No, life isn’t always like a movie, but if you watch enough of them, you can find a film that often ties into your life.
For John on Sugar Season 1 Episode 6, it was Night of the Hunter, starring Robert Mitchum, because it’s all about betrayal.
Yes, John Sugar was betrayed, but he still has no idea why.
Now that his secret has been revealed for us all to see, we can guess that the observers are being observed and that whoever has Olivia is in a position of power.
It always comes down to power.
Why can’t it ever come down to kindness or compassion? What kind of world do we live in that when push comes to shove, only the nastiest and most self-involved have their way?
That’s probably a question for another day, but it seems like that’s also what Sugar’s kind are trying to understand.
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They try not to get involved so that they can understand us as a species. Honestly, good luck with that.
The real Stallings of this world probably live much like he did.
They take what they want without fear of repercussions. If you reach the right people, maybe blackmail them or make an offer too good to refuse, the dirtiest creatures in our world can maneuver almost unseen.
Well, until a man like John Sugar comes along, someone who has seen the dark side and knows his own to the point that saving others from experiencing it is his driving purpose.
Sugar’s friends aren’t doing him any favors. They’re consistent with “this case will get the better of you,” but what’s the point of telling someone that when you’re not willing to tell them why?
Miller told Ruby on Sugar Season 1 Episode 5 to stop Sugar with any method available. Knowing that, why didn’t she suss out the harm that could befall Charlie when she sent goons to pull her away?
They were from the inside, right? Stallings and his pals had their hands full with a pleading Sugar, hoping he wouldn’t have to use the power he knew he held.
I find it interesting that he can shake off animals with a mere shush, befriending them immediately, but that power doesn’t work on humans.
If they’re both foreign species, why does one respond to Sugar’s abilities and the other does not?
Not that we’ve seen Sugar try the tactic. With humans, he tries to appeal to their sense of safety, but since nobody believes he can overpower them, it is disregarded. Maybe a simple shush would do the job better.
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Of course, that wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. There’s something so satisfying about John’s attempts to squelch the upcoming trauma only to wipe his opponents all over the floor when they refuse to reason.
The force with which he can overpower his opponents speaks volumes about why he tries so hard to avoid it. Humans don’t stand a chance. If Sugar is battered and bloodied, it’s because he values the lives of others and wants to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Too bad it rarely works.
What does it say about his friends that they treat him with kid gloves? Has he gone off the beaten path in the past?
Do they think they’re brimming with common sense while John’s sensitive side makes him a wildcard?
Treating him like a wayward child doesn’t sit well. Something is off about a group who would protect whoever Stallings passed Olivia to but not protect them so much that Sugar won’t eventually figure it out.
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It’s as if they’re afraid of something. Are they scared of what will happen to them if Sugar is successful? And if so, why not reason with him and work with him to mitigate the potential damage?
It’s as if they want to observe and stand back, but they’re equally interested in seeing how far John will take his obsession. At the same time, they warn him that he must stop looking for Olivia. Or what? They’ll say stop again?
There must be ramifications guiding their movies, and the only thing that makes sense in an observable sense is that someone has the power to tell the world we’ve been invaded.
It’s funny because the observers aren’t treating John with any more respect than Bernie treated Davy.
Sadly, Davy did survive. That’s a pain more torturous than death. Now, his family will have to determine his fate.
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It’s making Bernie, especially, reconsider everything about his son, and he sees now that he did the very opposite in his desire to make him happy.
Because children need guidance, they need to understand right and wrong, and as a parent, it’s your responsibility to steer them in the right direction.
Bernie failed Davy.
He recalled a specific time when he took Davy, then a child, to Vegas and let him run the craps table. It was no place for a child, but Davy didn’t know that. Bernie knew that, but he chose not to guide his son.
That’s a minor infraction. But Bernie also knows about his son’s behavior with women, and he’d rather make him “happy” than tell him to stop. Davy’s family goes so far as to enable his poor behavior.
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When there are no consequences, you do as you please, usually to the detriment of others.
It’s child abuse to cover up your child’s bad behavior. It ruins them for adulthood and puts others in jeopardy.
Similarly, Sugar’s friends have decided that, as observers, it’s OK to watch humans be awful. Sugar tries to find the best in humanity and uses it to his advantage. His friends should be more like Sugar.
So what’s his secret? What’s in the vials?
They are aliens, which has been somewhat foretold by many things, including those I noted along the way — the ties to Fringe, the strange typewriter, the elixir, and staring longingly at the sky.
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We don’t know why they’re here, but it seems like a scientific experiment to understand us better. Their motto isn’t to do no harm but not to interfere.
The nature of their various jobs flies in the face of such sentiment. John saves lives regularly. No matter your job, if you are dealing with humans in any way, you are doing more than observing.
Do they even realize that?
The observers on Fringe struggled with the same. As they got to know individuals, their challenge to let things play out without interference was too great to maintain.
To “Go Home,” as the title indicates, means multiple things.
Home is far away, but living inside foreign skin is another way to be far from home. So, that’s what John does when his human existence becomes too much to bear. He retreats into his own skin, even if only for a little while.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
