Sometimes, making a scene is all that matters!

With Xavier finding new allies and Cal’s clues coming to light, “You Asked for Miracles” sees Xavier set out on his quest to expose Sinatra and shatter Paradise’s illusions.

Rather than the slow burn of building mysteries, the latest instalment turns towards action and answers. Heavily focusing on the series’ thriller aspects, it’s a fast-paced episode where scenes come in thick and fast to portray Xavier’s growing desperation for answers and Paradise’s ensuing chaos.

Xavier’s actions in this episode come in response to Sinatra’s recent acts of aggression. His friends are dead, supposedly killed on Sinatra’s orders, and Xavier’s no longer inclined to sit on the sidelines and wait for Paradise’s creator to make a mistake. Instead, he decides to take a leaf out of his wife’s playbook and force Sinatra’s hand.

While Xavier’s moral compass would never allow him to hurt the innocents of Paradise, it is the perfect opportunity for him to engage in some psychological trickery. A few well-placed signs and wonders work incredibly effectively, managing to shock residents and rattle the right cages.

No one is more rattled by these turns of events than Sinatra. For the first time, Paradise, her creation, is under threat. Throughout most of the episode, you can see her struggle to keep on top of things. There’s a constant inner conflict at play where the only thing keeping her from siding with more irrational actions are the stern words of her therapist, Dr. Torabi.

These moments also bring up an important answer about Sinatra’s compartmentalisation of her actions so far in the series. As Samantha, she’s free to be the doting mother/wife and strong businesswoman her colleagues praise her for. As her alias, Sinatra, on the other hand, she can turn her attention towards more murderous matters. By the end of the episode, Xavier’s actions leave no doubt that Sinatra will be in control of what happens next.

Aside from Sinatra, Xavier’s actions have a profound effect on Paradise’s social cohesion. Raising a direct attack on the town’s artificial sky shatters their last piece of home. This puts them in a state of panic and confusion, emotions Xavier directs into anger when it’s revealed that a tiered class system still exists in Paradise as it did on the surface. These conditions make it perfect for a new leader to rise among them.

With the series finale within reach, “You Asked for Miracles” seeks to change the pace of the story. Fast-paced and action-heavy, it allows characters to reveal their underlying motivations and show how the town is built on nothing but thin ice. As a result, this episode continues the series on a positive trajectory, especially since the story’s most explosive mysteries are yet to be revealed.

I Give You Asked for Miracles: 9/10