The plot thickens, and tragedies strike the characters in the fourth episode of Hulu’s ‘Paradise‘ Season 2. The three-episode premiere introduced new characters and mysteries that continue to build up with an episode that focuses on birth and death. The third episode ended with Annie finding Xavier and bringing him to Graceland, where she discovers that the bunker in Colorado is real. As Xavier talks about going to Atlanta, she makes it clear that they will be going to the bunker because she needs to find the father of her unborn baby. And by the end of the episode, it becomes clear why she was so adamant about it. The episode also brings back a familiar face, reminding the audience that much of the bunker’s history remains shrouded in mystery. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Annie and Xavier Set Out on an Impossible Journey
When Xavier is in a delirious state, he dreams about the bunker and, interestingly, has a vision of Link walking down a tunnel. The fourth episode begins with Link having the same dream, where Xavier is walking behind him. Before more can be revealed about this dream, Link is woken up by his team, and they decide to march on, finally finding the bunker they have been looking for so long. Meanwhile, at Graceland, Annie patches up Xavier and tells him that she needs to go to Colorado. However, given the six stitches on his spleen, he is in no condition to go anywhere. So, for two weeks, they get to know each other, slowly and reluctantly. They even become comfortable in each other’s presence, while Annie continues to monitor her blood pressure.
When Xavier is strong enough to make the journey, he tells Annie about his urgency to find his wife. So, she agrees to go with him to Atlanta, under the condition that as soon as they find Teri, he will take her back to Colorado, so she can be with Link. It doesn’t sound like a bad deal to Xavier, and the next morning, they pack up and leave, with Annie riding on her beloved horse from Graceland. They take their first pit stop, where they have a brief discussion of their plans. When Annie drops Link’s student ID, which she has saved for all these months, Xavier recognises him. He starts to tell Annie about the dreams that feel more like visions because they haven’t happened yet, and she wonders if it’s because of the concussion he got.
For the years she spent cooped up inside all along, she is scared not just of the people, but also of the little things that can kill someone. Xavier, however, doesn’t seem to have that issue. He still believes that people can be good, given a chance. So, the next day, when a cart passes by them, despite Annie telling him not to acknowledge them, he greets the group. They stop at an abandoned waffle place (because Annie was craving waffles so much), and Xavier uses this break to teach her a few things about how to handle newborns. When he talks about the hope they bring, she points out that her child is coming into a world full of storms, and yet, he points out that there can be moments of joy, though Annie doesn’t seem entirely convinced of it.
A Baby is Born in Paradise
With the focus on Annie’s pregnancy, the episode gives us a flashback to the first time the bunker welcomed a newborn. This brings back James Marsden’s President Cal Bradford, who is excited at the prospect of new life coming into their world. He tries to get Sinatra to join her as the pregnant woman, Luisa Moreno, is wheeled into the hospital for her delivery. Sinatra, however, isn’t so keen on that. In fact, she has other important projects to attend to, and she tells Cal that it would be great if he joined her to find out how the place is run. He, however, is focused on supporting Luisa. He tries to keep things light, and his light-hearted humor shows why he was so popular in the first place.
When things get complicated, he accompanies Luisa and the doctors into the operating theatre, keeping his promise of being by her side no matter what. Seeing that she is scared for her baby, he tells her about when his son was born. Right out of the hospital, when he and his wife were taking their newborn son home, their car was rear-ended. Thankfully, their son was unharmed, and their doctor assured them that babies are built to survive. Sure enough, Luisa’s baby survives, and it turns out that Sinatra couldn’t stay away either. She watches the whole thing happen from outside and leaves when the delivery is done. Xavier is moved by the President’s gesture and his story to help Luisa, and he holds on to the part about babies being built to survive when Annie’s water breaks.
Right as they are about to leave the waffle place, Annie starts having contractions, leading them back into the building. While Xavier tries to gather all the things they will need to deliver the baby, it doesn’t take him long to realise that they need help. So, he tells Annie to wait for a few minutes while he runs to the farm where the carriage people are surely living. She pleads with him not to leave, while also being scared that the others are bad people. But they have no choice, so he leaves her with a gun and runs. When he reaches the house, there is no one there. So, he starts gathering stuff. But then the residents show up, and after a brief scuffle, Xavier explains the situation, and against Annie’s worst fears, they turn out to be good people and are ready to help.
Annie’s Story Comes to a Tragic End
While Xavier is away, Annie writes a letter to her daughter, believing she will not survive this. And then, help arrives. The baby is born and is safe and healthy, but the same cannot be said about Annie. It turns out she has preeclampsia, which she was aware of because she had been monitoring her blood pressure all this time. Without proper medical resources, she cannot be saved, and despite Xavier and the others trying to find a way, she tells them that this is it for her. She asks Xavier to take care of the baby and get her to her father. She also hands him a letter, hoping that someday, her daughter will read it. And then, she passes away in Xavier’s arms. She is laid to rest near the house of the carriage people, and Xavier thinks about his next move.
The scenes of Annie’s delivery and its aftermath are intercut with Luisa’s delivery and its aftermath. Days after the baby is born, Sinatra shows up at Luisa’s door with a LEGO set as a gift and offering any form of help. Luisa says she hasn’t slept for days, so Sinatra offers to take care of the baby for a couple of hours so the mother can get her rest. The baby gives her hope, especially as she speaks about her plans to get the world back to the way it was. She promises the baby that one day they’ll see real stars and sunrises and sunsets because she is working on it. Back in the present, Xavier has a conversation with one of the women at the farm, who talks about how she used to be a chemistry teacher before all this. She also offers to keep the baby, but Xavier says he must fulfill the promise he made to Annie.
Even as he wonders how he is going to undertake the journey with a child, he tells himself what Cal told Luisa. Babies are built to survive. In a heartbreaking moment, the horse refuses to leave Annie’s grave, but when Xavier comes out with the baby, the horse comes to her as if he recognises her as Annie’s baby. Soon, they reach Atlanta, and Xavier ends up at a seemingly abandoned post. He is greeted by a strange man, who seems to know exactly who Xavier is. He reveals that Teri is his best friend, his partner through the apocalypse, and she has been “taken from him.” While it remains to be seen what this means about Teri, the episode shifts to Link and his group. They have found the bunker’s door and make their presence known by sending a message. They want to talk to the bosses, and while they are willing to wait, their patience will not stick around for long, and that is a threat.
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