Almost Paradise - General Discussion

[DoctorAtomic]

I do hope the development with the daughter will ease his heart condition. 

I don't know if I need the show to keep digging into Walker's past because it's clear they're showing him settling down there and making a new home, but I'd like to see coming to terms with the exwife.

They clearly left the door open for the daughter to return, but I don't think she needs to always be in peril. 

[seacliffsal]

I like that Alex got closure with his former partner so hopefully some of the stress will start lessening.  Also liked how the whole department (or floor) volunteered to help Alex find his daughter. 

Did not necessarily care for the daughter-lots of children don't see their parents for long periods of time, and, no, problems (drugs) don't disappear, but how much worse would the drug issue be if Alex hadn't been trying to help resolve it?  So many lives ruined through drugs-maybe he was able to save even just one person from losing/destroying their life due to drugs.  I'm a teacher-have I wasted my life because there are still people who are illiterate?  Or, have I been able to have a positive impact on at least some students who will then have opportunities through their lifetimes that they may not have had otherwise?  One person does not carry the responsibility to resolve an entire problem/issue-just do one's best to help others.

Enjoy this show, really hope it gets renewed!

[DoctorAtomic]

10 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

Also liked how the whole department (or floor) volunteered to help Alex find his daughter. 

I did like the subtle execution of the scene. They showed everyone just working when he entered the station. 

14 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

One person does not carry the responsibility to resolve an entire problem/issue-just do one's best to help others.

I don't think he got the chance to communicate that to her because he had the attack, but I think the show made a better narrative choice by showing Kai, Ernesto, and the *chief* showing up, with the chief demanding to see Walker. And then showing the little girl come in to give him the crystal. 

I'd like to see some growth if the daughter returns. She might think she's going to save everyone in the peacecorps, but she'll find out that she's only going to be able to do so much. 

[officetemp]

If there is a Season 2, I hope they show Season 1 again before the start of the new season.  I started watching the series and ended up missing several episodes.

Anyway, I like the series.  I like the characters, especially Ernesto.  I like that all the people on the local police force seem to be badass martial artists.  I like how the relationships are all evolving and I like how the locals have seemingly come to accept and care for Alex as "one of us."

The writing for the Evelyn character seemed to be a little heavy-handed to start with; I liked that everything wasn't all unrealistically "sunshine-and-roses" at the end.  I did wonder whether she was really in the Peace Corps after Alex asked why she needed to know martial arts in the Peace Corps.  Maybe she's in US Military Special Ops?

I thought it was great when Alex described Kai as "one of my best friends" while his ex-partner was holding him at gunpoint.

 

[screengem]

Here's the latest:

Almost Paradise has wrapped its first season on WGN America, and the series has not yet been renewed for a second season. However, series creator Dean Devlin spoke about what fans could see in a second season in an interview with Assignment X.

Devlin talked about the island on the WGN America series, and he revealed that “the island of Mactan is a character in our show and we want to explore that character much farther.” He also noted that, in season two, the show would continue to evolve “evolving into new directions, while maintaining it’s fun core. We’re excited to see where that can lead us.”

Viewers may also see some more of the characters introduced in season two of Almost Paradise. Devlin wants to bring back Uncle Danny (Richard Kind) for more in the second season.

[Linderhill]

there was a facebook live video cast last night with Dean Devlin, Christian and the whole cast and crew.  It was great to see everyone and they talked about what a fun time they had with the production and having to evacuate before they could even have a wrap party.  A couple of crew even were stuck there.  

https://www.facebook.com/almostparadisetv/videos/288225782223090

Towards the end, like the last minute, Dean mentions that WGN isn't picking them up for season 2 because they are going all news (because we need yet another news station).  But, there's a possiblility of another home.  He'll be anouncing something in July.

[Ailianna]

I really hope they find a new home, and one that treats them well.  I have really enjoyed this show, and it's mix of fun and drama.  In this crazy time, it's been a little sparkle of joy.  Not that the world would stop if it were gone--but a little happiness would be gone for me.  I really like Ernesto and would like to see more of him, though I almost suspect him of having a drama-free personal story.  He has a wonderful level of calm and peace even in the chaos, and a sense of humor about what happens.  I like Alex and Kai too, and the little girl is adorable, and I like the resort manager and Ocampo too.  I would hate to see this show go away.

[DoctorAtomic]

Ah that would explain the commercials. I record and watch the day after but I saw something like WGN America or some such. 

I can't imagine the show is too expensive to produce since it was on wgn. 

Although I like all the options for content now, I do kind of miss the days of syndicated shows where you had cool shows like this on weird fucking channels like Tuesdays at 1045 or some shit that went on for four years. 

That aside, this could be good for Hulu or tbs. 

[Hanahope]

There was a FB post where they said the show was going to be broadcast on a free channel sometime over the summer and if it does well for 2 months, it may get renewed.

they will announce the new channel soon.

[DoctorAtomic]

Article about Alex. 

https://precincttv.com/2020/06/11/almost-paradise-alex-walker-hero/

 

[DoctorAtomic]

Case for a season 2.

https://precincttv.com/2020/06/16/almost-paradise-season-2-reasons/?fbclid=IwAR05N3qoRPi3uwaIbQDJwxkLpgnQ8MSsqDOOcbFFACJMMeylzMgPMS89wls

I really liked Psych and White Collar, but I never really thought about those shows when this one aired. I thought it was a better Hawaii Five-0. McGarrett was a humorless bitch. 

 

[Linderhill]

I see no one has posted this here.  Christian Kane posted on Instagram that Almost Paradise is now showing on IMDBT, linked to AmazonPrime.  Here's a link that he posted with the instructions on how to watch.  http://www.restrelaxreload.com

 

Edited February 3, 2021 by Linderhill

[tessaray]

7 minutes ago, Linderhill said:

I see no one has posted this here.  Christian Kane posted on Instagram that Almost Paradise is now showing on IMDBT, linked to AmazonPrime.  Here's a link that he posted with the instructions on how to watch.  http://www.restrelaxreload.com

 

Thanks for passing this on. I'd almost forgotten about it. I do try to keep tabs on the IMDB channel because of the upcoming Leverage reboot but... so many shows, so little time. 

[Ailianna]

While that's good news I was hoping that somehow it was a second season notice. I really enjoyed this show and still have it on my dvr.  Which is trying to die...

[andromeda331]

That's good news. I love watching the show. I really wish they had given it a second season.

[DoctorAtomic]

I thought the show didn't get renewed simply because the network changed format to a news channel. I asked on their FB how expensive it was to produce since there's enough outlets with the cash to put the show on. 

[Raja]

On 6/4/2020 at 8:22 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

Ah that would explain the commercials. I record and watch the day after but I saw something like WGN America or some such. 

I can't imagine the show is too expensive to produce since it was on wgn. 

Although I like all the options for content now, I do kind of miss the days of syndicated shows where you had cool shows like this on weird fucking channels like Tuesdays at 1045 or some shit that went on for four years. 

That aside, this could be good for Hulu or tbs. 

One problem would be that their Philippines partner ABS-CBN is having problems with the present Duterte government. Local teleseryes  are normally produced in a daily soap format that last a few months like Latin telenovelas. I did not know the show existed until it turned up as available on Prime. I guess that I have 9 more episodes and done to look forward to.

On 5/19/2020 at 5:19 PM, jelaine said:

Chiming in with love for the show. Confessing my deep love and adoration for Ernesto. He's a treasure. I also love Kai. She's a damn good cop, but she does have room to grow. I like that Ocampo is a good cop, even if he's more politician than cop. I will follow Kane pretty much anywhere. 

Arthur (Art) Acuña seems to specialize as the second banana cop or soldier. Samantha Richelle I can't place  they are not billing her as introducing are they? I pretty much just saw Kane on Angel though I know of leverage and The Librarians.

[Raja]

On 5/3/2020 at 8:07 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

The most recent episode was kind of Die Hard for a little while there. I did like how the young Asian women was all kind of mousey and then totally stepped up when Ernesto got shot. 

That was my thought Die Hard 2 in a typhoon instead of a blizzard. Army veterans, the world over much respect.

On 5/15/2020 at 10:52 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

The actor is doing well with Kai being confident that she's good at her job. Being the only woman lead is kind of a thin line, unfortunately, because it's too easy to just fall back on being a bitch. 

She was legitimately pissed because the chief was giving them shitty cases, but she worked the case professionally. 

It's a credit to the writing but the actor still needs to work in between the dialogue. 

I also like that she just has tattoos and it's not any deal about anything. 

As best as I can determine Samantha Richelle is sort of a cross between Tila Tequilla posting her mom body shots and a Kardashian/Jenner being the daughter of a Bahrian prince. And my wife didn't recognize her either. For general Filipino society I think they are still in the easily hidden tattoo stage and she has gone a bit further than most

[Raja]

On 5/19/2020 at 6:23 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

They're writing Kai well as being the junior cop, but not being a hot head/hot shot know it all either. She had a temper about being put on what she thought was a low level case last week, and while it's perfectly fine to vent to Ernesto, she took his advice and worked the case professionally even though she was pissed. Similarly, Ernesto could be an ass to them both, but he likes to work the case. 

There's some other characters over in Baltimore who'd call him good po-lice. 

 

 

Watching the show on an episode a day schedule Detective Mendoza seemed out of character. For her and Agent Walker it was all about the community and not being on the big international task force up until now. In any case someone passing counterfeit 1000 php bills, roughly their $20 seemed like a big deal to me. 

[Raja]

On 5/27/2020 at 12:17 AM, andromeda331 said:

It might not have been if not for who the "clients" were. A last minute replacement for their wedding planner might have raised more suspicions if she had tattoos. He did question her at first but then dropped it when she seemed like a wedding planner. I'm a little surprised they weren't suspicious given how quickly she suggested getting a laundry cart to transport the body. 
 

 

 

On 5/27/2020 at 6:45 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

They showed other people at the wedding with tattoos though. I suppose if one of them could recognize her as a cop had he been to the island before and noticed them. I don't know why she needed a wig either. 

 

Given that this was made for an American audience I would say that in the Philippines they are not  at the point tattoo wise where a woman in the guest host/planner's position, even or maybe especially, working at a resort with mostly guest would have a set of tattoos like Detective Mendoza has.  The others at the wedding were Triad members and thus cultural outlaws even if they had money.

[DoctorAtomic]

That's fine, but that takes a single line of dialogue. 

[Raja]

In the end  Almost Paradise played like a counter to Burn Notice to me. Perhaps a bit less grounded in the action scenes.

Instead of a fired CIA Agent being dropped off at home with family around we had a retired DEA Agent expat finding a family.

While Michael  Weston was full vigilante,  Alex Walker was a local police agent..

But by the later episodes it seemed they were still working out where the show was going suddenly Detective Mendoza  was feeling left behind in the push for big cases to get attention from the General’s in Manilla  and not serving and protecting her barangay and island. And Alex’s actual family in Uncle Danny and Evelyn started showing up just as his found family was telling him that he was accepted .

I like the jokes about Evelyn’s special sets of skills from the finale. Given her “just a narc” comment at Alex except for her being so easily duped by the gang’s con my soft reboot would have been for her "Peace Corps" being the CIA headed to Indonesia. That eternal war between the drug warrior DEA Agent and the CIA Agent fighting another war often with the drug guys as assets playing into the family dynamic.

[Raja]

I keep getting news alerts from the Filipino press. It seems as the show is now online everyone expects the partner network ABS-CBN to pick up Samantha Richelle. As they work under a network system like the old US studio system. So it may have launched one career 

Most of the local content tends to be in a tele novela format or like say Hallmark TV movies.

[Linderhill]

I just saw posted on TVLine that the show has been picked up for a second season on IMDB TV where its been showing for the past months.

https://tvline.com/2022/02/08/almost-paradise-renewed-season-imdb-tv-christian-kane/

Good news!

[tessaray]

2 hours ago, Linderhill said:

I just saw posted on TVLine that the show has been picked up for a second season on IMDB TV where its been showing for the past months.

https://tvline.com/2022/02/08/almost-paradise-renewed-season-imdb-tv-christian-kane/

Good news!

I'm really surprised. But glad for the cast and crew.

[Raja]

44 minutes ago, tessaray said:

I'm really surprised. But glad for the cast and crew.

Be especially glad for the two leads. Filipino actors seem to stay in almost constant work. One or two teleserye, along with TV movies and showing up on daily and weekly variety shows concurrently is common. 

Despite the buzz I haven't heard of Samantha Richelle turning up in any late pandemic productions while her partner Arthur Acuna is playing a father of the antagonist in one that just debuted last week.

[Linderhill]

Kane's insta posting:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZu8Q6SD43Y/

[Linderhill]

from Dean Devlin's tweet: https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/imdb-tv-almost-paradise-1235174946/

 

One thing is for sure, since both Leverage Redemption and Almost Paradise are Dean Devlin's properties there shouldn't be any schedule conflicts with Kane.

[andromeda331]

5 hours ago, Linderhill said:

from Dean Devlin's tweet: https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/imdb-tv-almost-paradise-1235174946/

 

One thing is for sure, since both Leverage Redemption and Almost Paradise are Dean Devlin's properties there shouldn't be any schedule conflicts with Kane.

That's good. That's the one thing I was worried about. I really love both shows and don't want to have to give up either one or lose Kane from either show.

[Raja]

On 2/9/2022 at 11:28 PM, andromeda331 said:

That's good. That's the one thing I was worried about. I really love both shows and don't want to have to give up either one or lose Kane from either show.

The announcement seemed to come just after the Philippines announced that they are reopening to tourism and easing the quarantine periods for those with proof of vaccinations. So the go decision was most likely made but placed on pandemic hold

A COVID Omega variant  and renewed restrictions would be the greater danger, than scheduling Kane's travel. Especially for a production which is  bringing only a few foreign actors mostly to play old acquaintances and family of Walker. And those actors would be in a situation Magnum PI and NCIS Hawai'i has with its guest, just an extra day of travel

It should be easy enough to produce a season with just local enemies and new friends if necessary. How that would play with audiences who only know one actor in the new global market is a question.

[Linderhill]

I had to pat myself on the back with I tweeted to Dean Devlin that it would be nice if some of the Leverage crew stopped off in Cebo and I got a like from him. 😁

[DoctorAtomic]

oooooh, yes. 

 

[andromeda331]

Oh, that would be really great!

[Raja]

Shoot a few screws and then take a couple of weeks at an island resort sounds like a great deal to lure actors known to Americans over. Especially after two years of being locked out of fun

[Nialla]

Almost Paradise Season 2 | Official Trailer | Coming July 21

Edited June 13, 2023 by Nialla

[Linderhill]

Christian Kane posted the new season's trailer on his instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtZsj2vtFUs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

He's very excited about this new season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CthUdgHJXR9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

From TVLine: https://api.swiftype.com/api/v1/public/analytics/pc?engine_key=tyfxTVRxDFStuk5aCQu2&doc_id=64889ead28ccbceb21522723&_st_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftvline.com%2Ftrailers%2Falmost-paradise-season-2-release-date-trailer-poster-freevee-1234998795%2F&q=almost paradise

[DoctorAtomic]

iirc, they wrapped up the story with Walker's partner in the finale. So maybe they can expand on the show universe more now and have more stories with a broader scope. 

[AnimeMania]

Dean Devlin should watch a few episodes of Magnum P.I. to learn how to showcase the beauty of the Philippines, because he is making me more afraid to go there, than want to go there.

[Raja]

On 6/16/2023 at 7:58 PM, AnimeMania said:

Dean Devlin should watch a few episodes of Magnum P.I. to learn how to showcase the beauty of the Philippines, because he is making me more afraid to go there, than want to go there.

Well with local cops instead of the PI I would make Miami Vice  the closer entry point. Well despite Crockett and Tubs undercover personas being well off and the local color  that Miami was also a scary place.

 Just rewatching the first episode as the second season is coming I wondered how it played for the Filipino audience when released there online in Tagalog dubbed to meet TV standards . But Tagalog is the second or third language for the Cebu area.  Since as a multi language country many tell me that retired President Duterte spoke better English than Tagalog.

  Since it was made for an American audience from the start of the "American base" and differing to the US DEA and Interpol could grate on local sensibilities. About the time the show was produced the Philippines started enforcing its law about using real police uniforms and agency names. The Mactan Police however does look better than the new standard TV cop uniforms that their industry settled on to replace the PNP uniforms

[Raja]

On 6/13/2023 at 6:32 AM, Nialla said:

Almost Paradise Season 2 | Official Trailer | Coming July 21

I wonder if that opening scene means that the monitor will be deemphasized in season 2?  It looks like the nurse from the typhoon police station episode is coming back at least once.  So how did the possible relationship with Ernesto turn out? Time will tell I guess.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Raja

[AnimeMania]

Almost Paradise is a Drama TV Series that is filmed entirely in the Philippines. The 10 episode Season 1 aired on WGN America in March of 2020 and can currently be watched on Amazon FreeVee. Almost Paradise Season 2 will release all 10 episodes on July 21, 2023 on Amazon FreeVee.         

Christian Kane is Alex Walker, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent forced into early retirement. The combination of his partner's betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension has sent him as far from the madness as he can get - to the small tropical island of Cebu in the Philippine archipelago. He now runs the gift shop in the island's luxury resort hotel, which attracts the rich, powerful, and sometimes criminal elite from around the world. Despite his best efforts to transition from Jason Bourne to Jimmy Buffett, Alex is pulled back into a world of dangerous people and deadly situations - either through his friends in the local police, Kai Mendoza and Ernesto Alamares, or encounters with people from his old life. And the problem is that he likes it.

In Season 2, Alex is left questioning his place on the island, but with the help of his trusted friends Detective Kai Mendoza and Ernesto Almarez, he discovers a new sense of family that keeps him anchored in paradise.

Christian Kane is Alex Walker, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent forced into early retirement. 

Samantha Richelle plays Kai Mendoza, the youngest person ever to make detective in the Cebu police force. She’s a woman to be reckoned with who has worked tirelessly to get where she is and must constantly fight to prove herself. When Alex enters the picture, Kai views him as an entitled know-it-all, but as they grow closer, they realize their commonalities. 

AC Bonifacio as young Kai Mendoza.

Arthur Acuña stars as Ernesto Almares, Kai’s partner and the soul of the law-enforcement team. 

Nonie Buencamino plays Ike Ocampo, chief of the Cebu Police Department

Ces Quesada is Cory, the manager of the hotel where Alex is staying.

Angeli Bayani as Dr. Sara Patel

Sophia Reola as Rita Cordero

Zsa Zsa Padilla as Governor Nina Rosales

Almost Paradise Season 1         Amazon FreeVee       
Episodes 1-10   Titles and Descriptions

Spoiler

S01.E01: Finding Mabuhay

When ex-DEA agent Alex Walker moves to a tranquil, out-of-the-way beach in the Philippines for his health, he’s surprised to discover the area has developed over the years into a luxury resort. Despite his best efforts and against doctor’s orders, he soon finds himself falling back into his undercover operative ways when he’s pulled into a drug sting operation run by the local police department.

S01.E02: It’s Personal

When the body of a friend of Detective Ernesto Alamares washes up on a beach, it’s Alex who realizes the international smugglers who just checked in at the resort may be involved. While Ernesto tracks down the murderer, Alex goes undercover with Detective Kai Mendoza to catch the smugglers, but Alex’s hypertension flares when he realizes what kind of contraband is being trafficked.

S01.E03: Reef Eel Soup for the Soul

When Alex discovers that a group of mobsters are shaking down local street-food vendors, he goes undercover as a Spanish crime lord to bring the criminals to justice. But when he learns that a murderous international businessman is pulling the strings, he realizes that the implications for the future of Cebu are far worse than he ever imagined.

S01.E04: Pistol Whip

When a crew for a reality TV show exploring sunken WWII battlegrounds arrives at the resort, Alex’s need for rent-money ensnares him in an illicit dive operation with potentially catastrophic consequences.

S01.E05: Unbecalming

When a typhoon hits the Island, criminals and their hostages are trapped inside the police station. Alex must find a way to save his friends… as well as a sworn enemy - a US State Department bureaucrat there to “do a deal” with an arms dealer Alex had recently captured.

S01.E06: Rise of the Kalangay

Alex, feeling competitive, races to solve a murder before a celebrated detective can find the killer. Things take a turn for the personal when Alex realizes the crime leads back to the murder of Kai’s mother fifteen years before.

S01.E07: Uncle Danny

Alex’s con-artist Uncle Danny comes for a visit to make amends and Alex finds himself caught between protecting the world from his Uncle and protecting his Uncle from Kai and Ernesto… and a very pissed off mafia leg breaker.

S01.E08: Lone Wolf

When Alex takes a job protecting a country singer he idolizes; he quickly learns that you should never meet your heroes. But when the singer is kidnapped, Alex must figure out who is really behind the crime and rescue him before it’s too late.

S01.E09: A Wedding to Die For

When Kai is assigned to go undercover at the wedding of a notorious triad boss, Alex’s curiosity entangles him in the operation, which turns ugly after a member of the wedding party is murdered, leaving Kai and Alex to deal with the consequences alone.

S01.E10: Something Walker This Way Comes

Alex races to save his daughter when his old partner comes to town to finish the job he started.

[AnimeMania]

Almost Paradise Season 2    July 20, 2023    Amazon FreeVee       

Episodes 1-10   Titles and Descriptions

Spoiler

S01.E01: The Magellan Cross

A local priest is murdered over a long-lost ancient cross, the cross which Magellan held in his hand the day he was killed by Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan. Alex, Kai, and Ernesto must solve the priest’s murder and find the lost relic before it can land in the wrong hands.

S01.E02: Breaking Badminton

When Alex’s friend from the local gym is found murdered, Alex investigates and discovers his friend was involved in an underground badminton competition. Alex and Ernesto must go undercover as badminton players to solve the murder, and in the process, end up exposing a drug smuggling ring.

S01.E03: A Fisherfolk Tale

Alex befriends a boat mechanic wrongfully accused of murder in a remote fishing village, and, along with Kai and Ernesto, unravels an international smuggling operation and resolves a local blood feud in order to prove the man’s innocence.

S01.E04: Bahala Na

When Alex temporarily moves in with Ernesto, he is drawn into a family drama that transcends generations, spans decades, and proves that, indeed, “the past is never dead; it is not even past.”

S01.E05: Deus Ex-Wife Machina

Alex’s ex-wife shows up with her new fiancé asking Alex to sign their divorce papers, but when the fiancé is mistaken for Alex and kidnapped by an old enemy, Alex finds himself racing to rescue the man.

S01.E06: Ghost Month

During the traditional “Ghost Month” in the Philippines, Alex seems to be visited by the spirit of a dead man, wrongly accused of a crime, who seeks justice from the afterlife.

S01.E07: All In

Before the grand opening of Mactan’s new resort casino owned and operated by the Villegas family, Ann Villegas recruits Alex to test the casino’s security designed by the great Barton Coyne. Alex assembles a team - including Kai, Ernesto, and Ernesto’s cousin Angelo - to pull off a mock heist.

S01.E08: Uncoupled

Kai and Alex go undercover as a New Age-y couple at a self-help retreat in order to extract a naïve young woman from the clutches of a dangerous cult.

S01.E09: Old Times

When Alex entangles himself in a homicide investigation on behalf of his love interest, Ann Villegas, he is forced to befriend a geriatric couple with peculiar personality traits, coming to terms with the fact that life - and people - are often more complicated than they appear.

S01.E10: Brigade

Alex goes undercover as a prisoner and, with the help of Kai and Ernesto, figures out how The Waterboarder has been running his criminal empire from behind bars.

[Raja]

Season 2 episode 1 The Magellan Cross. A nice restart.

The stress monitor gimmick is gone and the only missing regular there being no sign of hotel manager Cory Santos (Ces Quesada).

Meanwhile Rita (Sophia Reola) is now 13 and Ernesto (Art Acuna) is as bad ass an hand to hand fighter as ever.

Like Alex I had to ask what an eggplant emoji stood for 🧓. Good thing I rarely use them. I would say that Ann Villeges (Max Collins) as the new love interest from competing resort family played well even if she is very young.

[AnimeMania]

I watched the first 3 episodes of Season 2 and thought they were pretty good and very entertaining, if not somewhat predictable. They are doing a better job than Season 1 of showing a more favorable view of the Philippines, but I still would be very afraid to go there. I still can not get an idea of what life is like for the people who live there. I see the homes and they vary greatly from what I am expecting, I will have to keep looking for some sort of correlation.

I really thought that Rita would have ended up with a Pepperfish Angelfish by the end of Episode 3, so much so, that I wondering if it was cut out due to editing.

[Raja]

26 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I watched the first 3 episodes of Season 2 and thought they were pretty good and very entertaining, if not somewhat predictable.

I'm only two in and the promo and Amazon's thumbnail  for episode 2 spoiled the comic moment. I was surprised with what happened the Kai in the truck and why the boys remained in the tournament.

29 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

They are doing a better job than Season 1 of showing a more favorable view of the Philippines, but I still would be very afraid to go there. I still can not get an idea of what life is like for the people who live there. I see the homes and they vary greatly from what I am expecting, I will have to keep looking for some sort of correlation.

Although they verbally identified Mactan as an "US" airbase, it was actually turned over to The Philippines after the Vietnam War but the USAF kept a presence there, including my brother, until America left we have the visuals of stock footage of an aircraft carrier at dock.

For the most part we have seen the cops and the resort staff but not their homes. The victims, a security guard, the nature vlogger and now the sportsman/trainer being those homes seen that spring to mind. If I may,  what were you expecting you can find from luxury condos to folks who make their living taking care of family plots and living on the grounds of the cemetery to squatters that move their shanty's off of the train tracks.

With the family who owns a resort hotel entering the story I guess we will see that upper class life soon enough. A couple of things did catch my ear when fight night turned into a telenovela instead of the Filipino teleserye, but then my experience is up in Manila where Tagalog is the primary and not the second or third language.

And probably just an interest of mine was Ernesto dropping the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency name, although it is normally just (PDEA pi day ah) since as an industry they stopped using the actual police uniforms and agency names in entertainment just before COVID hit

 

[AnimeMania]

Episode 4 finally answered some of my questions about how the people live the Philippines.

[DoctorAtomic]

I thought the show was going to be one episode per week, as Leverage was on FreeVee. I just don't have the bandwidth to binge. 

I liked the opening plot that Alex is going off disability and has to eventually make a decision about settling down. 

Kai seems also way more droll now too, in a funny way. The whole emoji bit was hilarious.  

I always like how bare bones Ernesto is too. He's not flashy; he's got his gun, and he's all set. Two guys with knives? Please. 

 

Magellan Cross
I felt like everyone they were talking to about the cross was either in on it or was pursuing it. I did like that Ann wasn't actually in on it. Sure, she had entitlement about the cross, but her intentions weren't nefarious. 

 

 

[giovannif7]

Just finished Season 2 Episode 5. I wasn't aware how badly I needed to see an entire prison yard of convicts flash-mobbing to Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth. Thank you for giving me the laugh I needed show! 🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🤣👏

[Mitchypoo]

“Let’s go steal a casino.”

[Raja]

12 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I liked the opening plot that Alex is going off disability and has to eventually make a decision about settling down. 

Settling down as in finding a new life mate. From the beginning I had looked at Christian Kane in this role and thought so what about the disability payments wouldn't Alex have that early law enforcement retirement pension by his age. They have already given him a college graduate daughter heading to the Peace Corps in the first season when coming back years later his trainer mentioned that he should be enjoying his grandchildren, not increasing his fighting skills.

 

12 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Episode 4 finally answered some of my questions about how the people live the Philippines.

"Bahala Na", the title says it should. I wait to see their take.