Summary
Apple TV+ has become the home for intriguing TV shows, and it’s adding the new dramedy,Sunny(which is more drama than comedy), to its repertoire. The series, created by Katie Robbins, wonders whether someone can ever really know their spouse, while treading softly regarding the moral ambiguity of AI technology. It explores both of these themes fairly prominently, while touching on grief and friendship.Sunny’s mystery drives its narrative and, though it begins to taper off after a while, the writing isn’t content to stay in a box of tropes.
Cast
Set in near-future Kyoto, Japan,Sunnybegins withSuzie (Rashida Jones)in the aftermath of a plane crash that killed her husband, Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima), and her seven-year-old son. Having believed Masa worked in refrigerators, Suzie is surprised to learn he was a roboticist whose work is shrouded in mystery and connected to the Yakuza.Sunnyoscillates between Suzie’s grief over losing her family and the anger that comes with the dark revelations she starts to uncover with the help of her bartender friendMixxy (annie the clumsy)and new domestic robot, Sunny (Joanna Sotumura).
Sunny Balances Charisma With Darker Elements
If there’s one thingSunnyexcels at, it’s marrying its disparate tones. There’s Jones’ bitterness and general irritation as Suzie, which is heightened by some of the more comical aspects of the narrative. Suzie is grieving and angry at the world and everyone in it, and these feelings are juxtaposed with Sunny’ s What’s more,Sunny’s darkness doesn’t overpower the charm and offbeat nature of the narrative. The thriller elements are in there, and it’s part of what keeps the series going, but it’s ultimately the character interactions and the inability to predict what they’re going to do that grounds it.
The series is a rollercoaster ride. While it’s not unique in its story of a wife discovering her husband isn’t exactly the man she thought she knew,Sunnyisn’t obvious in its handling of the situation, either. Suzie goes on quite a journey that puts her in a position to reckon with her own choices — overlooking certain red flags, not asking enough questions. Flashbacks also act as dreams that play out like what if scenarios. Suzie is haunted by the past and the present and there’s enough of an emotional throughline for the story to work.
With humans able to hack their original code, the world ofSunny’sfuturistic homebots becomes riddled with questions the series is less interested in answering than in providing us with some food for thought.
It’s also helped along by Jones, whose performance teeters between shock, frustration (with her situation, husband and herself), and the ability to trust. As Suzie, Jones imbues her with the right amount of snark, a sense of defeat and drive. Jones walks a fine line, having to portray Suzie as the grieving widow while also showcasing her other personality traits with limited allusions to her past. The result is a solid performance that sits nicely in the middle of the organized chaos of the story and its subplots. Annie the clumsy as Mixxy is a nice contrast to Suzie and the pair work well together.
What’s perhaps most engaging about the series is in the way it handles AI. The writing contends with domestic robots and the potential for them to be helpful, friendly, and violent. With humans able to hack their original code, the world ofSunny’sfuturistic homebots becomes riddled with questions the series is less interested in answering than in providing us with some food for thought. Its strength lies in pushing these ideas forward in a fully realized world without hitting us over the head with the point of its themes. Here, robots are just as complicated as the people who made them.
Sunny Falters In Its Character Development
The mystery also drags a bit, but it doesn’t deter the series
Despite an intriguing mystery and a budding friendship between Suzie and Mixxy (and Sunny the kindly homebot), thenew Apple TV+ seriesleaves a lot to be desired in terms of character development. There are hints about Suzie’s life before moving to Kyoto, but it takes too long to glean any answers. It’s unsatisfying to watch a series while feeling like there’s something missing from the puzzle. In a mystery thriller likeSunny, that’s to be somewhat expected, but the series’ disinterest in it — despite the teases — is disappointing.
With great performances and an intriguing mystery, the Apple TV+ is sure to win over audiences.
It’s a solid show overall, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have delved a bit further than what it already offers. With ten half-hour episodes,Sunnystill feels longer than needed. By the halfway point, I wondered when we’re going to get more answers than questions, especially as the pacing began to drag a bit and the story would meander off the path for a bit before returning. For a while,Sunnyoffered only half-formed stories, outlines of things that were being filled in at a pace that dawdled at points.
Aside from that,Sunnyis a charming dramedy that weaves its mystery together in satisfying ways. It kept me on my toes with its overall story and managed to avoid falling into certain tropes in its spousal relationship. There were even times I was surprised by the direction of certain characters, especially that of Suzie’s mother-in-law, Noriko (Judy Ongg), whose annoyance with Suzie doesn’t overshadow her own sense of loneliness and loss as she spirals.Sunnyis sharp and fun at times, and sad and tense at others. With great performances and an intriguing mystery, the Apple TV+ is sure to win over audiences.
The first two episodes ofSunnyare now streaming on Apple TV+. The remaining episodes will release weekly every Wednesday.
Sunny
Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, grapples with the mysterious disappearance of her husband and son in a plane crash. Given a domestic robot named Sunny by her husband’s company, Suzie initially resents Sunny but soon they form a unique bond. Together, they uncover the dark truth behind her family’s disappearance, becoming entangled in a dangerous and hidden world.
