A Short Time In Paradise - Recap

In Tennessee in 1980, people gather in a church and sing. A young boy, Jonas Englin, tries to pull over a can of gasoline. His father, the preacher, goes back and helps the boy, assuring him that they’ll be in love together. The preacher ignites the gas and turns to Jonas, who has retreated out the door. The preacher calls to him to stay as the church members scream in agony.

Nina and Cameron arrive at the office with Nina’s old possessions, and she explains that Rosen wants her to give up all the things she took using her power, as part of her therapy. Meanwhile, Rosen talks to Bill, who wants the team to attend weapons and tactics training. Rosen refuses, saying that he’s deliberately chosen never to use a gun, but Bill tells him it’s time to make a new choice. The doctor then finds Cameron going through Nina’s belongings for a present for his son Tyler. He explains that Patty won custody of their son because of his DUI record and is moving away. Cameron considers a bottle of alcohol and then says that he hasn’t been to an AA meeting in a while.



Gary is testing Nina’s foot massager when Rachel runs in and explains that Cameron was going to go with her on a date to her sister’s engagement party but now he can’t. She’s desperate to have someone go with her so that her parents don’t set her up with a blind date, and asks Nina if she can help. Rachel insists that Bill and Rosen are too old, and Nina points out Gary.

At the AA meeting, an adult Jonas stands up and asks who there is truly happy. When the leader, Gil, objects, Jonas starts speaking in tongues and then glowing wings appear on his back. The attendees look at him in shock and then collapse.



Rachel ends up taking Gary to her sister’s party. Everyone talks about her new date, and Rachel overhears them all. She thanks him for helping and then her father. He coughs and Rachel uses her abilities to smell something wrong. Her father tells her to stop but Gary insists that Rachel is special. Rachel insists that her father go to the doctor but he yells at her to stop. As everyone stares, Rachel tells Gary that they’re going back to the office.

A smiling Cameron comes to see Nina at her apartment early in the morning. He kisses her and says that his life finally makes sense. Cameron asks her to come with her and see what he’s found, and he reluctantly agrees. They drive to an estate in the Connecticut country and Cameron explains that Jonas lives there. Jonas plans to address a huge group in a few days. Nina realizes that Jonas is an Alpha and tries to leave, but Jonas intercepts her. She tries to push him without success and Jonas’ men grab her. Jonas invokes his ability as Nina stares in shock.

At the office, Gary wants to know where the leftover hummus is. He asks her about her father and Rachel says that he won’t listen to her. Gary insists that she has to do what he does and say the truth no matter what, and tell her father what he needs to hear.

At the estate, Cameron and Nina work together on the flowers, enraptured. They then go into the woods and start making make love. Meanwhile, one of the other workers suddenly clutches at his chest and collapses. Nina and Cameron return as the others gather around the man. Jonas says that darkness sometimes overwhelms his followers, but Nina suggests that Rosen take a look at the man because he understands Alphas.



That night, Rosen arrives at the estate and comes inside. He finds a young boy, Teddy, drawing pictures in a room. Teddy explains that they had to cremate his real father when he died, and Jonas is everyone’s father. Jonas comes in and sends Teddy away, and then explains that Rosen has several patients to look at. He leads Rosen to a room where a dozen people are incapacitated. Jonas admits that they eventually waste away but seems unconcerned. Rosen says that they need to be in a hospital and realizes that one woman is dead. Jonas says that the enemy is everywhere and he shows his people the interconnectedness of all things. When Rosen wonders what he does, Jonas prepares to demonstrate but Rosen says that he needs to focus. He asks to see Cameron and Nina, and Jonas leads them to a bedroom. The two Alphas are in bed together and Jonas leaves them. The enraptured Nina and Cameron explain that Jonas’ ability is miraculous, but Rosen insists that there’s nothing divine to it and asks them to come back to the office with him.



Rosen steps out to make a call but Jonas informs him that he’s destroyed the local transmission tower. The doctor checks the patients and confirms that they have encephalitis lethargica, a condition which attacks the brain and leaves the victim speechless and emotionless. Rosen tells Jonas that overstimulation of the pineal gland can cause hallucinations and a state of well-being. Jonas dismisses his analysis as overly scientific and refuses to let Rosen get L-Dopa, a drug that can help the victims.

Rachel goes to see her father and insists that he needs to get help. She tells him that he has cancer of the throat and he needs to get treatment. Her father talks about how she used to be a quiet obedient child and Rachel reminds him that she’s not a child anymore and that he needs to get the tests or she’ll come back the next day.

Rosen tries to drive away and discovers that Jonas’ people have sabotaged his car. Cameron and Nina bring him to Jonas, who is busy cremating the dead patient. Rosen warns him that more people will die but Jonas says that it has happened before and tells Rosen to make sure it ends differently this time.

The next morning, Rachel is at the office and calls her father, who has gone in for testing. Bill greets Rachel and Gary and they realize that Nina, Rosen, and Cameron are all missing. Gary discovers that their teammates are all out of range of a tower. Bill tells him to figure something out and Gary goes to check out Rosen’s computer.



At the estate, Rosen tries to treat his patients and asks Jonas when it began. Jonas explains that his father taught him how to use his ability, but his people became sick. Jonas’ father said that the darkness was moving in and then “purified” his congregation with fire. Gil starts to recover and describes his vision as a drug-like rush, much to Jonas’ disappointment. Once Jonas walks away, Rosen asks if the worker feels a connection to Jonas anymore. The man just wants to go home and Rosen warns him that could be a problem.

Gary checks Rosen’s Google history and learns that he went to an estate that Jonas received as a gift from a dying congregation member.

Rosen returns to the ward and discovers that Jonas has taken away the medication because it robs the patients of his gift. He confronts Jonas, who says that it is the darkness that is killing people. Jonas says that he plans to address many others at the meeting and wants to change the broken world. Rosen objects, warning that killing people won’t fix anything. Jonas explains that he can’t use his power on his own, trapping him in the darkness, and he tells Rosen to figure out another way to cure his people without depriving them of his gift.



Bill, Rachel, and Gary drive to the estate but they are unable to get close enough for Rachel to pinpoint Rosen and the others. She does figure out a window they can use to go in, and Bill tells them to stay in the car while he goes in alone. He sneaks in and finds Rosen, but Nina uses her ability to take control of Bill, lead him away, and lock Rosen in the ward.

After 20 minutes elapse, Rachel calls in a tactical squad. Gary insists that Bill needs them but she says they should stay where they are.

An enraptured Bill tells Jonas that the tactical squad is on the way and there’s nothing he can do to call them off. Jonas tells them that they’ll be okay and goes to pray. Bill then tells Nina and Cameron that he needed what Jonas has to offer, and they assure him that everyone will soon feel the same way.



Jonas goes to the ward and tells Rosen that he shouldn’t have brought him there. The doctor says that he needs more time to find a treatment, but Jonas accuses him of bringing in the police. Rosen tries to get through to him, insisting that his message is important, but Jonas doesn’t believe that his words will mean anything without his power. He insists that he gave people paradise, but Rosen points out that he hasn’t asked them what they wanted. Jonas says that he’d rather die and so would his followers, and this time he won’t run from the flames.

Jonas has his people start pouring gas throughout his gas. When Bill picks up a drum, he tries to amp up but is too passive to do it. Meanwhile, Cameron collapses and Nina runs to his side. Jonas tells them that Cameron has been called.

Rosen manages to pry open Jonas’ desk drawer and finds the medicine. He also locates a gun.

Jonas gathers his followers and tells them that he has shown them a connection to something greater than themselves. As he prepares a torch to light the gasoline, Rosen sneaks in and administers the drug to Cameron. Next he injects Nina but Jonas sees him. Nina recovers and administers the drug to Bill, while Jonas activates his power. Rosen takes out the gun and shoots Jonas in the face, and the torch falls to the ground. As Rosen looks at the gun in horror, Nina and the others get the followers out as the flames spread. Bill gets the stunned Rosen out as the flames consume the estate. Later, the EMTs take Jonas’ body away. Rachel tells Rosen that the patients are responding to the drug and they can go.



Rachel goes to see her father, who says that they caught the cancer earlier enough to treat it thanks to her sensing it. He then wants her to start treating her aunt for a mole.

At the office, Nina and Cameron meet prior to group therapy. They agree not to talk about what happened between them ever again. Instead Cameron says he’ll talk about how he can’t stop his son from leaving.



Rosen looks at Bill’s tactical manual and Bill comes to get him. He asks if the doctor is okay and Rosen says that he killed a man. Bill tells him to hold onto the fact that Rosen saved lives, and admits that he can’t amp up but the light was like nothing else he had experienced. Rosen wonders if he’ll ever pay the price and Bill tells him that he already is.

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