Sunny Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Sticky
Sunny Season 1 Episode 4, “Sticky,” finds Suzie searching for the truth while becoming inadvertently entangled in the Yakuza. It’s undoubtedly the season’s strongest episode thus far as the plot kicks into high gear and the puzzle pieces start to fall into place.
Sunny’s “Sticky” Review
Last week’s outing introduced us to Himé, a formidable leader of the Yakuza with ties to Masa. “Sticky” continues to flesh out her story, from the power struggle with her cousin, Jin, to be the heir to her ailing father’s empire to her search for this elusive “manual.”
Additionally, the episode gives us a better look into her relationship with Masa. It’s pretty evident she was referring to Masa as her childhood boyfriend on last week’s slow-burning “Mmmm Hinoki.” In the flashback at the beginning of “Sticky,” we see Himé and Masa holding hands — clearly, there’s something more to their bond.
Sunny does a fantastic job of leaving a trail of crucial narrative breadcrumbs, revealing facets of this intriguing mystery without providing an overabundance of exposition or underestimating the intelligence of its audience.
High-Octane Action
“Sticky” blesses us with action aplenty. It kicks off with a literal bang as Masa guns down a man who owes the Yakuza at Zen’s school. The outing pays homage to Japanese cinema, from the rapid, fluid closeups to the score to the color palette and visuals. It’s a lot of fun.
However, the best scene of the episode, hands down, is the Yakuza in the sentō. We view the brutality and ultraviolence through Suzie and Mixxy’s eyes, and the series unflinchingly delivers this. When the scene takes on a crimson hue, we see Suzie’s worst fear — that Masa was violent like Tetsu. It’s hard to grieve a lost loved one when you’re unsure of who you’re grieving.
The Performances
As usual, Rashida Jones rules. Suzie’s reaction to seeing Zen’s room in disarray after the Yakuza tore it up is gut-wrenching. Jones doesn’t hold back here. You can’t help but feel for Suzie.
We don’t have confirmation that Zen is gone at this point in the series. Sunny deftly navigates the unique heartbreak accompanying postponed grieving and how everyone grieves differently.
Judy Ongg, Joanna Sotomura, Annie the Clumsy, and YOU deliver solid supportive performances. Ongg and Jones expertly convey the intricacies and messiness of Noriko and Suzie’s fractured, complex relationship. It’s easily one of the series’ most interesting aspects.
It’s All in the Details
As mentioned above, this series is more about show than tell, leaving it up to the audience to piece together the central mystery. It’s really all in the details. For example, in the flashback with Masa, we see Himé still has her pinky finger.
Another example is the titular robot herself. There’s an undercurrent of tension whenever Sunny is onscreen, which Sotomura captures in her vocal work. You never know if she’ll turn on Suzie or snap, as illustrated in the stories in the media about other bots going murderous.
Even some of Sunny’s facial expressions are suspicious, her hatred of Mixxy aside. (That said, the Sunny/Mixxy scenes are quite funny.) The show cleverly plants these seeds to make us wary of the robot and fearful for Suzie’s safety.
Overall, “Sticky” is an action-packed, informative, and entertaining outing. It delivers on the twists front and lays the groundwork for future story reveals. The episode is also immersive and stylistic, incorporating Japanese film and A24 influences.
I’ll be on the edge of my seat until next week, waiting to see where Suzie, Sunny, and Mixxy go to escape the Yakuza.
Stray Observations:
- Suzie’s sarcasm and dry humor resonate with me on a profound level.
- The opening credits and color palette are inspired by 1966’s Tokyo Drifter. Masa even hums the main theme at the beginning of the episode. We’re also introduced to Tetsu in “Sticky,” who bears the same name as the lead character in the ’60s flick.
- My theory: the Yakuza caused the crash of Flight 405 to kill Masa.
- Could the manual Himé’s looking for be inside Sunny? Perhaps Masa constructed her that way.
- Theory number two: Masa’s biological father is in the Yakuza.
What did you think of this episode of Sunny? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Sunny drops new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.