Reviewer Rating: 5/5.0
5
Things have definitely escalated for Suzie and Sunny, the somewhat human-like home robot (It’s Always Sunny Season 1 Episode 3, “Well, Hinoki”).
After revealing to Susie Martha’s lies about who he is and what his job actually entails, the show seems firmly headed toward bloodier times.
This episode in particular exceeded expectations in many ways and is a testament to Sonny’s high quality writing, acting and directing.
Regardless of the good, the bad, and the gore, this series feels like a cult classic in the making as long as it can stay consistent and not lose steam.
There are many mothers on a sunny day, but there is only one Noriko
The first thing to resolve is what happened to Masa’s mother, Noriko.
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The flashback of her bringing food to Martha leaves us momentarily confused, wondering if she’s been sheltering him since the plane crash.
This was a gross misdirection from the author because it immediately flooded my brain with so many questions that I was actually relieved when I realized it was just a memory.
On the surface, Noriko seems to be playing the role of a typical mother-in-law and is not so enthusiastic about foreign wives.
But after this episode, it’s clear that there are more layers to Noriko than we first thought.
As she did in the previous episode, she showed off a general soft lie.
From the Snake Queen to the delusional Mrs. Lansbury in Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, strong mothers protecting their sons at all costs is a consistent theme in storytelling.
In Noriko’s case, we can’t help but feel that she knows a lot more than she lets on.
If she did have inside information about her son, she would keep it tight-lipped. And it’s still far from Suzy.
Suzy may be sad, but her sarcasm in “It’s Always Sunny”
As for the bereaved widow and mother, Suzy certainly maintains her character, which is a breath of sad and morbid fresh air.
Many TV shows like to fast-forward the grief process to move the story forward, but the writers turned Suzy’s grief into Sonny’s compass.
Every decision she makes, good or bad, is completely influenced by her loss, confusion, and anger at the world and her (presumably late) husband.
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It feels wrong to laugh, but Susie delivers some of her best lines in her most frustrated moments, full of wit and sarcasm.
With years of comedy TV experience under her belt, it’s no surprise that Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) is able to switch effortlessly between strong emotional scenes and quips that make us laugh.
Many black comedies lean in multiple directions, but Jones manages to steer the ship so that the transition from a drunken revelry to a life-or-death situation feels seamless.
In case you missed it, there’s an Easter egg in “Well, Hinoki” when Suzy references a “dark manual,” which is also the title of the Colin O’Sullivan novel the series is based on.
Maybe after this episode, Susie will be more mindful of her actions, but we hope she won’t, since her actions have brought her face to face with legitimately crazy people.
You can’t keep it camp and crazy on a show like It’s Always Sunny
Speaking of crazy, if there’s one thing Sonny knows how to do well, it’s a cold open, hooking the audience before they see anything.
This is the second episode to start with a bloody scream before anything is visually depicted.
It’s a simple but effective strategy that immediately piques the interest of all viewers, and combining this with the introduction of Hime is just genius!
First off, if you missed her name like I did, I’m referring to the crazy blonde with the fake pinky finger at the beginning and end of the episode.
We’re glad the series writers weren’t afraid to get a little camp, because hearing Hime discuss finger replacement while Takumi was tortured was priceless.
Why didn’t the actress who was talking to Ji laugh every second?
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I couldn’t help but laugh every time Takumi screamed and Hime kept babbling.
Unlike other series like “In the Land of Women,” where the bad guys were bumbling idiots at best, the bad guys in “It’s Always Sunny” appear to be fully cognitive and dangerously capable.
But with a show like Sunny, it’s impossible to know where any of the characters will end up, especially in a show with underground robot battles, among other things.
Seriously, don’t have sex with a robot
When I say “other things,” you know exactly what I’m talking about, because while it was hinted at in It’s Always Sunny Season 1 Episode 2, it was solidified in this episode.
Hearing and seeing are two different things, though, probably because robots having sex with humans actually look like robots.
Of course, sex robots do happen in our time, but they are not sentient artificial intelligence.
This is not Westworld after all.
The robot on Sunny was clearly never designed for this, given the many safeguards that prevent it from interacting with its owner in this way.
Considering how human Sunny looks, it would be extremely unsettling and unsettling to see her engaging in this kind of activity.
It would be easier to watch her kill some bad guys since Sonny is one of the highlights of the series.
If she could express shade and sarcasm without hesitation, she might become one of the most advanced robots around.
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She’s a little robot and there’s nothing between her and Suzy.
It’s too early to speculate on the show’s future, especially given its nature.
Anyone and everyone, including Sonny, could be lying to Susie in the vast conspiracy concocted by Martha, whose fate in the plane crash, ironically, remains unresolved.
One thing we know for sure is that we can’t wait to see what happens next with Suzy and Sonny!
Do you have any theories about what happened to Suzie, Masa and Sunny?
What are your favorite parts of this comedic yet intense series?
Let us know in the comments below and join us again as we review the next episode of Sunny!
