‘Almost Paradise’ Recap: ‘A Wedding to Die For’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

​Over the course of the past couple of months, the WGN America series Almost Paradise, has been able to establish itself as one of the most diverse crime dramas on television. Because week in and week out, we’ve been treated to stories that not only offer an intimate look at the fascinating characters that populate the island of Cebu; but also provide the audience with more than just action and adventure and bleak crimes that leave fans unsettled. There’s genuine meaning and depth to the stories here, and the crimes that our heroes need to solve are unique and intricate and that’s just unheard of when it comes to modern crime dramas.
 
But while this series has proven time and time again that it can do anything it wants storytelling wise and be successful in doing so, once in a while it’s never a bad thing to return to your roots and that’s what made last night’s episode of the series so incredibly fun. Because ‘A Wedding to Die For’ turned out to be a traditional crime story, one that saw the entirety of the Triad Crime Syndicate arrive on the island for the wedding of their supreme leader, a Mister Thomas Chow, who was affectionately known as ‘The Scorpion’ amongst his peers. And what made this episode a more classic crime story, is the sheer fact that this one played out like a good old-fashioned ‘who done it?’ Thanks in large part to the fact that there was a murder at this joyous occasion.
 
Because someone killed The Scorpion on his wedding day, and with every rival Triad family in attendance, it appeared as though someone within this crime syndicate was making a power play. Which means an undercover Alex had to keep the blushing bride safe from harm while an undercover Kai pieced together the clues in order to figure out the true identity of the murderer, all while gathering evidence to stick it to organized crime, and this was quite the treat. In part because it showed us just how much this team has grown over the course of season one, since they knew how to motivate one another and work together in seamless fashion. But while it was quite awesome to enjoy a traditional murder mystery in this tale, it still found a way to keep things fresh and original, courtesy of Kai’s detective skills. 
 
For she was the one who cracked the case, and it was quite wonderful to see her use her vast stores of knowledge to put together the fact that an internal power struggle amongst the Triads didn’t quite make sense. And once she eliminated the impossible, she quickly came to realize that the Scorpion’s bride, Amber, was the guilty party, and it just so happens that our ‘poor’ widow was another element in this story that was downright refreshing. Because normally in stories such as these, someone that goes after a crime boss has a score to settle with them. But not Amber. For she was nothing more than a black widow/serial killer who decided to go big with her next score and thanks to Kai’s fine detective work and skills with her fists, she was able to bring Amber to justice and save Alex from certain doom. 
 
But while it seems as though Alex was sidelined in this tale, that’s simply not the case. Because in many ways his role here was that of a lead detective, one who used his experience to help set the groundwork for the investigation and he was a critical player in the undercover portion of this investigation, which was also a delight. Because anytime he dons a disguise, he loses himself in the role, which leads to plenty of laughs, and that happened here as well when he transformed himself into Amber’s personal beauty concierge. In the end however, this was just another wonderful episode from one incredibly dynamic series. Because this one was just plain fun, and it was quite lovely to be immersed within a traditional murder mystery, and it really is a shame that there is only one episode left to enjoy in season one, because this show is such a blast to watch. But at least we can take comfort in the fact that next week’s season finale, is going to be one epic tale, since it would seem that Alex is going to square off with the man that motivated his early retirement. Until next time.

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