Paradise Season 2 steers the dystopian drama toward a baffling Alex mystery
paradise season 2 expands its cast of survivors and deepens a central thread: who is Alex. The identity revealed in episode 3 links a technology developer, a bed-ridden woman with Huntington's disease and a plan to reach the Colorado bunker, pushing the show in a markedly new direction.
New survivors left outside the Colorado bunker
The season introduces survivors who did not have access to the Colorado bunker during Season 1's volcano-tsunami mass extinction event. Among them are Link (Thomas Doherty) and Geiger (Michael McGrady), described as two leaders of a group heading across the United States to get to the bunker.
Paradise Season 2: Who is Alex?
When we meet Link and Geiger in episode 1, they make a pit stop at Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion, where tour guide Annie (Shailene Woodley) has been hiding out for the past three years. Before the group moves on, Annie overhears Link and Geiger discussing their next steps; Geiger tells Link, "We've got to get to the bunker, we've got to get inside, and we've got to kill Alex. " The show later reveals who Alex is in episode 3.
Episode 3 flashback: a murder tied to Vestige Quantum
Flashbacks in episode 3 show Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) hiring Billy Pace (Jon Beavers) to take out professor Henry Miller (Patrick Fischler). Henry is named as the owner of Vestige Quantum and the developer of a technology Sinatra needs for a secret project tied to the bunker. In refusing to sign the technology over, he "signed his own death warrant, " and Billy goes to Henry's house.
The Alex revealed: Huntington's disease and an unexpected tie to Link
At Henry's house, Billy finds Henry caring for his bed-ridden wife, identified as Alex (Gwen Holloway), who has Huntington's disease. The name matches Link's target, and the show establishes that Link knew Alex: Link was Henry's ace student-turned-business partner and "the closest thing to a son the couple had. " Faced with imminent death when Billy arrives, Henry euthanizes Alex, telling her he'll be seeing her again soon. That action makes Alex long dead by the time Link and Geiger head to the bunker.
Sinatra's project, cryptic messages and unresolved questions
The season layers new mystery onto that reveal. In a scene between Sinatra and her housekeeper and apparent co-conspirator Carmen (Maria-Elena Laas), Sinatra asks, "How is Alex?" The conversation continues with Sinatra asking, "Any other messages? Do they have an estimate?" Carmen replies, "It's too unpredictable. " The line "But she is getting closer" follows; it is unclear in the provided context which character utters that final line.
The show raises direct questions: What are the messages? Who are "they, " and what are they estimating? And what is Alex getting closer to? The review suggests the possibility of time travel or multiversal elements as an explanation for how Alex can be both dead and central to Link's vow to "kill Alex. " The review also notes Link repeatedly experienced nosebleeds at the mention of Alex in episode 1.
Where the series goes next
Paradise is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes every Monday. The season’s mystery around Alex, the Vestige Quantum technology and Sinatra's secret project sets up the next episodes to address the tie between the late Alex and the Alex Link is determined to stop.
