‘Sugar’s Mireille Enos Digs Into Djen’s Priorities: Where Does John Fall?

Extraterrestrial private eye John Sugar (Colin Farrell) had almost given up hope on reuniting with his long-lost sister, Djen (guest star Mireille Enos), but it finally happened in the sci fi/detective drama’s second season finale. Warning: Spoilers for the Sugar Season 2 finale ahead!

In a heartbreaking twist, Djen was not the woman Sugar remembered and idolized. The siblings had come to Earth with a research group to observe and report on humans without interfering in their lives. Djen had broken that rule. She allied with powerful people and spent years on a secret project to create a weather-controlling device. Sugar was invited to the project launch for an elite few but was horrified at what Djen had done.

“She has a brilliant mind,” Enos tells TV Insider. “Their alien technology is obviously very advanced, and I think it’s thrilling for her to be able to show this race of lesser-thans what she’s capable of doing.”

We spoke with Enos about shooting that reunion, her insight on Djen’s motives, and more. 

The finale opens with the scene at the archaeological dig, and we see that Djen is willing to have someone killed to keep her secret. Is she fully human now?

Mireille Enos: Oh, what an interesting question. My mother was from France and moved to the United States when she was 21. She met an American man, got married, had five kids, and she used to say that she was no longer fully French or fully American, that she had no country because she was a hybrid. So, I think it’s impossible to say that Djen is fully human, but maybe she’s in the in-betweens, where she’s trying to take [what’s] most useful from both sides and use them to her advantage.

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Can you take us behind the scenes in shooting the scene at the mansion where Djen and Sugar reunite?

This is a scene that the writers had been thinking about for a very long time and were determined to get it right. They were still working right up to the day before we shot, trying to find the perfect shape to the scene. This finale episode was a little like being shot out of a canon and dropped into this enormous world — big set, lots of background. Colin made me feel so comfortable. He is the loveliest, warmest, person and collaborator. We rehearsed the words; we went through it again and again and again [to] make sure that we understood the shape of it, what the beats were, and then once we were rolling, we discovered it together. The location was spectacular, that view of Los Angeles. The background artists were wonderful, so warm. The effects were beautiful. We had actual rain. We shot that all night long, and it was a very fun way to spend the night. 

Did you contribute to the costume choice of that white suit?

Yes, I did. The costume designer had racks of spectacular choices. We were down to our two favorites. One was what I ended up wearing, one was more feminine, softer. I felt strongly that there was a softness to Djen in the desert, with the scarf and the hat, and that I wanted the wardrobe to mark how much she has shifted in these 10 years, her grasp on power, how her moral compass has gotten altered. I wanted a really strong and masculine line for the wardrobe.

What do you think has happened to her in these 10 years? Did you talk about that with the writers?

We collaborated in a conversation, and I had some ideas myself without getting locked into anything too specific, because of not knowing what might be revealed later, if there’s a Season 3. Everyone came just to be an observer, and even as far back as we see her in the desert, that was already not enough for Djen. [For her] it seemed a waste to not use what they had to help the planet. Her initial impulse was to help. Over these 10 years, that desire to help has gotten Herculean, but it’s also gotten warped. Her desire is to help the planet itself, but potentially at the cost of the human beings that are on it. She’s gotten kind of a god complex. You know, the end justifies the means.

She says to Sugar, “They think it’s for them, but it’s for us.” What does she mean?

It is very chilling. Personally, I think she’s imagining this planet as a wonderful second home for her race. Potentially.

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You’d have to maybe remove a few humans.

A few, yeah, a few annoying people in the way. [Laughs]

Are there other aliens left on Earth?

I’m assuming. I don’t have specifics.

How do you think she feels about Sugar at the finale’s end, especially after she orchestrates his getting a dose of his kryptonite, cinnamon?

She loves her little brother, but I think this goal is number one on her priorities. If he is willing to be a part of that, that would make her very happy, but his needs do not come above her ambition. What she does is horrible, with his allergy to the cinnamon. She’s very casually willing to throw him into a state of pain and submission. That makes it very clear where her goals are.

What would you like to see happen next?

I was a fan of the show even before I got to join. I hope whatever happens with Djen, it gets a third season. I would love to be a part of that in any way. After these two seasons of Sugar searching for his sister, it would be great for them to be able to spend some time together figuring out what’s next.

Sugar, Seasons 1-2, Streaming Now, Apple TV