Paradise Season 3 Confirms Second Major Dead Character Returning In BTS Image
Another important dead character is returning in Paradise season 3.
Previous Paradise season 3 set photos revealed that President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) will return in season 3, with the actor spotted walking during production while surrounded by crew members. This comes after the character died early on in season 1, although he continued to appear on a frequent basis in flashbacks, and other deceased characters have appeared this way as well.
On Instagram, Paradise creator and showrunner Dan Fogelman has now shared a behind-the-scenes image revealing that Billy Pace (Jon Beavers) will also be in season 3. The photo also shows Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) and Cal sitting with Billy at a bar and the caption "Two dead guys walk into a bar #Paradise S3." Check out the image below:
Billy died during Paradise season 1, episode 4's ending, when he was lethally poisoned by his girlfriend Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom), who was secretly a ruthless assassin working for Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond (Julianne Nicholson). After his death, Billy did not return in flashbacks as frequently as Cal has, but he has still come back in a handful of episodes, including those showing him working with Sinatra on a mission in the outside world before the apocalyptic event occurred.
The season 3 image shared by Fogelman cannot be a flashback to before the bunker, as Xavier and Billy did not know each other before then. While the three characters have been to the bar together inside the bunker, they have only been seen doing so with Xavier and Billy wearing suits and ties, and in the professional capacity of being Cal's Secret Service.
In the new photo, they are all wearing sweatshirts, though, and the dynamic is noticeably more relaxed and friendly. During their time in the bunker together, Xavier made it known that he blamed Cal for the death of Teri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma), and only learned after the president's death about how he helped save her and countless others.
Paradise season 2's introduction of Alex opened the door for potential time travel or alternate realities, depending on what the capabilities of the AI-powered supercomputer actually end up being. These theories could explain some of the notable differences and inconsistencies between Xavier, Cal, and Billy in the new image as opposed to what has previously been established. Such possibilities also provide another way for dead characters like Cal and Billy to be in this season without solely relying on flashbacks.
With confirmation of Cal and Billy returning, it seems all the more likely that Sinatra will also come back after her death in the Paradise season 2 finale. She has been a major character all along, and with this also being the show's third and final season, it would be strange for her to not reappear in flashbacks or through the science-fiction elements that have been teased, especially with Alex being her pet project.
In prior months, Fogelman shared a different behind-the-scenes image with Elijah Wood and Melissa Benoist in space. Between multiple dead characters returning, new characters in space, and the setup involving Xavier and Alex, Paradise season 3 is shaping up to be a wild ending to the hit series.
Paradise seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Hulu.