The sixth episode of Paradise's second season briefly teased the show's big reunion as Xavier and Terri locked eyes, but the actual moment played out in full during Episode 7.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Paradise Season 2, Episode 7.
While things were tense given Gary's betrayal and twisting of Terri's situation, thankfully, the situation didn't go south like it felt might have been inevitable. Not only were the married couple finally reunited tough, but they even got to dive right into a post-apocalyptic rescue mission to rescue
The Direct spoke with Paradise executive producer and writer John Hoberg, who revealed that Xavier and Terri's big reunion was almost very different, and morally questionable.
"We wanted it to feel romantic, even though we were in this slightly violent area," Hoberg noted, adding that they ended up being very confident of how she "walks through the smoke as it clears."
As good as the moment was, the producer revealed that "There was a version where Xavier killed a bunch of people and got to over like that," which kind of "taint[ed] it a little bit because it turns out they're innocent people." "It took a lot of delicate balancing just to try to get it right," Hoberg added.
The Direct also spoke with Paradise star Enuka Okuma, who candidly admitted that there were tons of "overthinking" and "stress" to get the big reunion right. However, it all "went away when we got the set," she added, further explaining how "all [her] worry didn't need to exist because the stakes were so high that I just had to surrender."
More of these interviews with Paradise star Enuka Okuma and executive producer John Hoberg can be read below. The show is streaming on Hulu, with one episode left in Season 2 and a third confirmed to be on the way.
For those still scratching their heads about Episode 6's big doomsday fanatic, Hoberg had some interesting things to say about it.
Paradise Producer Reveals an Alternate Version of Xavier and Terri's Reunion
Another Take on the Moment Would Have Been More Morally Questionable.
The Direct also spoke with Paradise producer John Hoberg, who offered his comments on the pressure of making sure Xavier and Terri's reunion hit perfectly, while also revealing a drastically different scenario for the big moment.
- The Direct: "How much pressure was there to get that moment perfect? And were there any alternate ways in which you guys approached that scene?"
John Hoberg: We talked a ton about when it would happen, how it would happen, and even in the edit, like Dan [Fogelman] was tinkering around with the reveal, exactly when the reveal, how the reveal, the sounds of the reveal—all these other things. And it was huge.
It was really important, because it is his drive is to find his wife. And we've been waiting for that ever since, you know, for sure Season 1, definitely when we saw them say goodbye on the phone, or heard him say goodbye to his wife on the phone in the seventh episode. And so we've spent a ton of time, and there were different variations on how that happened.
I mean, early on, we knew they were going to come together, and early on, we were pitching on everything. And then finally, the fact that he thought she was being held captive, and it was a trick, but then she kind of walks through the smoke as it clears, felt like, okay, that's [good]. Also, we wanted it to feel romantic, even though we were in this slightly violent area. And so there was a little trick to that...
There was a version where Xavier killed a bunch of people and got to over like that. Now it taints it a little bit because it turns out they're innocent people. He'd be like, 'Oh, sorry, guys, I thought you were bad guys.' So it took a lot of delicate balancing just to try to get it right. Dan spent a ton of time in the edit, really getting that tuned in properly.
Enuka Okuma on the Pressure of Paradise's Big Reunion—And How It All Vanished
"I Wanted to Get the Moment Right."
- The Direct: "The show is building up to so much, but the big thing is, you know, Xavier and Terry's big reunion, and it finally happens at the end of Episodes 6 and 7. How much pressure was there to get that moment right?"
Enuka Okuma: I put a lot of pressure on my stuff. I wanted to do exactly what you said. I wanted to get the moment right. And all the overthinking, all of it, all the worry, all the stress, went away when we got the set, and it was so hot that day. It was so incredibly hot for a couple of days when we were filming out there, and there were trains, and hundreds of extras, explosions, and stunts. It was so massive that it didn't—all my worry didn't need to exist because the stakes were so high that I just had to surrender, and it was easy in the end.
So, I just leaned into what was going on around me, and it was all fine in the end. But then we did get sort of that part two reunion in the tent, and that happens about a week later, and we shot that in the studio. So there was a lot of time to process the craziness of that first moment. And then just, you know, trusting Sterling and imagining what would have happened if these two people hadn't seen each other in so long, and for us, I hadn't seen him since we had shot our Episode 2.
- The Direct: "When it comes to their big reunion. Were there any alternate ways that might have played out instead of what we did eventually get?"
Okuma: More than anything, when we filmed it, we always kind of played the symphony of it in different takes. You know, how desperate are they? How much does humor rises up in the scene? There are all kinds of ways to play it.
And what's fun about the collaborative set we're on, we get to explore all of those, you know, time permitting, but we get to explore many different ways. And then you never know what's going to end up in the edit. So there wasn't anything specific that we thought of, just more like the temperature of how the reunions happened, is more what we explored.
Paradise Star Enuka Okuma Teases Finale and Season 4 Possibilities
"How Does She Put Her Stamp on the Way the World Is Running?"
- The Direct: "Hypothetically, if there were to be a Season 3, what is something that you would really love to still explore with Terry that we haven't really got to dive into in these first two seasons yet?"
Enuka Okuma: We know that she's quite intelligent and [that] she's a hard worker, but if we were to get to explore that. I'd love to see further how she contributes to possibly, any kind of change, or anything, [or[ an important discovery, or something like that. How does she put her stamp on the way the world is running?
That's what I would love to explore. And then also just the fact that those two have finally found each other, again, I'm reiterating, but just hoping that they can stay together, and then the family as a unit would be able to come together. It's just been heartbreaking, them all being apart. So once they're together, please keep them together.
- The Direct: "Can you tease how Terry might react to this extremely advanced bunker that she might be about to walk into, especially compared to the bunker that she just spent three years in, which is a vastly different experience."
Okuma: I think anybody who's been in coach, when they go up to first, class jealousy and wonder and, you know, so if that's the case, I think that that's definitely going to color an opinion... I mean, even us nowadays, the bunker is pretty pristine, even for people who are not underground. To me, it's pretty idyllic.
- The Direct: "When you signed on to this show, did you know that Terry would be alive and well, on the outside, and potentially have an even bigger role if the show were to continue?"
Okuma: I had an inkling. They did tell me that there would be more to do, but I didn't understand how, in any way. I mean, first off, when I got the part, I just thought I was the wife of the head of security. I thought we'd be debriefing his day at the White House. You know, in scenes, I had no idea that it was an apocalypse story. That was the first surprise. And then, as we continued on, of course, understanding what the show is. You know, I thought there would be more to do. But we utilize a lot of flashbacks in the show, so I wasn't sure if those two would ever see each other again. So it was a very, very nice surprise to get the episode.
