Almost Paradise is a crime comedy action drama series that aired on Amazon in 2020. The show features a talented cast, including Christian Kane, Samantha Richelle, Simon London, and more. In the first season, we are introduced to Alex Walker, a former DEA agent portrayed by Christian Kane. Alex decides to retire from the DEA and seeks a peaceful and relaxing life on the beautiful island of Mactan in the Philippines. However, his retirement plans take an unexpected turn when a series of crimes occur on the island, and Alex finds himself drawn into solving them. Throughout the season, viewers witness Alex and his colleagues tackling ten different cases. As the cases unfold, intriguing backstories surrounding the characters are revealed, adding depth and complexity to the overall narrative.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Summary
In Almost Paradise Season 1, Alex Walker, a former DEA agent, decided to relocate to the Philippines, seeking a peaceful break from the crime-filled world he had previously dealt with. His retirement from the DEA was motivated by two factors. Firstly, he had a history of heart attacks, which made him prioritize his health. Secondly, during a secret operation in Barcelona, Alex suffered a terrible betrayal when his investigative partner, Todd Carpenter turned against him, holding him at gunpoint. This incident resulted in a minor heart attack for Alex, and nine months later, he made the decision to move to the Philippines. Despite regular check-ups with his doctor, Mrs Patel, who urged him to take it easy, Alex found himself entangled in another web of crime and investigation.
Unable to resist intervening, Alex saved detectives Kai Mendoza and Ernesto Almares from a drug-dealing gang. Impressed by Alex’s investigative skills and intuition, the head of the local police department, Ocampo, offered him the opportunity to unofficially join their force as a detective. After some hesitation, Alex finally joined the Mactan PD as an unofficial investigator and a helping hand to the detectives. However, since Alex became involved in the investigations, he found himself confronted with one major crime after another, leading him to solve each of them.
What Happened To Kai’s Mother?
After joining the Mactan PD, Alex found himself in a situation where some of his DEA friends, including Detective Zivic, attempted to take over a major case involving the capture of an international drug dealer named Aguero. However, they soon realized that capturing Augero without Alex’s help would be nearly impossible. Before Zivic could reach the criminal, Alex and his team, consisting of Kai and Ernesto, had to work on numerous other cases. They successfully dismantled drug dealer Jimmy Tao’s illicit drug empire, exposed a sex trafficking racket, and even saved the Governor’s life from a powerful corporate fixer. Fictional celebrity personalities like 1990s TV show star Jerry Westwood and country music star August Crowe, who visited Mactan, also faced significant threats. Jerry became entangled in a scheme orchestrated by Russian treasure hunters aiming to carry out an explosive attack, while August Crowe was kidnapped. Each time, Alex and his team managed to navigate these dangerous situations successfully and punish the criminals.
However, one of the most significant cases involved the murder of Kai’s mother. Kai’s mother was a spiritual leader in her village, where she worked alongside a man named Cesar Rabara. A disagreement between them escalated into violence, leading Rabara to kill Kai’s mother. Rabara had been a close friend and mentor to Kai, someone she trusted implicitly. To cover up his crime, Rabara framed an individual named Bautista for the murder and, overwhelmed by grief and fear, Bautista took his own life.
As the local professor began to uncover the truth behind the murder, Rabara grew increasingly desperate and killed the professor to silence him. Rabara aimed to frame Kai for the murder, but Alex and Ernesto, who were not assigned to the investigation, took it upon themselves to prove Rabara’s betrayal of Kai. When Rabara abducted Kai, intending to end her life, Alex and Ernesto intervened, holding Rabara at gunpoint and placing him under arrest. Their actions saved Kai and exposed Rabara’s true nature as a betrayer.
What Happened To Evelyn?
Similar to many secret agent portrayals in films and series, Alex Walker’s personal life in Almost Paradise was also filled with hardships. As an undercover DEA agent, he had experienced a failed marriage and had become distant from his daughter, Evelyn. In the final episode of Season 1, Evelyn finally visits Alex in the Philippines. However, their meeting was far from pleasant, as Evelyn harbored resentment toward her father for not being there for her. Accusing him of neglecting his fatherly duties, she shouted at him, leading to Alex suffering another heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital, where Ernesto and Kai visited him and were introduced to Evelyn.
Meanwhile, Todd Carpenter, the traitor who had previously targeted Alex in Barcelona, arrived in the Philippines with the intention of blackmailing and exploiting Alex. Todd had betrayed not only Alex but also the DEA by associating with drug dealers and turning against the agency. In a previous encounter, Todd deliberately missed while shooting at Alex in order to kill him in a more dramatic fashion later on. Todd tracked Alex down and attempted to attack his family. Alex survived the attack, but he was in the hospital, under the influence of drugs and in a disoriented state. Meanwhile, one of Todd’s henchmen cunningly took the bed next to Alex’s, gaining Evelyn’s attention. He convinced her to help him by depositing money in a bank, to which Evelyn agreed. While she left to assist the man she believed to be in need, Alex had a doubt about the neighboring bed, and found it was empty.
As Alex had heard the mysterious person’s conversation with Evelyn, he managed to track down the location with the help of Kai, but right the moment Alex spotted his daughter on the way, Evelyn was kidnapped by Todd’s men before his eyes. Alex eventually located Todd but was presented with a condition; he had to kill Numbers, an accountant for the infamous drug lord Francisco Aguero, who was in the custody of the Mactan PD. Todd demanded a ledger from Numbers containing Aguero’s illegal activities. Faced with no other choice, Alex reluctantly agreed to fulfill Todd’s condition to save his daughter.
With the help of Kai and Ernesto, Alex staged a false show of killing Numbers and sent a video to Todd. However, Numbers was alive and cooperated with the police to capture Aguero. As promised, Alex presented Todd with the ledger and demanded Evelyn’s release. In a twist of events, Todd attempted to kill both Alex and Evelyn. Yet Evelyn took the opportunity to fight back, overpowering Todd’s henchmen. Kai arrived at the scene, and together with Evelyn, they subdued Todd and had him arrested. Ernesto also managed to arrest Aguero, who was attempting to escape. After the dust settled, Evelyn finally forgave her father and understood the difficult circumstances he had faced. She found solace in knowing that her father had been working for the greater good. Evelyn returned to America, bidding farewell to her father and leaving the Philippines behind.
Final Words
In closing, Almost Paradise has been renewed for a second season. While Season 1 had a mix of nonsensical and decent storylines, the series offered a watchable and entertaining experience due to its comedic approach and Christian Kane’s outstanding performance. Looking forward to Season 2, it is hoped that the show will delve deeper into the intricacies of the story, delivering a satisfying ending without unnecessary drama.
