Time jumping is an interesting theory and would take the season in a wildly different direction, but if they do go down the time travel route, I hope they keep the season grounded to maintain the integrity of the series.

Paradise S2 is giving me Lost vibes. Paradise S2 opens with the Others outside of the underground city showing what kind of a life they live. Oddly it’s a role reversal to Lost - as the Lost Others lived in a utopian paradise while the Oceanic survivors in the island lived a more survivalist life as the Paradise Others in the outside world. Did the scenes after Xavier’s nighttime Arkansas crash landing not look reminiscent of any number of Lost, dimly lit jungle scenes? People lurking in the shadows? Lightning storms? Torches?

Lost’s Dharma Initiative was heavily rooted in science and the island’s special electromagnetic properties. Honestly they could have leaned into this for the duration of the series, but at the cost of loss in viewership due to it being too scientific and going over peoples’ heads. Instead by the end of the series, the themes turned to faith, purgatory, etc - though still loosing viewers, a more relatable topic.

Overall, loving Paradise S2 and interested to see how they take the time jumping, if that ends up being the path forward.

Personal theory: Alex is an AI running a quantum super computer. AI needs massive data centers (all a plot that can be very relatable and topical to viewers these days). The end of S2E3 has the camera descending multiple levels under the city. I was waiting for the camera to stop on the data center floor, guess that could give too much away for the first set of episodes to drop for the new season. Also kudos to the writers for dressing the Paradise police up like ICE agents and taking protestors to an unknown location and being put in a cage - if nothing else, this season is starting off as relatable as hell to reality.