Unbecalming

**"Unbecalming"** is the fifth episode of the first season of *Almost Paradise*. The episode first aired on April 27, 2020, on WGN America (now NewsNation).

## Synopsis

A typhoon is rapidly approaching the island and the police station is in the process of being boarded up. Crime lord El Diablo is in the process of being booked and will be extradited to the United States in the custody of Agent Lockhart after the storm. Additionally, a group of drunk soccer fans are brought in and placed in the drunk tank to sober up.

Sampaguita, a community advocate from a nearby village, and her grandmother come in and ask if the police can spare any resources to help evacuate residents from more flood-prone areas. Chief Ike Ocampo declines, saying things are stretched too thin but Ernesto Alamares offers to drive residents out himself after his shift is over. Realizing his gift shop will likely be destroyed in the storm, Alex Walker rushes out of the police station while the others stay behind.

As the storm continues to worsen, the soccer fans lure the guard over, overpower him, and break out, revealing themselves to be members of a local gang hired to break out El Diablo. They arm themselves at the armory and take the remainder of the police station hostage. However, the power goes out and the roads become flooded, preventing their escape. During the initial struggle, Ernesto is shot by one of the gang members and Sampaguita has to keep pressure on and dress the wound.

Alex tries unsuccessfully to take a jeepney back to the hotel as the driver abandons it due to the worsening conditions. He makes his way back to the police station only to find it completely boarded up. He knocks on the door and nobody answers, so he peers through a gap in the boards on the side of the buildings and sees the hostage situation inside.

Kai and Lockhart are taken to the drunk tank, which is in the basement, and locked inside. They can see the water level outside rising and eventually the window breaks, flooding the room. Alex manages to find his way inside but is unable to open the door without keys. Kai tells him that there is a spare set in Ocampo's office.

Back in the lobby, Sampaguita is still treating Ernesto's wound and needs a first aid kit. Ernesto tells her he has one in his desk, and they get permission from the criminals to have one of the other officers fetch it. Alex overpowers the criminal escorting the officer and gets the keys to the drunk tank. He then frees Kai and Lockhart, who were almost completely submerged.

Alex, Kai, and Lockhart devise a plan to defeat the criminals and, with some difficulty, overpower them with Ernesto shooting one of them with a gun that was hidden in the first aid kit. The storm passes and reinforcements arrive, allowing Lockhart to take away El Diablo.

## Cast

### Main

* Christian Kane as Alex Walker
* Samantha Richelle as Detective Kai Mendoza
* Arthur Acuña as Detective Ernesto Alamares
* Nonie Buencamino as Chief Ike Ocampo
* Ces Quesada as Cory Santos

### Guest

* John Storey as Agent Lockhart
* Chanel Latorre as Sampaguita
* Ryan Eigenmann as El Diablo
* Carlo Po Artillaga as Paramedic #1
* Victor Balanza as Jeepney driver
* Harold Baldonado as Biggly
* Bong Cabrera as Smalls
* Alen Cruz as Desk Officer
* Manu Respall as Hepe
* Beverly Salviejo as Sampaguita's grandmother
* Patrick Sugui as Berto
* Yan Yuzon as Jingle