"Sugar" repeatedly emphasizes identity factors, especially race and sexuality, over the noir detective genre’s classic focus on personality, skill, and intrigue. In our view, some casting choices and character arcs seem chosen for representation’s sake rather than coherence with the story, and the narrative frequently pauses to highlight ideological priorities over organic tension.

Traditional values like family, masculinity, and even classic detective morality are regularly deconstructed or subverted. The show leans heavily into reinterpreting old genre staples through a modern lens, sometimes at the expense of genre tradition. Some viewers may feel long-standing male character archetypes are diminished or undermined.

Alternative or dissenting views almost never receive sympathetic or nuanced exploration. Traditional perspectives are usually relegated to toothless or outright villainous roles; debates around modern social issues are resolved with the same progressive conclusions every time. There’s minimal ideological diversity among main characters.