Critic’s Rating: 4.75 / 5.0
4.75
If there was ever an episode of TV that felt like a perfect season finale, it was Paradise Season 1 Episode 6.
The hour had high drama, higher stakes, and a brilliant cliffhanger that changed everything.
You could cut the tension with a knife, but why am I uncertain where the series can go next?
I didn’t think Xavier had it in him to go guns blazing so soon, but just like Teri said in the flashback, there would come a time when he would have his back against the wall and move mountains to get his point across.
It’s hard to imagine she ever envisioned that the stakes would be this high, but Xavier knows that people who oppose Sinatra don’t generally love to tell the tale in Paradise.
Xavier and Nicole had their master plan worked out to the letter, but never left much room for variables.
Xavier and Nicole’s Plan Wasn’t Fool-Proof
How did they expect this to go off without a hitch? They got their point across multiple times, and going after Sinatra and her band of overseers in such a public setting was a risk that paid off — big time.
Gabriela had so many opportunities to switch to Team Xavier. Still, the intricately plotted hints that she’s the brains behind the Paradise project lead me to believe she’ll never stray too far from Sinatra’s side.
Gabriela undoubtedly has this connection with Xavier, but there’s no chance he’ll give her the time of day now that he knows she’s actively conspiring against him.
The truth is that Gabriela wants to save both Sinatra and Xavier, but there’s no way either of them will be able to coexist in their town of 25,000 people.
In Xavier’s eyes, Sinatra has played God one too many times and believes that everyone should know the truth about the cave and the villain’s lies.
Villain is a term used frequently, particularly on shows like Paradise, but I took issue with Gabriela chanting about her friend’s imperfections and how she wasn’t all bad.
Gabriela has got to be skeptical of her so-called friend if she hasn’t been forthcoming with information.
Had she been, then Xavier and even Sinatra wouldn’t be in the position they were in by the end of Paradise Season 1 Episode 5.
Is Sinatra Playing Too Hard on Paradise?
I’m wrestling with whether Sinatra is telling Xavier what he wants to hear about Teri and whether she’s not even alive in the outside world.
Using Teri as a bargaining chip was a surefire way to knock the wind out of Xavier, who’d spent years feeling remorseful for not saving her when she needed him the most.
Teri was supposed to be with him and their two children in Paradise, but my best guess now is that Gabriela removed her from the invite list.
The reason? Teri isn’t exactly one to fall in line, as evidenced by the comical opening scene of her defending Presley during a fiery meeting at school.
People who don’t disrupt the status quo were likely wanted in Paradise, but I’m also starting to believe that Xavier made the cut because of his daughter’s intellect.
Presley has proven to be smart and calculated, and I can’t fault her for falling for Jane’s sob story about eating ice cream after Billy’s death.
Jane is an underdog as a character because we know so little about her, and the layers are about to be pulled back.
She’s mastered the art of slipping under the radar, and that will come back to haunt both Nicole and Xavier in the final episodes of the season.
The Biggest Mysteries Are Still to Come
Nicole branding her an “intern” came out of the left field, but with Paradise Season 2 confirmed, many who oppose Sinatra must be brought down in the final episodes of Paradise Season 1.
Then there’s Jeremy. Who would have guessed he’d be so passionate about getting the truth out there in the wake of his father’s death?
Sinatra pointed out that there’s no way she had Cal killed, meaning there’s a far bigger layer to this mystery. My last-minute theory is that Jeremy found something out about Paradise and reacted by killing his father.
Of course, all signs point to Jeremy not showing up for pasta, but what if he showed up in the dead of night while the cameras were off?
Knowing his parents’ relationship was a sham wouldn’t have been enough to tip him over the edge, but something else, maybe from his grandfather, could have made him see red and react.
At this point, we’re running out of suspects, and unless Nicole did actually carry out the deed, Jeremy is the only person I can think of who did.
We have a fantastic set-up for the final two episodes of Paradise Season 1.
The trajectory of Xavier’s mission will have changed if he knows there’s a chance of bringing Teri back into his children’s lives.
But maybe he’ll go scorched earth if he learns that Sinatra tasked Jane to reel in Presley.
So many questions, and so many more possibilities!
What are your thoughts on the twists and turns?
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