We all make plans. Sometimes those plans go just as expected. Sometimes they don’t. In the penultimate episode of Paradise season 2, we get a lot of discussion of plans. We also get a lot of consideration of what happens when a plan goes to an unexpected place.
It sets the stage for an explosive season finale, and “The Final Countdown” certainly gets all the pieces in place.
Building a better bunker
In the cold open, we flash back to before the world melted down. Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) and Anders (Erik Svedberg-Zelman) are providing a tour for President Bradford (James Marsden). More than just a chance to get Marsden back in the show, this is a means of explaining how the bunker works. It’s a marvel, and it’s complex.
And as we come back to the bunker flashback mid-episode, we learn they’ve prepared for every eventuality—well, almost. If the air system malfunctions, the bunker doors open for escape. If an army surrounds the bunker, it locks down to provide protection. But Bradford asks what happens if both things occur at the same time. It’s a minuscule chance, and Anders deflects the question but never answers.
As Bradford later tells Sinatra, all great societies have contingency plans. But it’s not the failure of those plans that brings them down; it’s the failure to plan for things that don’t seem possible. It’s an omen we see play out in the episode.
Chaos underground
There is a lot happening in the bunker. Anders is using his knowledge to help Jeremy Bradford (Charlie Evans) and Agent Robinson (Krys Marshall) to escape. They’re headed to the control room to mess with the air handling system and force the bunker doors open. Jeremy wants people to have a choice.
In the meantime, Sinatra is meeting with Link (Thomas Doherty). They have an icy greeting, feeling each other out. Link is surprised to learn President Bradford is dead. But he accepts a meeting with Sinatra, whom he knows as Samantha Redmond. They hold their negotiation in Air Force One. He claims to want a nuclear reactor. But Sinatra presses him to tell her what he really wants. Finally, he admits to wanting Alex.
Shaken, but unwilling to admit anything, Sinatra declares their negotiation at an impasse. Link warns of consequences, but when she learns his real name is Dylan, it’s Sinatra who is caught off guard. She retreats home and has a quiet moment with her husband before slipping away. She travels deep into the mountain, finally arriving at Alex—who we’ll meet in the finale, I presume.
But we’ve also seen Gabi (Sarah Shahi) hunting for Alex. That’s put her at odds with Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom), who is following her. But Gabi is wise to the danger. She sets a trap, and by the episode's end, has gotten the upper hand on Jane. She stabs Jane and leaves her bleeding out in the shower, which could be a problem.
After the breakdown in negotiations, Link and his team plan an all-out assault on the bunker. With Sinatra missing, the leadership team panics. They decide to trigger a full-blown lockdown of the bunker. At about the same time, Robinson and Jeremy have damaged the air system, triggering an opening response. When those two orders hit at the same time—something President Bradford foresaw as a problem—it causes a meltdown, literally.
The train to home
Meanwhile in Atlanta, Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) survived his encounter and ended up reunited with Teri (Enuka Okuma). She quickly vouches for him, which keeps him out of trouble. Instead, Xavier provides valuable intelligence to the train crew, who have been making use of Teri’s skills, too, but the real threat remains in Gary (Cameron Britton).
As it turns out, Gary used the bomb to try and eliminate Xavier and to snatch Bean (Benjamin Markey) in the chaos. It’s meant to cajole Teri into returning to her post office home. She heads back with Xavier to get Bean back. Xavier wants to eliminate the threat—but Teri convinces him that she can get Bean back without violence. That turns out to be correct.
Soon, she and Xavier are headed back to the train with Bean—and Annie’s baby. They board the train, and as the episode ends, they’re headed back to Colorado.
The penultimate episode often includes big moments and big revelations, setting the stage for what comes next. This episode certainly achieved all that. We have all our characters headed back together, and they’re certain to face obstacles and peril. What will be solved in the finale? What will wait for the third and final season? We’ll know by this time next week!
Paradise season 2 streams Mondays on Hulu. Check back next week as we dive deep into all the events of season 2.