Paradise episode 2 recap: who is Sinatra?

In Paradise episode 2, “Sinatra,” the most powerful person in town is officially introduced, and she’s a familiar face from Paradise episode 1.

As the town tries to regroup in the aftermath of President Bradford’s (James Marsden) murder, Samantha, aka Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson), calls all the shots; including having Collins (Sterling K. Brown) interrogated and installing the next president into office. However, is there something more to Sinatra than meets the eye?

Here’s everything we know about Paradise episode 2.

Who is Sinatra?

Twelve years earlier, Sinatra secretly meets with Bradford’s dad (Gerald McRaney) and the most brilliant minds in the world. Boarding a plane, she says she's entrusting them with something special. While in the air, she strikes up a conversation with one of her guests who appears to be nervous about flying. She notes that he builds cities as an urban planner. Sinatra asks if he had unlimited resources could he build a city for about 25,000 people underground capable of withstanding nuclear attacks and environmental catastrophes? He calls the idea virtually impossible, as it would require digging out space underground the size of Toledo.

As the plane arrives at its destination, all the guests have sacks placed on their heads. When everyone has their sacks removed, they find themselves in a huge space under the mountains of Colorado. Sinatra tells the city planner to build her city.

In the present day, Collins is looking at the cigarette with the numbers on it, confused as to what they mean. Back at Sinatra’s home, she is attempting to write President Bradford’s eulogy in her bedroom, with her husband feet away in bed. He eventually wakes, and the episode flashes back to her meeting her husband for the first time.

At a bar, she tells him she is celebrating the fact that she sold her startup, a cloud storage company called Domain. She believes that in a year she’ll be worth $34 billion, making her the richest woman in the world. He jokes that he has something to celebrate as well, he just won a softball game. They’re instantly taken with each other.

Collins’ interrogation

Collins dreams about a tragic event happening on a plane as he talks to his wife on the phone. He wakes up startled, then hears noise coming from downstairs.

Agent Pace (Jon Beavers) is in the kitchen making Collins’ kids, James (Percy Daggs IV) and Presley (Aliyah Mastin), breakfast as a stoic Agent Robinson (Krys Marshall) looks on. When Collins walks into the kitchen, she tells him he needs to come with her for questioning. Pace promises to make sure the kids get off to school.

Robinson won’t confirm if Collins is a suspect, or if a murder weapon or samples of DNA have been found. She says they basically have nothing, but Bradford’s wife and father have been cleared. Collins becomes annoyed, so Robinson tells him to speak his mind. He can’t believe she’s been charged with heading up the investigation into Bradford’s death given she was sleeping with him. She says she’s clean, but questions why Collins waited to call in the murder and noting some important people are very upset by the missing tablet.

There’s another flashback of Sinatra and her family at a grocery store. Sinatra gets her son an ice cream sandwich, which he eats while riding a mechanical horse outside of the store. She gets a call from a board approving a merger, and she becomes thrilled. Unfortunately, she looks over to her son, who is having a health issue while riding the horse and eventually passes out.

In the present, Sinatra meets with high-ranking officials, all in a panic about Bradford’s murder. She explains that in 10 minutes the community will get an alert that there is an emergency town hall meeting. During the town hall, they’ll reveal the president died of natural causes. Additionally, they’ll immediately swear in Henry as president, and everybody in the room will also be assigned additional security.

Later in an interrogation room, Collins is hooked up to a lie-detector machine with Robinson standing over his shoulders. Sinatra and Dr. Tarabi (Sarah Shahi) look on from behind a one-way mirror window, while also watching Collins’ vitals to see if they jump, signaling deception. As Robinson peppers him questions, Collins doesn’t break a sweat and even lies undetected about not taking anything from the scene of the crime.

Robinson again inquires about why Collins called Pace to the scene of the crime first. He replies that Pace is the only one he trusts because Robinson was sleeping with the president. Collins knows he has an audience, and reemphasizes that point. Dr. Tarabi then enters the room and dismisses Robinson. Alone, Dr. Tarabi asks Collins if he’s glad the president is dead, but holds the palm of her hand out so only Collins can see it. On her palm is written “say yes,” which he does. Dr. Tarabi then returns to Sinatra and notes that Collins is likely not Bradford’s murderer.

The episode flashes back to Sinatra and her husband in the hospital with their son. The doctor says it's time they start having tough conversations, bringing in Dr. Tarabi, a therapist and grief specialist.

Returning to the present, Sinatra takes Collins for a walk. She's become a walking encyclopedia on his life, commenting about his children. She then informs him the public is being told the president died of natural causes. Sinatra asks about the tablet’s whereabouts, but again Collins shares he doesn’t know where it is. Wrapping up their conversation, she shares he’ll be put on leave for the next two weeks before being reassigned.

"We Built This City"

At Presley’s school, an announcement is made about the town hall meeting and a teacher comes along to usher the students to the event. Presley spots President Bradford’s son Jeremy (Charlie Evans) and instead of going to the meeting follows him to the library. When they come face-to-face, he asks why she’s not going to the town hall? She asks him the same question.

Before the town hall commences, the First Lady approaches Collins behind the scenes. He asks how she’s holding up? She has no clue, as she’s been pretending for so long, but on some level she loved Bradford. Collins knows. She goes on to say how much of a fan the president was of Collins, claiming Bradford admired him for being relentless. Watching the sweet moment from a distance is Sinatra.

In another flashback, Sinatra attends a big conference. The final session she sits in is sparse and is led by a man discussing sustainability and the possibility the world ends due to an environmental catastrophe. His words strike a chord and she leaves, but not before then-Senator Bradford sees her.

Bradford catches up with her and he extends his condolences (it’s been a year since her son passed). He talks about how his dad admires her, nicknaming her Sinatra, as she’s the “clear leader who won.” As Sinatra and Bradford continue, the lecturer walks by and Sinatra stops him to ask what they should do if a massive life-ending event happens. He replies she should get in the biggest hole she can.

In the present, the new president is being sworn in as Presley and Jeremy continue on in the library. She asks if he’s okay? He feels guilty for ghosting his dad for dinner, so the last thing he told his dad was that he blamed him for why so many people died and he wished him dead. As Presley tries to console him, Jeremy talks about 80s and 90s rock music that his dad loved, which he’s been listening to on his headphones. He lets her listen and it’s “We Built This City.”

After the town hall wraps, Pace approaches Collins. The latter asks him if there is something that would require a six-digit security code? Pace can’t think of anything. Collins shares that in the former world, he got good at watching people. He’s been watching Sinatra and listening to her for a while, and something isn’t right. Collins plans to take her down. Pace cautions him to be careful.

The episode closes with Jeremy escorting Presley to a secret place. Upon a closer view, it appears to be an airport hangar. Jeremy asks if she remembers it? There’s a flashback of her and her brother being escorted through the airport by Collins and her demanding to know if her mom is going to make it.

Episodes of Paradise are available to stream on Hulu in the US and on Disney Plus in the UK.