As each episode of “The Sticky” declares, Prime Video‘s twisted comedy series about a maple syrup heist in Canada, is definitely not accurately depicting the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. But can you blame creators Brian Donovan and Ed Herro for hearing an event title like that and wanting to let their imaginations run wild?
Across six episodes (and it deserved eight!), “The Sticky” presents an excellent case for television taking completely wild liberties with true events. With that episodic disclaimer explicitly absolving the showrunners of misinforming viewers, they’re essentially creating an original story based on a fun idea. So what if that idea happened in real life, but differently? What if it went this way instead?
The final episode, written by Donovan and Herro and directed by Michael Dowse, sees Ruth (Margo Martindale), Mike (Chris Diamantopoulos), and Remy (Guillaume Cyr) finally follow through on their big plans, finally pushing the heist to Harvest Day itself and hoping to siphon off millions of dollars worth of syrup while the farmers celebrate another year’s work. Remy and Mike are ready to call it quits after Bo (executive producer Jamie Lee Curtis) ostensibly falls to her death and Charlie (Mark O’Brien) growls his threats from Boston, but Ruth’s idea to use a tanker truck gets them back in with the hope of an even greater loot than before.
If you haven’t checked out IndieWire’s Best of 2024, it’s full of fantastic shows, films, and performances from throughout the year (excluding December titles, since they hadn’t released at time of publication). There’s no master list of the year’s on-screen chemistry; but if there were, the trio of Martindale, Diamantopoulos, and Cyr would absolutely deserve a spot. The trio is so utterly hilarious and plays brilliantly off one another, with jokes, reactions, and physical humor zipping between them faster than Ruth turns around those syrup-bottle Molotov cocktails in a pinch. Again, I wanted eight episodes. Or 10. Or 30!
The episode culminates in a chaotic climax that is just so TV — respectfully! Remy’s father Maurice (Michel Perron) arrives mid-heist to find out what his son at his “friends” are truly up to. He’s barely clear when the farmers turn on Leonard (Guy Nadon) — as does his son Léo (Mickaël Gouin) — and close in on the warehouse, leading to the aforementioned Molotov moment. Ruth manages to solve that only for Remy and Mike to start fist fighting among the barrels and against the tanker, and then Gary (Meegwun Fairbrother) shows up just as Ruth gets a critical call about her husband’s medical condition. TV, BABY! Also, is Gary dead?
It’s arguably one too many stressors, but does beg for a the story to continue. Not only is Gary’s fate in the balance, but Maurice confessed to murder just to divert suspicion from his son, Detectives Green (Gita Miller) and Nadeau (Suzanne Clément) might be vibing, and Bo is very much not dead (definitely concussed, right?) but instead traipsing around the hospital lobbing threats at Ruth’s comatose (but stable!) husband, Martin. Once more I ask: Where are the other episodes? Where is the next season? I need it at least before next Harvest Day.
“The Sticky” is now streaming on Prime Video.