Paradise's Biggest Villain Redemption Story Looks Almost Certain To Happen In Season 2
The following contains spoilers for Paradise season 1 episode 8, "The Man Who Kept The Secrets," now streaming on HuluParadise's main villain Samantha Redmond faced a reckoning in the season 1 finale, and it sets her up for a potential redemption storyline. Paradise takes place in a small town constructed underground. Following the end of the world during a cataclysmic series of events, 25,000 survivors made their way to the security of a curated small town experience. Everyone who survived has been forced to confront a lot of survivor's guilt, with many characters confronting their past mistakes and potential growth. This stands in stark contrast to Redmond's ruthless scheming. Thanks to her wealth and power, Redmond quietly rules Paradise.
Multiple characters are revealed to have died at her command to ensure she maintains her authority and sense of stability, making her the most overtly villainous character in Paradise's first season. However, things don't exactly work out in her favor during the events of "The Man Who Kept The Secrets." However, the character being exposed and seriously injured isn't what makes the development interesting. There's a key emotional turn for Redmond during the events of the Paradise season 1 finale that reveals which line even she wasn't prepared to cross, which could set up a redemption story for the character.
Samantha Redmond Realizes How Villainous She's Become
Redmond Is Horrified By How Far Things Go In The Paradise Season 1 Finale
Samantha Redmond's big emotional beat in the Paradise season 1 finale centers on her realizing the full depths she's sunk to as the unseen controller of the town, which could help set up a very different arc for her in season 2. For much of Paradise, Samantha Redmond has been coldly calculating. Her machinations have steadily revealed her to be a dangerous figure willing to have innocent people killed if it means ensuring the continued security of Paradise and the safety of her daughter. While her motivations were understandable, her choices in season 1 prove Redmond is a ruthless figure.
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However, "The Man Who Kept The Secrets" reveals that Redmond is more shaken by her development into a villain than she initially appeared. The thing that breaks her is the realization that she may require Jane to kill Presley, something she mistakenly believes her agent carries out halfway through the episode. When Xavier confronts Redmond after finding Bradford's killer, she tries to remain cool and collected but is notably more shaken than earlier times when she's conveyed ominous news. Even beyond Jane wounding her with her gun, this emotional turn suggests Redmond is facing a very different season 2 storyline.
Samantha Redmond Is Looking At A Very Different Season 2
Redmond May Have Just Lost All Her Power
Samantha started Paradise as one of the undisputed leaders of the town, but season 1's finale leaves her in a much different scenario. The exposure of the conspiracy surrounding the lost scientists Redmond had killed will likely destroy her reputation among the population of Paradise. While the full scope of her actions might not have been revealed to the public, Jeremy seems intent on exposing all the secrets that his father left for him. On top of this, Redmond is in critical physical condition after being shot, leaving characters like newly minted President Henry Baines to fill the power vacuum.
Redmond was Paradise's most powerful character in season 1 and a potential pariah in season 2.
As Redmond tries to recover from her injury, she's looking ahead to a very different future. Any confidence the public and elite has in her will likely be shot. Gabriela's friendship with Redmond has been irrevocably damaged, leaving the psychotherapist shaken on a deep level. Redmond's daughter, who she was overtly doing all these terrible things for, could have a hard time forgiving her after everything she's done. If and when Redmond recovers from her injuries, she may be facing a trial or worse. Redmond was Paradise's most powerful character in season 1 and a potential pariah in season 2.
Could Paradise Redeem Redmond?
Redmond's Pragmatism & Humanity Could Force Her To Go Through A Redemption Arc
Paradise dealt Redmond a lot of devastating cards as of late, with the season 1 finale leaving her in a tumultuous spot. Even though she referred to herself as a "Bond villain" at one point, Redmond has also been shown to still be a person. Despite her horrible actions, Redmond has a certain degree of empathy. She understanding that what she's done is terrible. It's possible that the realization of how close she came to taking someone's child away from them, especially in light of her lingering grief for her dead son, could force her to re-examine what she's doing.
As reported by Screen Rant, Paradise has been renewed for a second season. Creator Dan Fogelman has teased a three-season plan for the show.
Redmond could leave this near-death experience with a greater understanding of what she's done. The fact that it was Jane who shot her could help inspire change in Redmond from a purely pragmatic perspective. Redmond initially believed Jane was completely under her thumb. After being shot though, it's clear that all the power and money left in the world can't protect Redmond from everything. Redmond could need to rely more on others, which would require making amends with the ones she's manipulated. By confronting her mistakes in season 1, Redmond could spend season 2 becoming a potentially more complex character.
Does Samantha Redmond Deserve A Chance At Redemption?
Paradise Has Been Quietly About The Importance Of Choosing To Become Better
While Redmond could spend season 2 of Paradise trying to make up for her past mistakes, a better question might be whether or not she gets the chance to do so. A lot of Paradise has been focused on questions of morality in trying times, and whether our worst decisions are what define us. Characters like Billy highlight how terrible people can try to change and grow, while Cal Bradford's entire storyline is about finally fighting back against the comfy life of lies he's accepted. Both took agency in their lives, a similar attribute that Redmond has never feared using.
The problem is Redmond has rationalized doing terrible things. While she acknowledges what she did was terrible, Redmond was also casually talking about having old friends killed. Characters like Xavier and Robinson will likely be slow to accept anything Redmond says, and the public will likely follow suit. There's even a chance that Redmond won't try to achieve redemption, which could give the show's reflection on the nature of change a multi-layered complexity. The moral core of Paradise may end up being decided by whether or not someone as villainous as Redmond can redeem themselves in future storylines in season 2.
Source: Screen Rant
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