Sunny is a tough show to define. It’s a weird combination of genres; a buddy cop, sci-fi, dark comedy, mystery. Except it’s not really buddy cops, but instead a grieving woman and a robot. Yep, it’s weird, but it seamlessly blends the genres while also having a lot to say about the nature of friendship.
The story centers on Suzie (Rashida Jones). She is still in the immediate aftermath of learning that her husband and young son have disappeared in a plane crash and are presumed dead. As consolation, the electronics company that employed her husband gifts her a home robot assistant named Sunny. Suzie is initially resistant, but when other shadowy figures also show an interest in Sunny, the pair (and those that spiral into their orbit) must work together to uncover the truth of her family’s disappearance.
As I said, it’s a weird show with a tough balancing act to pull off. Combining the different genres and providing a mystery with many twists and turns, while also adding a satisfying emotional core is near impossible. It’s like asking a drunken senior citizen to perform a successful balance beam act. You expect it all to come crashing down. But although it may stumble and look unstable at times, Sunny never falls and successfully lands the dismount (thus ending my gymnastics analogy). It’s weird, but it is a very good show.
The greatest part of the show is the interactions between the characters, including Sunny. Rashida Jones is at her best here. Whether it’s her exasperation at Sunny or her hard-to-please mother-in-law, her snarky comebacks, or the more emotional moments, she is wonderful. The rest of the cast, while unknown to me are also very good.
Joanna Sotomura is another standout as the voice of Sunny. Although the vocal delivery is primarily deadpan, she embodies Sunny with enough quirks and emotions to make her a real character. The pairing of Suzie and Sunny and their burgeoning friendship is fun to watch. And hats off to the team that designed Sunny. She looks functional, and with those big expressive eyes on her display screen face, you’ll want a Sunny of your own.
Admittedly, I did like the first half of the season more than the second. It’s not that the later episodes are bad, but as the layers of the mystery are peeled back, they tend to get a little too quirky or feel like they are padded a bit to ensure Sunny meets its required episode count. There are two episodes in particular that, while important to the story, could have been pared back a fait bit without losing anything. The whole story probably could have been told in less episodes. Still, I was very engaged through its 10-episode run and would be interested in a second season.
Sunny is certainly not for everyone. It’s very quirky and isn’t interested in sticking to traditional TV norms. It’s a wild and unpredictable ride. But with an engaging, yet unpredictable mystery and a terrific cast, Sunny successfully blends several genres, while being both funny and heartfelt. Sure, there are a couple of bugs in the software that hold the show back at times, but this was very enjoyable. If you’re up for something off the beaten path, you should give Sunny a chance.
Have you seen Sunny? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.