Sunny

It’s a slick series, competently produced, but if you watch it you will find yourself wishing that it offered something more.

A timely, thoughtful, attractively made but frustratingly paced and plotted combination of dramedy and tech thriller.

“Sunny” conveys an immersive, eye-catching vision of the near future, even when the central storyline can’t quite deliver on its attempts at character-driven suspense.

It’s not a bad time, per se; a twisty mystery, a colorful ensemble and the occasional stylistic big swing keep its ten 30ish-minute episodes moving painlessly enough. It’s just a vaguely disappointing one, better at suggesting emotional and thematic depths than plumbing them.

Sunny is at various points a mystery, a psychological drama, yet another sci-fi tale of the dangers of creating artificial life, and a buddy comedy, where one of the buddies just happens to have a glowing screen for a face. Some of these modes are more exciting than others, but the overall vibe of the show, plus Rashida Jones’ lead performance, are interesting enough to compensate for the parts that don’t work. .... Sunny is an odd and dryly funny treat. [Jul/Aug 2024, p.127]

What’s most disappointing about Sunny is that it has all of the elements of a better show in its grasp: a strong cast (especially Nishijima as Masa), inspired look, and gripping premise. It even has an endearing robot primed to be the subject of fan art and animated GIFs. Yet the story just can’t sustain its bloated runtime, as the drip-feed pacing makes clear – and following around a massive pill for the majority of it doesn’t help.

The cross-cultural immersion-aversion seems genuine enough, though Suzie is a character balanced awkwardly between grief and the comedy that threatens to break out around her, but never quite does.

Some of it works, some of it doesn’t. It is a comedy, which doesn’t always mix well with the mystery aspects. But it’s Jones’ show. For much of the series she’s given only one note to play, really, but she plays it well.

Too bad that Sunny's uncertain tone and Jones' relentless dour performance keep the 10-episode series from building much suspenseful momentum, let alone genuine humor. [15 Jul - 4 Aug 2024, p.4]

Sometimes Suzie’s actions seem dictated by the script, and other times they’re simply unconvincing both on the page and as executed. By the end of what’s set up to be the first of multiple seasons, there’s not much to chew on, and only a bit more to feel. Sitting with Suzie’s grief adds up to too much mess and too little meaning.

Though Suzie is impulsive and impatient, Jones keeps her relatable as she inches her way toward humanity and even heroism. Nishijima (“Drive My Car”) is equally excellent as Masa. .... Every time the series leaves Suzie, Sunny, or Masa for the internecine bickering of the gang, it’ll make you yearn for the second season of “Severance” to watch instead of this.