NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
In its 2 seasons, Paradise has delivered thrilling scenes, shocking storylines, and moments that make us question not only society but ourselves. And then you have moments from Episode 4 when we question why we latch on to certain characters.
Paradise is not playing fair, and truth be told, it never has. When the first episode of Season 2 aired, we were given the story of Annie Clay. Not much to go on, but in that episode, it was clear that Annie was set to become our Xavier on the outside of the Bunker. Or so we thought. When, in fact, Annie became President Cal Bradford.
What happened to Annie was more than a punch to the gut that the death of Bradford provided; her death was a point-blank shot to the face by your closest family member or friend. We wanted her to win; we needed her to win. She deserved a happy ending. In one episode, we saw her mother die, saw her have a breakdown, and quit medical school. Saw her find a dream job, a best friend, and a purpose. And then we watched her lose it all, and all that happened in 60 minutes.
And yet, the Paradise writers weren’t done. She found love, only to let him walk away, then found a new love and reason for living with a new child. Then came Xavier. She saved his life, and in return, he saved hers. They built a bond that culminated when she was giving birth, and he left and risked his life for help. When he came back, the look on her face and then the embrace would have brought tears to the toughest of people.
But somewhere in the Paradise writers’ room, someone had the not-so-bright idea to put a knife in the viewer’s eyes and hearts. The intriguing story of Annie was over. While giving birth, she passed away, and just like that, hope was lost.
Xavier now has the weight of the world on his shoulders and a heart that’s as heavy as anything we could imagine. He left his kids, he’s looking for his wife, he lost another friend, and now he has to protect an innocent child. All this while not being able to process what transpired because he’s on another mission.
Annie finding happiness should have been a main concern for the writers in Season 2. She deserved so much better. What was the meaning of her death? Does it provide something earth-shattering for Paradise? If not, why kill her off?
We, the fans, were just getting to know her. She had a good heart, and to see her become a mom, find Link, and have a friend in Xavier, that would have been great to see.
But no, Paradise had to do what Paradise does and blindside us. Not fair. It’s too early in the season to be shedding tears or second-guessing whether we want to continue watching Paradise.
What hurts more is that neither Link nor Xavier has anyone to blame for that. They can’t point to the shadiness of Sinatra or Jane and seek revenge. This is something they have to take on the chin and keep moving. Meanwhile, viewers will view trhe rest of this season with guarded hearts because it appears the emotional stakes are higher this time around. But why did Annie have to be the sacrifice Lamb so early?
