Reviewer Rating: 3/5.0
3
Guys, we’re now halfway through the sunny half and things are starting to feel a little less fresh.
The plot and premise of the series felt new and exciting right from the start.
However, now that viewers are past the midpoint of the season, there needs to be some payoff.
There are subtle plot hints behind the story, but the drop in pace calls for more.
As I’ve said in many other reviews of other shows, it’s not uncommon to experience terrible pacing drops.
Stories have ebbs and flows. A grand, gorgeous opening captivates the audience.
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But before a show can reach its epic climax, it must realign its story around the halfway mark.
If you ask most people who haven’t finished a season or series yet, they’ll usually tell you they stopped watching halfway through.
Despite the apparent slowdown, Sonny’s light still shines
That’s not to say It’s Always Sunny isn’t a great show; just that it is a great show. Instead, the pace of the story inevitably slows down.
That number has been steadily dropping since the pilot as a result of the sheer amount of new information thrown at the protagonists.
While this does create a lot for the audience to look forward to, the rewards are not huge.
There are a lot of unanswered questions about Apple TV+ that should be answered by now.
What is the “Dark Manual”?
Are Masa and Zen definitely dead?
Clearly, there’s something important to “Sonny,” but the writers offer few clues.
The overall story is still compelling, but this episode adds almost nothing to the previous one.
But considering how incredible this show is, I’m willing to forgive some filler episodes, but now it’s time to get the plot back on track.
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Suzy is still trying to watch out for gangsters. She still doesn’t know who or what Masa did, and her relationship with Noriko only seems to be getting worse.
No matter how fierce the friction is, Susie and Noriko are still the same person.
Speaking of one of Japan’s darkest mothers-in-law, what’s going on with Noriko?
She brazenly and rather obnoxiously robbed the convenience store, apparently with the intention of getting caught.
Also, did other viewers notice that the kid quickly snatched away the erotic comics that Noriko had thrown away after the first failed attempt at stealing?
I guess one woman’s trash is another teenage boy’s entire afternoon.
However, subtle comedic undertones allow Sonny to maintain a balance between comedy and thriller, like an episode of Black Mirror. Noriko needs something to make her smile.
Is this woman so lonely that she is willing not only to go to prison, but to stay there?
Sure, she had been through a lot, but it was extreme.
Noriko is clearly a proud woman, as she only voluntarily hangs out with Suzie once. Granted, she drinks like a skunk and would settle for the company of a domestic robot.
To be honest, Suzy is a bit busy taking care of her mother-in-law.
It’s a shame, too, because Noriko and Suzie are going through the same thing and handling it in pretty much the same way.
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Despite its namesake, It’s Always Sunny is filled with dark secrets that need to be answered for the sake of the story
Oh, Suzy. Mean, sarcastic, grumpy Suzy.
This girl has zero interest in breaking out of the downward spiral.
It didn’t take a psychiatrist to see that she was putting herself in danger and drinking heavily to avoid dealing with her problems.
She’s almost dead inside, until she discovers that Martha is leading a double life.
From then on, Susie, played by Rashida Jones, ran towards danger without hesitation.
This begs the question, what happened in Susie’s past to make her like this?
As viewers, we know nothing about Suzy’s life before she came to Japan and met Martha.
Together they had a child, built a happy little family, and left Susie with enough fond memories to blind her to all the clues that Martha wasn’t entirely honest.
To be fair, it’s a wild ride full of secrets, robots, and mafia mayhem.
I’m not sure now what the writers are going to do with Susie’s backstory, unless it has some connection to what’s going on.
Was Martha and Susie’s courtship random?
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Considering what we know about Massa, every decision he makes seems to be well thought out.
Much of the past between Suzie and Masa remains unknown, but it could give us some insight into where Sunny is.
For example, what does Ji have to do with all this, and what is her relationship with Martha?
We heard you, but you didn’t give us much help
Ji has to be one of the most interesting characters in the series.
The character himself strikes a brilliant balance between campy comedy and irresistible madness.
As an A24 series, this isn’t surprising considering it comes from the same production company as shows like Beef and Idol.
Ji, however, is another person about whom we know very little. We know she’s the daughter of a gangster and that’s about it.
There seems to be a power struggle going on among the Japanese mafia.
This is not surprising as this is a plot device that gangsters usually employ in most screenplays.
They were either an endless supply of sword-wielding assassins, or whoever gave the orders and controlled Japan.
However, these gangsters are very proactive. Did you see how quickly they snatched Suzy away from the vegetable stall?
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I hate to say it, but it’s effective storytelling because sometimes you want the bad guys to keep doing this.
That’s why Suzy and Ji’s interaction lasted too long.
They spent a lot of time trying to hurt each other’s feelings.
From a general audience perspective, I think Hime is Masaru’s half-sister or something.
Masa and Hime have a soft, close bond, and we know family is important to Hime.
Speaking of family, this episode just wouldn’t be the same without the newest member of Suzy’s family.
They did a dirty job for Sunny by keeping her out for the entire episode, only to have her come back broken and trashy at the end.
Who should I look for? But this person probably dislikes Mixxy played by Clumsy Annie the least.
There are so many unanswered questions that it’s impossible to predict what will happen next.
The only thing we can hope for is that at least one issue is resolved, thus speeding up the pace of the series.
Regardless, you know I’ll be glued to the screen, watching every minute of the next episode.
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With so much up in the air, where do you think this story is going to go?
Who do you think Ji is to Martha?
Let us know in the comments below, and join me again as I review the next episode of It’s Always Sunny!
