Sumith Prasad
Apple TV+’s mystery series ‘Sugar’ ends with John Sugar uncovering the mysteries behind the disappearance of Olivia Siegel. Even though he discovers that Olivia’s kidnapper is Ryan Pavich, the son of a powerful senator, he continues to delve deeper into the case, only to find out that the former had an accomplice. The private detective’s search for the truth leads him to Henry, his “trustworthy” friend. Henry’s involvement in Olivia’s case is expected to confuse the viewers, especially with regard to Ryan’s motive behind locking up his victim in his house’s basement. Ryan and Henry’s motives vary significantly despite their association to commit the crime! SPOILERS AHEAD.
From Davy to Ryan
Olivia Siegel’s life turned around when she stood against her half-brother, David “Davy” Siegel, by embracing his victims. As a potent figure in the entertainment industry, Davy had been a predator among his colleagues. He used his influence and status to assault several women. When Olivia learned about these women, she started to help them, making her half-brother her enemy. When she started raising her voice against the predatory practices in front of her, Davy realized that he needed to silence her. As someone far removed from familial sentiments, he sought the help of Stallings to “take care” of his half-sister.
Stallings entered the crime scene to help Davy. Considering the illegal and immoral way of life of both these men, it is not a surprise the actor sought the assistance of the human trafficker. Stallings then seemingly kidnapped Olivia to help his friend after joining hands with Ryan Pavich, the son of his ex-client. Even though Davy and Stallings turned against Olivia to safeguard the former from the public’s scrutiny, Ryan joined them for reasons of his own. The senator’s son, at least from what the show reveals to the viewers, didn’t have any connection with Davy to be concerned about the latter’s interests and priorities.
Becoming an (Evil) God
Ryan is a member of a powerful family and the son of a highly potent politician who can even threaten an extraterrestrial species. The fear his father causes among the members of the Société Polyglotte Cosmopolitaine makes it clear how influential he is. Ryan is not drastically different from his father. However, he hadn’t yet found out how powerful he could be. Ryan discovered the same by hurting people. He cherished a God-like experience the first time he hurt a woman, spilled her blood, and put an end to her life as an omnipotent figure.
The adrenaline rush Ryan had after killing his first victim convinced him that he is, first and foremost, a murderer who feeds on others’ pain. That is the reason why he set up a torture studio in his house’s basement with unignorable attention to detail. When Stallings led Olivia to him, she became just another fish in his pond. As a serial killer and torturer, he fed on her suffering and vulnerability without having any personal reason to hurt her. Davy’s personal motive paved the way for Olivia’s kidnapping, only for her to nearly become another random victim of the serial killer.
Observe and Learn
Henry then entered the picture to “observe and learn.” Sugar, Henry, Ruby, and other members of the extraterrestrial alien species arrived on Earth to learn about human beings. To be specific, they wanted to study the mistakes committed by the residents of this planet extensively not to replicate them in their “home.” All of them were required to choose a profession to conceal their real identity, and Henry chose the role of an anthropologist to examine the humans’ actions. That was how he teamed up with Ryan. While the senator’s son committed the “mistakes” or crimes, Henry learned about the same, which explains his notes.
On the surface level, Henry is not directly connected to Olivia’s kidnapping, as he may seem like a mere spectator of the crime. However, he enabled Ryan to torture and nearly kill the girl, which is enough to deem him responsible. That is why Sugar turns against Henry, despite the latter’s attempts to justify his actions by explaining that he is not obliged to follow the rules of humankind.
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