A Short Time in Paradise

A Short Time in Paradise
Season One, Episode Eight
Air Date	August 29, 2011
Episode Guide
"Catch and Release"	"Blind Spot"

Flashback to 1980, when a reverend set his church and his congregation on fire, killing everyone except the reverend’s son, Jonas. In present day, at the Alpha home office, Nina is giving away all of her ill-gotten gains, Hicks is having troubles at home that are making him eye the liquor bottle, and Bill is nagging Dr. Rosen about combat training for the Alpha Team—something Rosen doesn’t even want to consider.

Distraught, Hicks seeks out a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting where he runs into the same Jonas from 1980, all grown up and full of a pleasant angelic power that overtakes everyone at the meeting and puts them in a blissful state. Eager to share his newfound happiness, Hicks finds Nina and brings her to Jonas’ mansion. Nina can tell that the people around her have been pushed but her own pushing powers don’t work on Jonas and he soon puts her under his spell.

When one of Jonas’ new acolytes falls ill, Nina and Hicks suggest that Jonas call Dr. Rosen for help. Dr. Rosen comes right over and is eventually able to treat one of the patients but when the cured patient just wants to go home, Jonas is appalled that his “gift” has been scorned. He steals Rosen’s medicine and traps Rosen at the mansion. In the morning, Bill, Rachel and Gary are worried when the rest of the team doesn’t show up for work—they know something must be wrong. Gary finds Rosen’s last Google search and they follow the trail to Jonas’ compound where Nina quickly pushes Bill to comply with Jonas.

It turns out that Jonas was the cause of the mass suicide in his father’s church. His “gift” feels wonderful at first but, gradually, it causes people to withdraw, become lethargic and die. Jonas now feels like his father had it right: he must kill his followers before they fall out of bliss and into death.

Unable to reason with Jonas, Dr. Rosen steals the medicine back and injects Nina who comes out of her trance quickly enough to help inject Bill and the others. Horrified, Jonas makes ready to end it all by burning down the mansion and everyone in it. The only way Dr. Rosen can stop Jonas is by shooting him—something he’s never done.

When the dust settles, Bill tries to help Rosen compartmentalize his feelings about the killing and Rosen, in turn, knows he must reconsider the training Bill suggested previously.

Meanwhile, when Rachel attends her sister’s engagement party with Gary as her “date,” things get awkward when she detects that her father is sick. Her family, as usual, reacts poorly to Rachel’s gift but after getting some spot-on advice from Gary, she insists that her father get medical help. When the doctors tell him that his cancer is never caught this early, he finally understands just how special his daughter is.

Quotes

(Gary using a foot massager)
Nina: Uh, Gary, you're supposed to take your shoes off.
Gary: No, no, I like it this way. It's all buzzy. Do you have one where I can lie down?
Nina: No.
Gary: Get one. Give it to me.

Rachel: And remember, we've only been dating for two weeks.
Gary: Yeah, Rachel, I memorized the cover story. I'm a professional government agent.
Rachel: Yes, I know, Gary. Just please don't say that to anyone else, okay?

Gary: Rachel, did you get me the hummus? You promised me the leftover hummus.
Rachel: Bottom shelf, Gary.
Gary: Oh, ah. I like hummus. 'Cause it's all one color, and it's soft.

Gary: Rachel, uh... I always say what's on my mind. And you should learn from me. Yeah. You have to go, and you have to tell your father the truth. And then you have to keep telling him. You have to keep telling him the truth until he pays attention. Just like I do with Bill. Or like this, like I'm doing it with you now. Rachel, come on.You gotta--you gotta go and you got to tell him. And I won't stop talking to you until you do. Okay?

Hicks: Does anyone have dibs on the Blu-ray?

Nina: Still can't believe Rosen saw us naked.

Hicks: Doc!
Dr. Rosen: This is a bit awkward. Nina don't get up on my account.