Of all the lore Paradise could explore, getting to learn about Jane’s (Nicole Brydon Bloom) history, particularly the origin of her Wii obsession, wasn’t at the top of the list. But the show coolly unpacks what makes its resident assassin tick. It’s not about the video-game console, of course, but who gave it to her, at what stage in her life, and what it represents for someone like Jane, who didn’t stand a chance at a normal childhood. Her upbringing, as we learn in episode six, was marred by the fact that her mother wasn’t up to the task. And that’s before her mom was accosted in the hospital parking lot—with a newborn Jane crying in her arms—by a strange man yelling at her about how her kid was going to grow up to be a killer. (There will be more on that absolutely wild reveal in a minute.)
This is a TV show heavily focused on the impact of loving parent-child bonds. (See also: Sinatra’s motivation after her son’s death, Teri and Xavier wanting to protect their kids, Cal’s desire to be a good influence for his son, Annie’s affecting storyline, the addition of Bean, etc.) So it’s interesting to watch Paradise navigate the thornier aspects of this dynamic through its most evasive character yet. Jane has been a mystery so far. All we know is that she’s devoid of emotions, considering the ease with which she killed her boyfriend in season one. She is great at faking feelings, though, successfully tricking Xavier, Billy, and Nicole (Krys Marshall) into believing she’s just a naive woman. Only Sinatra knows her true abilities, and even she admits to being terrified of Jane in this episode.
Season two’s pacing has been a bit frustrating, with this being only the second time we dig into the bunker’s ongoing politics and crises. Thankfully, everything comes to a head pretty well by the end of “Jane.” The Hulu series ties its big sci-fi reveals to Jane’s backstory to try to make her slightly more sympathetic. (But you guys, she never even stood a chance!) Let’s circle back to that delightfully head-scratching opening scene. In May 1997, a man named Don received bizarre emails and alerts that say, “A killer will be born on June 6 at 12:01 a.m. She can be stopped when it matters if you deliver a message to her.” Brace for immediate questions: Who sent this email? What’s this warehouse-like office that Don’s working out of? Is it an agency like Marvel’s Time Variance Authority, where they monitor world events, or is it all just random? What does it have to do with Jane’s life, the future of the bunker, Billy’s death, and anything the show has done so far? Paradise blows up its entire existence in theory, reveling in the prospect of exploring what it all means and what it can lead to. Perhaps that’s what the third (and final?) season will be for.
For now, we delve into Jane’s ongoing mommy issues. As a teen, her mental health struggles were ignored by the only parent in her life, considering her mom reacted to Jane’s destructive tendencies with frustration and anger instead of seeking help. As a grown-up, while training to be a CIA agent, Jane bonded with Agent Stacy Thomas (Brown’s real-life wife, Ryan Michelle Bathe), who deemed her “special.” Instead of telling Jane to only develop combat skills, Stacy devoted time to connecting with her mentee and teaching her stuff like meditation to improve her skills and quiet her mind. And yes, the two played Wii together. Essentially, Stacy was the maternal figure Jane craved for, so she’d do anything to impress her, including castrating (!) the male agent at The Farm who got a promotion over a well-deserving Stacy. So it’s not that Jane is devoid of feelings; it’s that she doesn’t know how to process or act on them at all, opting for the worst possible way to show people she’s, um, grateful.
Jane’s unhealthy attachment issues are now aimed at Sinatra. The de facto leader (again) after POTUS Baines’ murder places all her trust in Jane, sending her out to negotiate with Link and his crew outside the bunker because they’re threatening to get violent. Here are the terms that Jane and a “super cute” Link ultimately agree to: Accompanied by five of his men, unarmed, he’ll meet with Sinatra, as long as he gets a slice of apple pie. Jane’s skills please Sinatra, who gifts her a Nintendo as a reward. Uh oh. The praises in turn fuel Jane’s lunacy—so much so that I’m afraid Jane will start looking at Sinatra’s teen daughter as some sort of competition. She also makes a new enemy out of Gabriela Torabi (Sarah Shahi), who confronts Jane after Nicole makes her realize that Sinatra isn’t the only threat in the bunker.
It’s hard to believe that Torabi (a therapist who was in charge of selecting who would move to the underground city, presumably because she has the ability to zero in on people’s emotions) directly defies Jane. Wouldn’t she keep her knowledge secret, or at least not openly tell Jane that she’s going after Sinatra and knows that Jane is evil? It feels like, because of its expanding scope, Paradise doesn’t know what to do with Torabi, so she’s gotten a flimsy arc in season two. She’s just kind of there. The same can be said for Agent Nicole, who is currently in the underground prison of the bunker along with Cal’s son, Jeremy. Try as she might not to get involved in Jeremy’s attempts to break out, she relents and helps him out because of her love for Cal. Again, their scenes in prison just feel like an afterthought for now, except for Torabi and Nicole’s conversation.
This weaker part of “Jane” is also balanced out by the weightiness of the Atlanta stuff. After planning to detonate a bomb and cause a distraction next to the train where Teri is allegedly being held captive, Xavier plans to run in and rescue her, with Gary being his lookout. However, Gary unsurprisingly betrays Xavier and rigs the bomb to go off early. Thankfully, our guy is a well-trained Secret Service agent and runs off in time. In the ensuing blast, the train folks come running out, and among them is—dun, dun, dun—Xavier’s wife! The proper emotional reunion is left for next week, but I’m impressed that Paradise has picked up the pace with both its settings (inside and outside) in time for what I can only hope will be two more action-packed installments.
Stray observations
- • I have never been more irritated than when Don screamed everything except the message he was supposed to give Jane’s mom. Do your job, Don! It might have stopped her from turning into a killer. When do you think we’ll learn what the message was?
- •Shout out to Nicole Byrdon Bloom, who clearly reveled in the chance to explore Jane’s psyche. I especially appreciated how she acted like a giddy teen all over again when Sinatra handed her that Nintendo.
- • Am I supposed to believe Sinatra saw every episode of Jeopardy! and still thought his name was ALEC Trebek, not Alex? I’ve suspended logic with you, Paradise, but there are limits.
- • The person who emails Don is called Alex Q. Let’s brush up on the many Alex mentions so far: The quantum entanglement professor’s wife (from episode three) is named that, as is the mysterious project/machine that Sinatra is working on that requires the bunker’s resources. Is that the same “Alex” that Link wants to kill? I’m entertained but so confused.
- • Jeremy and Nicole escape with the help of the scientist whom Baines threw in jail in episode three. He gives them what I think is crucial information: The bunker doors, while built like a fortress, open up automatically if the oxygen supply is shut off inside. Uh oh.
- • Everyone around Sinatra in the boardroom reacted pretty casually to her reveal that the outside world is habitable again and that Link’s crew is on their doorstep.
- • Presley speaks to Sinatra’s daughter, asking her to look into her mother’s real mission. I suspect a new friend duo is forming.
- • “Actually, Doc, I ain’t gotta do shit but stay Black and die.”
- • “What up, Shawshank? I see you’re as obvious as ever.”
Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic.
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