did the younger guys are doing the top cut because you're just cooler when wearing the combat helmet that they would have been wearing so.

[00:10:30] That's fascinating.

[00:10:31] The generational read is maybe the one that the show wants us to take even though there are a few older guys who are sporting the look.

[00:10:40] It's yeah most of the time the ones that have a little more experience have the beard and the long hair.

[00:10:46] And then you have say the wrong the son who or torn aga son who you know that poor shaved head.

[00:10:55] I guess we'll get into that.

[00:10:57] That poor that poor sap.

[00:11:00] Tornaga little badass as they called him.

[00:11:03] He before pillowing a woman.

[00:11:05] Little little badass isn't that what they call it.

[00:11:08] Yeah.

[00:11:09] Yeah man that opening scene how about it.

[00:11:12] I don't know why this is my review of the show so far but like my only thought is that and this is completely not related to what you want us to talk about.

[00:11:21] But Tornaga just has an excellent employee benefits program.

[00:11:26] Every episode every level tell us more.

[00:11:31] Oh you know you got the house of willows you know you got like you do get some consorts.

[00:11:37] He's going to give you swords he's going to call you how to motto you don't even know what that means like that's going to make you strive.

[00:11:44] He will not give you your fucking ship and men definitely not no matter how many times you ask Blackthorn has basically become the Bernie Sanders me.

[00:11:54] I'm here again to ask you asking for my ship and my man.

[00:12:00] Everything about this series is so magically done.

[00:12:03] You know the tension between the brothers there in the fog.

[00:12:06] What a nice visual touch to close that scene and so much fog.

[00:12:12] You're right in their first meeting.

[00:12:14] Yeah yeah yeah because they're in the woods and they meet each other they're both camps both armies are meeting and it's just a nice flair to.

[00:12:22] Give you the nod that we don't know what's going to happen between them and let's put the fog there.

[00:12:28] Aside from his brother looking absolutely spectacular.

[00:12:31] Just bad ass right.

[00:12:33] I mean what a what a look is this show so awesome for us because most television shows are mediocre or is this show truly operating on all cylinders.

[00:12:43] Like I'm not smart enough to be like hey here's this is reasonable I said she could show but it also feels like a really big swing for the show.

[00:12:52] It's like big swing in a way that like sometimes shows like sometimes shows are I think it was the critic Emily Vanderwerf back when she was doing TV criticism more said you know one of the things that she hated about like prestige drama is that so many especially on streaming is

[00:13:09] that so many shows were willing to like be a solid B and then like if you get if they really hit a big one it's like well that's a B plus instead of like I'm going for the A every time and if I really hit it out of a park it's an A plus

[00:13:20] and this one feels like it's not really holding back.

[00:13:24] I agree with Donovan and I think the first week that we discussed it the thing that was so striking to me was how willing it is I know it's based on a book so they have the source material but how willing to just be a conventional great story.

[00:13:39] It is that it is striving to be the A plus in its delivery and it's as Donovan was talking about cinematography set design all these things but it's also just here's a series of events a journey that we're taking these well developed characters on.

[00:13:55] We're not relying on the shock value that a Game of Thrones a House of Cards whatever kind of influenced you know people people saw how successful that those shows were and had to say like, you know let's just mirror that that shock.

[00:14:09] And all is the only way and this obviously has that element but it's it's slow at times you know and it's just kind of a classic journey of multiple heroes.

[00:14:22] I've been interested watching it for myself at how much like at many times it is basically a conventional TV show just in the sense that it's like small group of characters you know in people talking and like most of the episode is dialogue yet through all that it feels incredibly epic to me like

[00:14:38] there feels like there's a sweep to stuff that's happening not just like not just in Japan but in the way that it's intersecting with John and the Europeans and you know the colonialism knocking on Japan's doors.

[00:14:51] It feels like it's got a vision and sweep to it even if like it's building blocks are basic but I mean you know you put you put you put them together in the right way you just built you know you built something great.

[00:15:02] Right in the the arc of that sweep is maybe the opposite of what we're used to where you start in the micro and then let the characters become macro players or involved in big you know sweeping things.

[00:15:14] Whereas this started a complete overload of like now I know who everybody is but you start with 100 characters and it was dealing with these big ideas like you know it was the second or third episode where they have Blackthorn doing the the map of the world

[00:15:31] as he understands it and it goes from that to oh we've been in the same village for how many episodes now with kind of fairly domestic isn't the right word but more small scale concerns.

[00:15:45] That's it that feels right domestic is feels right.

[00:15:48] I have been like it was down episode one was a lot right like I enjoyed it but it's like everyone's wearing a cool hat and I can't tell anyone apart.

[00:15:57] But I have been in how much kind of like what Adam said like the show has been really happy to just like let you fill in the gaps and like let you kind of figure out people's relationships and then it's like oh and here's how they like I think it was said before but like it was literally this episode

[00:16:13] I'm like oh right yeah he's Blunteros grant like grandfather or father I mean you know like that's right they're all related I kind of but they don't really pull it together until you're like OK you already know who all these people are and here's the way they're loyal to Torin.

[00:16:27] Well in reporting here from the Reddit beat as I always do there's multiple multiple threads every week where somebody saying now how is X related to why.

[00:16:38] Yeah certainly from characters and it's what Donovan's talking about of like you understand on the surface how everyone is relating to each other in the moment that we're witnessing but it's it can be easy to forget all of the history that they're bringing to those moments.

[00:16:51] Yeah.

[00:16:53] I really liked that development and another character I think not a huge character but another character I think that that paid off well with is where you see the relationship between the Ticos the past way Ticos wife and Torin Aga and they have this kind of jocular you're not really you know they obviously she's an ally and they've known each other a long time but as it develops and you're like oh no OK like.

[00:17:15] She that's who she is and that's why they're on the same side is it you're not about Lady Ocheba are you know no the older woman.

[00:17:22] Oh yeah.

[00:17:23] The wife.

[00:17:24] The wife.

[00:17:25] Yeah.

[00:17:26] Not the consort.

[00:17:27] Yeah.

[00:17:28] The wife.

[00:17:29] Thank you kudos to Donovan for turning me on to this show because when I first heard of it I thought it's a goddamn remake or you know I really didn't know is it a reboot remake.

[00:17:38] I don't care it's been done.

[00:17:39] Let's put this away.

[00:17:40] I'm not interested.

[00:17:41] Donovan sends us a message.

[00:17:43] You know he's we stay on top of shows with one another that's how this podcast gets done and he says hey show guns good the first episode is good.

[00:17:51] And I begrudgingly on I didn't say it in the text but I begrudgingly thought OK well I'll watch it for give us something to talk about but my God it's Donovan you weren't here for this conversation.

[00:18:01] A lot of Game of Thrones comparisons get tossed about willy-nilly but I do think it's a little bit more deadwood people have been thrown around Game of Thrones and that is a great thing.

[00:18:10] I don't think I can tell you why but it doesn't quite hit for me.

[00:18:15] It's doing something melts I think.

[00:18:17] I think the back stories everybody's coming in with.

[00:18:20] Yeah.

[00:18:21] And you figuring out he's related to him and this house has this kind of relationship with this other house that they could see that.

[00:18:27] Yeah.

[00:18:28] And the dragons obviously.

[00:18:30] You know there's a thing that this show is now talking about more outwardly than it was early on and it's the the almost death wish that a lot of the characters have and how they're dealing with you know a European

[00:18:45] Western sensibilities about the value of life and that running up against a culture that did not share maybe the same what we would consider like tenants of life or like the fabric of society all these things.

[00:19:00] And I don't think shows like Game of Thrones ever really dealt with it in the same way that they already are seven episodes in.

[00:19:07] I think there's a lot more.

[00:19:09] That's a really great point.

[00:19:11] I think there's a lot more depth to this and I have a buddy who we were discussing the newer Lord of the Rings series last summer two summers ago whenever that was and I said well you watching the the new Game of Thrones adjacent things and no I just there's a certain kind of

[00:19:27] meanness and cynicism to Game of Thrones that I don't enjoy.

[00:19:31] I thought you're dead on about that.

[00:19:33] That's like a very pure hearted thing to say and it made me admire this guy a lot.

[00:19:37] Shogun to me has more interesting philosophical things going on than just like shock factor power struggle moves.

[00:19:48] But it's got all that.

[00:19:49] It does.

[00:19:50] That's all there's cool things too.

[00:19:52] I will take away a little of the show's credit in this episode only because it got a hamfisted with the idea of fate.

[00:20:00] I thought it did more telling than showing than it usually does just a little every character.

[00:20:05] It seemed like was talking about fate and it's what Adam was saying though because that's the culture that they live in.

[00:20:11] What's a what's an egregious example of that to you.

[00:20:14] I think I know what you're getting at.

[00:20:16] Well it starts subtle because the engine says you know he's with Tornaugur no matter their fate.

[00:20:24] No matter what no matter our fate and he decides on what to do.

[00:20:28] Should we attempt the ship or piss around and accept our fates.

[00:20:31] You know there's that and that's not egregious but every it seemed like they started just stacking it as the show went on.

[00:20:39] Yeah lady I know who everyone is.

[00:20:42] I have no read on anyone's names.

[00:20:44] Lady Otafugie.

[00:20:45] Except for Fuji that one just sticks with me.

[00:20:47] Yeah Fuji she's easy to remember.

[00:20:49] But you know she said I you know I I stared fate in the eyes and scratched you know scratched its eyes out.

[00:20:58] Yeah other characters do talk.

[00:21:00] You know it didn't really come across as super hamhanded though because I felt like it had been there in other episodes previous episodes

[00:21:08] and now it was like really rearing its head as you know for whatever reason Tornaugur seems in a no win situation.

[00:21:16] The show does know how to find good comic relief especially with Yasha Bouchie I think his name is when he asks why am I speaking to you.

[00:21:24] That was just such a good little beat there.

[00:21:28] He's funny no matter what.

[00:21:29] I love that actor.

[00:21:31] Yeah he's very expressive.

[00:21:33] Show me his other movies and I'll dive right in.

[00:21:37] He's like he's great to you Ray because like he's such a snake in the lake.

[00:21:41] He's he's absolutely like he's kind of like the worst person in the show honestly though because he's not loyal.

[00:21:47] He's not honorable.

[00:21:48] He's playing both sides but that you know that's scamp.

[00:21:52] He's a he's a rascal.

[00:21:54] He even referenced the the boiling from the first episode again with like no remorse or wish you bet bet you wish you'd been in there.

[00:22:02] Yeah why am I speaking to you.

[00:22:04] I'm a little bit kind of in some of my digging.

[00:22:06] A few Japanese viewers said oh this he is like an archetype of Japanese cinema.

[00:22:12] Like if you've seen enough Kurosawa you are familiar with this character the Mufune character usually yeah yeah no more.

[00:22:21] Is it not there's no he's a snake and he's he's more clever he's dumb but clever.

[00:22:28] I mean and he's he's a good guy but it's like there's a reflection of this in like the Han Solo character in the first Star Wars.

[00:22:38] Yeah exactly like he's a scoundrel he's a bro right like he does right like think of the scene in Star Wars right when Hans chasing the stormtroopers down

[00:22:46] and then he runs into the big room full of stormtroopers and now he's running away you know like he's he's he's cool but he's also a fool he's comic relief.

[00:22:55] Yeah so Han Solo is more of an analog than a villain.

[00:22:58] Yeah yeah yeah was Blackthorne's outburst at the surrender a bit of a cloak and dagger orchestrated by Torin Anka.

[00:23:07] I'm curious.

[00:23:08] I thought of earlier in the series remarking that you the key to a hunt is to have the hawk that you know you know you have different people in different roles all these sorts of things and to know and it's why would you bring this they think he's a barbarian you know

[00:23:23] a volatile barbarian into these high level meetings if not to just see what happens.

[00:23:28] Yeah absolutely because he keeps harping on they won't know what he's going to do with the cannons.

[00:23:35] You can I think you can extrapolate that across pretty much everything that he make it up to.

[00:23:41] What Blackthorne does get really frustrated because they won't try the crimson sky attack and then and he says that and that's the only thing he says in Japanese to Torin Anka early in the episode and then later

[00:23:51] in the surrender Torin Anka makes it a point to say crimson sky but he does this pause as if to say we're you know go for it or we're doing it or this is your cue or why don't you try something here.

[00:24:05] That was my idea you guys got anything yeah yeah it left me you know that like I can't speculate but every episode is like okay what's happening next.

[00:24:18] Oh yeah especially like you know I was thinking about because like Torin Anka right like he's he's at least construed like to feel like to us the viewers as like kind of the good guy.

[00:24:27] You know you can think like he's mostly honorable right like who wants to hold the realm together he doesn't want things to fall back into the anarchy of the Civil War period when it was literally like 200 years of Civil War you know that's that's something pretty horrible to come out of but also like it's like he's kind of playing his own game too but it's like I still like he's the

[00:24:47] I'm just having such like he's the protagonist or you're like I want to see him win I want to see him out smart people I want to you know yeah.

[00:24:55] Well he has been shown to be the most what the show has chosen to show us he's the most honorable one of the power players right yes of course we're going to root for him even though he's still this you know military figure much more so than you she does when the others especially who are fairly cynical.

[00:25:14] Right the the other Regents are I don't know it's just it's easy to to root for the guy who's like you said trying to keep things together and I kind of have a knee jerk reaction to the the ones that are in the kind of in the employee of the Portuguese who.

[00:25:30] Yeah, yeah.

[00:25:31] I don't I would be interested to know more about how Christianity infiltrated up to positions of power like that in like an acceptable way you know that it went from being this foreign thing to like you could be one of the five most powerful men in the country and kind of be entering to the I mean it's money but.

[00:25:49] Money money guns and trade is a really good incentive right.

[00:25:53] Donovan you have heavy opinions about Catholics if you want just.

[00:25:58] The Catholics the Portuguese. Yeah, my enemy and like that like I told you all this on text but like there was especially the second episode there are so many times when someone is on the verge of having to explain the entire Protestant Reformation to the Japanese.

[00:26:12] Yeah.

[00:26:13] And you were here.

[00:26:14] Absolutely sick contact.

[00:26:16] Poor dumb what's his face huh.

[00:26:18] Buntara.

[00:26:19] No not.

[00:26:20] He's dumb.

[00:26:21] He's dumb in a different way.

[00:26:22] No.

[00:26:24] No.

[00:26:25] I had torn August son.

[00:26:26] Oh yes let's talk about him.

[00:26:28] What a what a poor guy.

[00:26:30] What fate does he what an end.

[00:26:33] Yeah, he he meets his maker by slipping on a rock after all the big talk and you know obvious foreshadowing of I want to go to war.

[00:26:44] Yeah, going to war is better than pillowing a woman.

[00:26:48] You just knew this poor hapless fool feckless idiot was gonna have something happen to him and so fitting that he just slips on the rock right.

[00:26:56] Kind of a relief if you are rooting for torn aga that this liability is didn't cause more damage than he already has on the way out.

[00:27:05] That's a good point.

[00:27:06] I have questions related to it but just the moment itself the sound design team deserves whatever.

[00:27:15] Whatever award they can win for that because that was the brother already injuring himself slipping on the rock.

[00:27:22] You know he's hobbled and so you're kind of already thinking like if fate is setting things up it is not not executing very gloriously.

[00:27:32] You know there's nothing like beautiful about there's no battle to the death they're like scrounging around in a decorative pond and breaking their ankle and then just splat man.

[00:27:43] There's been some get you know this is maybe this is pure association but there's been like some excellent sound work in the series.

[00:27:50] I'm thinking to especially of the that the episode that ends with the issues men being blown apart by can fantastic.

[00:27:57] It feels like visceral like that was that was an excellent it was an excellently created scene that new earthquake as well.

[00:28:05] The earthquake was great like the chaos at the tea house at the end of this episode and yeah like you could like the sound and the design kind of really shows that like nobody really knows what's going on.

[00:28:17] You know they're just they are just like flailing around.

[00:28:20] You know a boy doing something silly and a man trying to escape and him wheezing and the blood slowly going into the you know play on the Japanese garden.

[00:28:32] The blood slowly making its way through that water very very serene the red dye going through the water but the question I would have there's two questions related to the willow world that I have.

[00:28:44] One is the woman who has featured fairly prominently the what's her name.

[00:28:50] I'm going to blank on it.

[00:28:51] The one who owns it again.

[00:28:52] No not the owner.

[00:28:53] She's part of my next question.

[00:28:55] Oh Kiku.

[00:28:57] Yeah.

[00:28:58] Is she involved in this plot.

[00:29:00] Is this going to go poorly for her or did the sun just kind of storm the castle and shove everybody out of the way.

[00:29:06] I honestly at first was like okay Tornog has done the favor for again right.

[00:29:11] In his will so and then they cut to that I'm like okay here it goes right and it seems so like ham hand it like there's no way like with the way his son did it we were so obviously sloppy and ham ham.

[00:29:24] I would have trusted the women to do it.

[00:29:25] No there's no way.

[00:29:26] Yeah one.

[00:29:27] Yeah why not put it in the hands of those ladies.

[00:29:30] But the second question I just like them I don't want anything bad to happen to them as a any sort of payback.

[00:29:37] The second question when she does go to him and is asking him can we have this district in Eda right to so that we don't have to grow old in this grotesque way.

[00:29:51] She completely comprehends the situation that he's put himself in and lays it all out.

[00:29:57] But that doesn't come up again in the episode.

[00:30:00] Not really although it's like.

[00:30:02] But he knows that she's right.

[00:30:04] It's a reminder for us the whole rest of the episode that yeah like he's.

[00:30:08] He may still be in control somehow.

[00:30:10] Yeah like either either he's up to something or like he really things really are you know like it's a it's a real question.

[00:30:17] She doesn't believe that things are as chaotic for him as he's portraying.

[00:30:23] Yes.

[00:30:24] Right.

[00:30:25] And I'm fascinated and I love the man I know that's like a the wise old prostitute kind of trope being used but it's it's still fun.

[00:30:33] Also this the whole time I've been watching it like there are enough heads in baskets that I can just all I can think of is that late season episode of Barry where Hank gets a bunch of head that you know how Hank

[00:30:45] it's like it's a head.

[00:30:47] Like like you know it's a head is like what did I expect another head.

[00:30:52] They even kind of did that this time he was like yeah again exactly I wonder why you even bothered hoping it.

[00:31:00] It was great.

[00:31:01] That was good stuff.

[00:31:03] All right well more on show goodness we get into the last three episodes.

[00:31:08] Yeah we don't know some of this will unfold obviously next week so we'll see it then we'll take a break and I'm going to talk a little bit about it.

[00:31:15] I'm sure about sugar on next.

[00:31:24] I really hate that the other two guys couldn't contribute to the talk about sugar on ample TV plus the visual language of this show just knocked me off my feet in the first three minutes and to see Colin Farrell at his Ray Velquero best here is the

[00:31:40] sugar in the icing on the cake if you'll let me be really dumb with my language.

[00:31:44] The P.H. had it been obvious.

[00:31:46] Let's do a classic LA Noir and set it in 2023 or 2024 or so.

[00:31:51] Oh and Colin Farrell is the lead and we'll have a twisty visual flair that will help sell the world that it's set in.

[00:31:57] It's got quick cuts varied angles some use of black and white footage all to say what that I think it serves to keep you off kilter when shows or movies do this though it does give me a sense of that.

[00:32:10] The director has an idea or knows exactly what he or she wants.

[00:32:13] Hope that's the case here.

[00:32:14] The very least is visually entertaining in the case of sugar it just adds to the pacing as well.

[00:32:20] It's digestible.

[00:32:21] I mean even foregoing what's become customary cold opens for shows seems like either a callback of yesteryear or a move forward for television.

[00:32:30] The first episode blends these old shots from the 60s and 70s into the mix as if it's not sure of the time period that it's in wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a part of the narrative.

[00:32:40] A lot of information is given early in the first episode titled Olivia in the way that sugar handles things and reacts yet they also wisely dole out more things through his interactions conversations at his movements even to keep you wondering.

[00:32:54] In the first 30 minutes from Japan to LA from rescuing a kidnapped kid to attempting to help a homeless man and his dog just paints this utterly fascinating character that you ride around with no matter how long it takes him to find Jonathan Segal's granddaughter which is the basis of the first episode.

[00:33:12] Jonathan Segal famous producer and director getting old in his years.

[00:33:17] His granddaughter hasn't been around for two weeks now she's a known addict and he that's what sugar does he finds people.

[00:33:26] Now what we know about sugar after episode one is are these things he's multilingual he's gentlemanly he's caring he's intelligent he can't get drunk.

[00:33:36] I don't think that seemed to be true.

[00:33:38] He loves movies he hates guns he isn't married he mentioned someone named Jen as a handler named Ruby.

[00:33:45] Oh and he could be hallucinating and taking some medication straight into his neck with a syringe.

[00:33:49] There are also one or two signs he may not be a reliable narrator even though he's doing the voiceover for the show.

[00:33:55] Worth noting that the invitation he gets is to quote a society of polygots which are people who are capable of speaking a lot of languages.

[00:34:03] Now what we know about the case the granddaughter Olivia has been missing for two weeks.

[00:34:08] She's been in and out of recovery for it seems like heroin her grandfather misses her he's a rich producer and director.

[00:34:16] We don't really know much about her father her half brother he's quick to point out he's the half brother does not seem like a sensitive type.

[00:34:25] There's also the type to trapeze around with bodyguard of his own whom he uses to follow sugar.

[00:34:30] Olivia's former stepmom's a former rock and roller who hangs out most days at a bar.

[00:34:36] Olivia's actual mom was an actress who had died in a wreck in 1998.

[00:34:41] Oh and there's a body of a dead man Olivia's drunk.

[00:34:44] Now what to make of all that if nothing else just know that Colin Farrell is perfectly cast here.

[00:34:49] Now in the second episode it's more of the same and that's not a pejorative.

[00:34:53] John Sugar talks to Bernie that's Olivia's dad we finally meet him and this guy has no concern for her.

[00:35:00] Yeah later on a surprising amount of concern for Davey the son the half brother.

[00:35:06] Thanks to GPS John Sugar is also determined that the dead male in the trunk is a man named Clifford who has raped and killed a young lady named Rachel Vasquez.

[00:35:17] Olivia's car seems to have been there the night that Vasquez was killed or at least in that time around there.

[00:35:24] John Sugar reveals in his noir voice over that Jen was his sister we get that information it's of note that the subtitles spells Jen with a D.

[00:35:35] DJ in and by the end of episode two we know that the body in the trunk was Clifford that probable killer and rapist but he was involved with Carmen Vasquez.

[00:35:46] I think I called her Rachel earlier sorry he was involved with Carmen Vasquez somehow whom he probably raped and killed.

[00:35:55] Now Clifford's also one of some thugs the head thug being played by the excellent Eric Lane he is fantastic character actor can do it all.

[00:36:06] The guy has range watch him in Escape from Down Amora from Showtime such a good show directed by Ben Stiller really good series Eric Lane also in Perry Mason unbelievable on Netflix.

[00:36:21] He's done it all and he's really really good I'm excited to see what he does here.

[00:36:26] He's not two nights of a guy because he's threatening Carmen Vasquez his sister these Vasquez sisters know Melanie who's the rock and roll step mom Olivia step mom and Bernie's ex wife Bernie is hiding quite a bit and also trying to track down John Sugar and see what he's up to but you know Olivia step mom Melanie's hiding something John Sugar figured that out plus Colin Farrells John Sugar can sleep sitting straight up that's what we know by the end of episode two.

[00:36:55] This show is supposedly has a twist coming thanks Alan Sepinwall for telling us that don't know why you'd want to mention that what's the point but I'm still all in on this when it's wonderful the visual flair of the show is so fascinating and fun.

[00:37:13] You just don't see a character with as much heart as John Sugar as the protagonist these days that could go sideways I don't know how reliable he is but I am in on this one the first two episodes had me and yeah I would want if you made this far you probably have watched it.

[00:37:33] That's going to be it for this week. Follow the podcast in your app if you like YouTube subscribe to the Alabama takes YouTube channel there and all the podcast and things will be there for you to view as well as taking it down on video taking it down on video airs every Wednesday evening around 536 check out the new and improved site of the Alabama take.

[00:37:59] If you haven't already and we will see you later.