Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
Things have definitely taken a turn from campy criminals to a full-blown chaotic conspiracy in the delightful dark comedy Sunny.
After four episodes, we still have no clue what is going on.
But it has been a hilarious, fun ride trying to figure it out.
Critics agree that the series is certified fresh, with its sly comedic timing making the show positively glow.
Apple TV+ may have a cult classic on their hands and we are here to happily help them realize it.
So, let’s break down this topsy-turvy world of Suzie and her robot companion, Sunny!
Related: Sunny Season Premiere Review: Rashida Jones is a Force Among Bots, Blood, and Bad Booze
Sunny Sets Up a Story That Can Appeal to Almost Anyone
We waited a few episodes before making this statement, but after “Sticky” and the scene in the bathhouse, it’s time we said it.
Sunny smacks of a Quentin Tarantino project.
Specifically, Kill Bill with how the series uses background music and dramatic lighting to match the mood.
That is quite the comparison, but we wanted to be sure before making it, and boy, are we sure.
It’s also a compliment to the craft that went into creating the Tarantino classic because Sunny tackles more genres than the film mentioned above.
Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) stars in the series and steers that ship as an executive producer.
It’s been hard to find fault with the show because while some creative choices might’ve hindered another series, with Sunny, each decision only adds to the story’s complexity.
Few projects can boast the ability to shift between campy comedy and intense thriller without taking audiences out of the plot.
To the series credit, no viewer comes into the show expecting anything less than a mind-boggling adventure.
And with a grieving drunk widow and her shade-throwing robots, that’s a guarantee.
For Your Own Safety, Keep Your Hands Off of Sunny
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While we say we’re not entirely sure what is happening, we at least know something is going on with an item called a “Dark Manual.”
It allows robot owners to reconfigure the protocol and programming of their home bots, as far as we can tell.
For what purpose, we can only speculate.
It could be anything from making the robots into weapons to turning them into sex slaves.
As a fan of the series, I don’t want to tune in to see Sunny in any adult situation.
Let’s all remember that this is Apple TV+, not HBO or even Cinemax After Dark because no one wants to see a cute little robot get a train run on them.
The most concerning aspect of the story is the involvement of the Yakuza
Their presence alone speaks volumes about who Masa was and what he was up to.
Like Suzie, we are all in the dark about this man who went from being a loving, humble husband to a possible tech terrorist in cahoots with the Japanese mafia.
I mean, the man went to his son’s school and beat the crap out of another adult.
Wherever that side of Masa comes from, we feel it’s linked to the tree from which his apple fell.
Smothering Is Not the Same as Mothering
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This brings us to a slowly growing concern in Masa’s mother, Noriko, who knows more than she lets on.
If what we’ve seen is to be taken at face value, then Noriko had herself a little fling with someone who wasn’t her husband.
Have you ever noticed that the characters with the most interesting skeletons in their closets are the first to take the moral high ground?
Noriko never misses a chance to throw shade Suzie’s way.
She’s a master at making her feel like utter crap, but if anything, it feels like a projection of Noriko’s failure as a wife and mother.
It’s not too much of a stretch to say we can add Noriko to our list of moms we love to hate, like Cersei Lannister, Betty Draper, and Lucille Bluth.
It seems like Masa’s mother knew what he was up to.
She was probably more than willing to cover up anything and everything her precious son did.
I’ve said in reviews for other series, and I’m going to repeat it as someone who has dealt with his fair share of overbearing mothers who refuse to cut the umbilical cord.
Smothering is not the same as mothering.
Considering how hard she was hitting that bottle with Sunny towards the end of “Sticky,” Noriko should think about being drinking buddies with her daughter-in-law.
Sunny Is the Robot Friend We All Need Unless She’s Homicidal
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Have you noticed that over the first few episodes, Suzie has started forming an actual bond with Sunny beyond the series’ expected societal standards?
We understand entirely because while we, as audience members, haven’t seen many other bots to compare Sunny to, we have a sneaking suspicion she’s not like a regular bot.
She’s a cool bot.
It isn’t clear if Sunny’s shade and pettiness in her programming are a standard issue for home bots.
However, we love every underhanded comment she makes to Mixxy.
As the titular character, Sunny is already pivotal to the series’ plot, but in what capacity is yet to be seen.
Is it a Futurama situation where Sunny will eventually throw back bottles with Suzie?
Or, in Sunny’s case, binge-watching spiral loops till she can’t see straight?
Is she meant to watch over Suzie as a guardian sent by Masa?
Could she be a plant by the Yakuza to keep an eye on Suzie?
Or is there a third party trying to get to Masa’s research and work by going through his grieving widow?
Related: Sunny Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Mmmm, Hinoki
There are so many unanswered questions to Sunny.
While that would typically bug viewers four episodes in, we’ve accepted it as part of the journey.
Whatever crazy, campy, and chaotic adventure awaits Suzie and Sunny on this Apple TV+ series, we are going to be at the edge of our seats, laughing, crying, and gasping throughout the entire wild ride.
Do you have any theories about where the series Sunny is headed?
Is Masa really dead or just hiding out somewhere with his son?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join us again when we review the next episode of Sunny!
