‘Almost Paradise’ Recap: ‘All In’

9/21/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Christian Kane as Alex Walker in Episode 207 of ‘Almost Paradise’ – ‘All In’. (Photo Courtesy of Chari Villegas/Amazon Freevee.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Almost Paradise’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve talked about some storytelling wonders when it comes to the Amazon Freevee series, Almost Paradise. Because season two of this show, has boldly gone where no crime drama has gone before. By offering up touching and powerful character studies that allows for the wonderful people that make up this story, to close out old chapters in their lives and grow and move forward. Not to mention, this season has done an amazing job of exploring the history of the Philippines and its rich culture. All of which has made for a vastly non-traditional season of storytelling for a crime drama and well, non-traditional is top of mind today, simply because the series decided to offer up another unconventional tale for its next episode.

For ‘All In’ was a story that brought back the lovely and enigmatic Ann Villegas, for one simple reason. In that… she was in need of Alex Walker’s help. For she had inherited her family’s glamorous casino and with her now being in charge of such a large fortune, and considering how things went in ‘The Magellan Cross’, the remainder of her family thought it best that she moved into the casino, and as she settled in, she immediately faced a concerning crisis. In that, a roving band of intelligent thieves were knocking over every casino in the Philippines for ridiculous sums of money, and while she had a new security expert on site, the conflict between the old guard (Ann’s uncle, Johnny) and the new, and her lack of experience, prompted her to call the one man she knew would help keep her casino safe, dear Alex.

After all, he found her prized family heirloom and kept her safe before, courtesy of his no-nonsense approach to well… everything. So, in her mind, there was no one else better suited to test the casino’s genuine vulnerabilities, so she could install the right security chief and the right program, and she also had a hunch that Alex’s work would keep the big monsters at bay. And since Alex still had a massive crush on Ann, and of course… loved to outwit criminals, he said yes to one wild plan. Wherein… he was basically contracted to rob Ann’s casino, and of course… to pull it off… he needed a powerhouse crew. Which was why he asked Ocampo to loan him Ernesto and Kai, to use their sharp minds to help, to help them be better police officers, and be proactive if trouble did arise, and it most certainly did.

For the syndicate came calling and attempted to rob the casino of every cent it had. But thanks to Johnny’s foresight and Alex’s ability to play the long game, that didn’t happen, and the whole crew was brought to justice. But what mattered more here… was the plot in and of itself. Because while crime dramas often feature stories about undercover sting operations… you don’t see the heroes be the thieves all that often. But Walker had his own little crew here that pulled everything off without a hitch and well, this change-up was nothing short of brilliant. Because it allowed for the show to really have a different kind of fun here. Plus, this dynamic trio were able to get a taste of how the other half lived and that led to some amazing moments that really showed off the talents of this group, and of course… offered up an engaging story that we simply could not pull ourselves away from.

If anything, if Dean Devlin ever decided to make a Walker’s Trio spin-off, where our heroes served as security consultants that can play both sides, it would undoubtedly be successful. As evidenced by how well this twist played out. But that aside, this episode was just a real treat. For it was fun, it was different, and it continued to do this season proud. Because beneath the delightful heist story, was the beginning of a real love story. Where Alex finally got his shot to impress Ann and really show her the kind of partner, he could be to her if she was willing to let him into her life. All of which leaves us hopeful that it works out. Because at the end of the day, we tuned into this show to watch Alex Walker, heal, and grow and find the peace the wanted. And we all know that love is part of his long-term plans to have just that, and it will be interesting to see where their love affair goes from here, and what other unconventional surprises await us, as we enter the endgame for season two of this incredible show. Until next time.

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