‘Almost Paradise’ Rewatch: First Steps

Written by John Edward Betancourt

How ‘Reef Eel Soup for the Soul’ Puts Alex Walker on the Path to Becoming a Genuine Hero

‘Let me get this straight. I was just to supposed to stand there and watch him choke you to death?’
- Alex Walker

It is definitely safe to say, that season one of the highly regarded television series, Almost Paradise, more or less serves as a hero’s origin story. For we get to watch Alex Walker go from a broken man and disgraced DEA Agent, to an outright champion of Cebu. One that is willing to put himself in harm’s way often, in order to put the worst of the worst behind bars and that made for one fulfilling year of storytelling. Because you can never go wrong with watching a broken man find his way out of the darkness and become a beacon of hope for those around him. But of course, in order to become a true hero, a character has to earn that status by way of a calculated journey that teaches him what it means to be a selfless champion.
 
Which is a journey that thankfully begins, in the next episode of this storied saga. For ‘Reef Eel Soup for the Soul’ actually takes the time to examine three keys steps that go into creating a hero. Such as giving the future hero a cause to fight for. Because when we catch up with Alex here, he’s just doing his thing and enjoying the fact that he can help out the police from time to time to satisfy his desire to do some good in the world. But once that nasty thug chokes Mr. Bayani behind his restaurant, Alex begins to understand that his skill set can really do a lot for the everyday guys and gals of the world. The ones who feel as though they’re going to slip through the cracks or fear contacting the police will cause more harm than good, and that particular step leads into the next hero-building exercise for Mister Walker. 
 
Because the best heroes out there, know how to handle their business in a balanced manner. Because calm and resolve are far more terrifying than pure anger and that particular lesson came about during the interrogation of the aforementioned thug. For Alex let his fury over the Bayani incident come out way too early, doing little for the case until Ernesto calmly and swiftly taught him the importance of playing it cool. And once Ernesto demonstrated this lesson first hand, he and Alex finally made some progress with the case and oddly enough… Ernesto's masterclass in restraint, allowed for the third and final lesson to make itself apparent to Alex. In that, there's nothing wrong with feeling angry over the injustices of the world, provided of course, one takes that anger and does something worthwhile, with it.
 
Which allowed for him to harness his fury and use it to scheme against his opponent, to the point where he went behind the baddie’s back to prepare the governor for a grandiose entrapment plan. One where he used his fury and disdain for Mister Montrose’s machinations to lull the man into a false sense of security, all so that he would expose himself to be a monster after all, and in the end, all of these lessons led to one engrossing tale. One that really did see Alex take solid steps toward becoming the well-rounded hero we are proud of in the finale. Plus, this shift toward being a hero, also allows for him to forge a tighter bond with Sam and Ernesto, something that will be critical to his success as a champion of Cebu as well. 
 
But while it is delightful to see the foundation for the rest of the season be laid down here, we would be foolish to not reflect upon how much fun this episode is as well. Because watching Alex become a wily Spaniard and play Montrose like a fiddle, really is quite the delight for certain, and the entire plot thread involving Montrose and whether or not the governor is involved in his schemes is equally as amazing. Simply because it keeps you on your toes and really in the end, everything present in this tale just goes to show how intelligent this series truly is. And it is going to be quite the treat to see what other formational moments take place for Alex as our second journey through this dynamic series, continues along. Until next time.

‘Almost Paradise’ is available to stream for free (with ads), right now, on IMDbTV.

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