Who Is Gary & What Does He Want With Teri?

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Paradise season 2, episode 5, “The Mailman.”Paradise season 2 has officially entered its second half, and it once again centers around new survivors. While there are still many lingering questions regarding what’s going on inside the bunker and how Link’s arrival will impact it, Hulu’s thriller opted to shift its attention to the stranger Xavier met at the end of the last episode, Gary.

After Paradise season 2’s premiere focused on Annie’s survival, it became clear that the series isn’t afraid to shift its spotlight away from the main characters, although Gary’s backstory did tie into Xavier’s search for his wife. He revealed that he had been friends with Teri since the tsunami changed the world as they knew it, but this wasn’t the full story.

The newcomer continued telling Xavier about his past alongside his group’s relationship with Teri, but the latest flashback sequence in Paradise season 2 highlighted that there was more Gary wasn’t telling the protagonist. Instead, he kept his biggest secret up his sleeve, which offers a more sinister insight into what he actually wants with Xavier’s wife as the story progresses.

Gary Was A Lonely Survivor Who Prepared For The Apocalypse With His Friend Ennis

Before diving into Gary’s intentions, it’s important to understand who he is and why his character is so crucial to Paradise‘s story. Prior to the apocalypse, Gary was a mailman who lived alone and went through the same isolated routine until he met his best friend, Ennis, while playing a video game online.

Like Gary, Ennis also felt pretty lonely, allowing the two to bond and form a connection that only deepened when discussing the possibility of the world ending. What was little more than speculation at first turned into proper planning, as the two began indulging in the conspiracies that started to float around, including Dr. Louge’s accurate theory.

As a result, Gary began spending his pension on supplies and discovered the basement of his post office was formerly a nuclear shelter, where he began storing food in preparation. Meanwhile, Ennis started making contact with essential people, such as a nurse, mechanic, and gardener, who he convinced off-screen to join them when the world eventually fell apart.

Despite their skepticism, the group did show up at the bunker and actually arrived before Gary and Ennis due to their detour. Having encountered a neglected child regularly during his mail runs, Gary decided to bring him with them against Ennis’ wishes, but as they stopped for extra resources, Bean began wandering, coming across Xavier’s wife, Teri Collins.

Reluctantly, Gary and Ennis allowed Teri to come along, and the four headed to this makeshift bunker where they joined the rest of Paradise season 2’s newest cast members. From there, the group stayed put and lived together, making the post office their home as friendships and romances brewed, but things fell apart shortly before Xavier’s arrival.

Gary Killed Ennis To Prevent Teri From Going To Colorado

Having lived in harmony for several years, there were some small cracks in the groups, most of which revolved around Ennis. His desire to avoid outside trouble and maintain energy caused him to get on everyone else’s nerves as they felt they had to live, not just survive. Unfortunately, Ennis didn’t take too kindly to this, especially Teri’s response.

The pair never got that well to begin with, leading to Ennis destroying the radio Gary built for Teri out of frustration. However, he later apologized before he and Gary went to check out a train that had passed by, and despite bringing guns, the duo was outnumbered by some strangers who made them drop their weapons. Luckily, they weren’t hostile.

Instead, their leader revealed that they were a group looking for specialists and were on their way to Colorado, the exact place Teri had been trying to get to for years. During their walk home, Ennis sounded genuinely excited about Teri finally getting the chance to rejoin her family, even if it meant he and Gary were alone again.

Shockingly, Gary opted to shoot his best friend, presumably in an attempt to prevent Teri from leaving. Back in Paradise season 2, episode 4’s ending, Gary told Xavier that he was close friends with Teri and continued painting their friendship as strong throughout “The Mailman”, but he omitted the fact that he was actually in love with her.

Although he was understanding when Teri rejected his advances, his feelings clearly never went away, as he was willing to kill the man closest to him just to keep her from departing. This may have all been for nothing though, as Bean appeared to see the incident through the fence, meaning he likely told the rest of the group.

Considering Gary was left at the post office all alone, it’s clear the others left one way or another, and while the former mailman claims they were taken, his lies suggest this may not be the truth.

Why Gary Isn’t Telling Xavier The Truth About His Wife

Even though Gary claims to be committed to helping Xavier find Teri, their alliance is far from strong. Xavier refused to trust him with Annie’s baby yet left her in the hands of two relative strangers, and when Gary called him out on this, the protagonist indicated it was because the mailman still wasn’t telling him something.

Eventually, Gary confessed to having feelings for Teri and said the best thing he could do to honor their friendship was to help Xavier find her, resulting in the two shaking hands. However, the newcomer still hasn’t told him everything about what happened, as he kept the fact that he killed Ennis to himself, raising more questions.

While he could simply be worried that Xavier would stop trusting him or potentially even kill him after learning about his true nature, Gary’s deception appears to have a deeper meaning. As of episode 5’s conclusion, Xavier believes his wife was kidnapped and is being held against her will, hence why he’s attempting to break into this stronghold and free Teri.

In reality though, there’s a chance this is the same group from the train, meaning Teri and the rest of the post office group may have chosen to go there after Gary was forced to confess the truth. Therefore, withholding these details from Xavier could prompt him to cause an unnecessary conflict, leading to several deaths, potentially including Teri’s friends.

Assuming this is Gary’s logic, he may hope Teri turns on Xavier by seeing him act so aggressively, or he may be praying that Xavier dies trying to save his wife. Either way, he clearly still believes there is a world where he and Teri end up together, and forcing Xavier out of the picture one way or another could change everything.

What remains uncertain is whether Xavier fully trusts him or not, as the handshake could have falsely indicated harmony, despite the lead character remaining unconvinced. These secrets are what make Paradise season 2 a must-watch thriller that has lived up to the first outing, and it’s still anyone’s guess how Xavier’s rescue mission will play out.

What Happened To Jackie & Crystal In Paradise Season 2, Episode 5

While we know that Ennis is dead and Gary is still residing in the post office, the rest of the group’s status is currently unknown, apart from Jackie and Crystal. Jackie was the designated mechanic while Crystal acted as a nurse, and as they got to know one another better, the pair eventually started a romantic relationship.

Despite being a valuable part of this small settlement, the couple wanted their own space, ultimately deciding to leave after encountering another community dedicated to trading. Jackie and Crystal left the others on good terms and asked Teri and Bean to visit them before heading to Colorado, but they don’t appear to have been in contact with anyone since.

That all changed when Gary and Xavier showed up at the market, and the women seemed happy to see Gary, confirming they had no idea about what had happened between him and Ennis. As of their last appearance, both Jackie and Crystal remain alive and were even trusted by Xavier to watch Annie’s baby while he attempts to save Teri.

With a big part of their departure being Crystal’s desire to help people live, getting the chance to look after a child — even if only briefly — will give her a greater purpose. Additionally, since Xavier promised to bring the baby to her father, we’ll likely see this couple again after Xavier’s high-stakes mission.

What Gary’s Betrayal Means For The Rest Of Paradise Season 2

Gary betraying Ennis doesn’t just impact his group, as this is also playing directly into Xavier’s journey. Killing Ennis is almost certainly what caused Teri and the others to leave, and while this was likely by their own accord, it’s possible Gary could’ve come in contact with a hostile group and sold them out.

Regardless, this puts Xavier further away from his wife once again, as he is attempting to rescue her from a settlement he doesn’t actually know much about, other than that they have weapons and guards. His Secret Service experience helped him deduce that the community isn’t well-trained, but this could do more harm than good.

If the protagonist believes these people are hostile, he won’t hesitate to take action and could even kill them, all because of a possible lie told by Gary. Even though the newcomer isn’t anywhere near as combat-savvy as Xavier, he’s still dangerous due to his emotional behavior, proving he can’t be trusted.

This means Teri may not even be in the safe zone Xavier is about to infiltrate, but luckily, the protagonist is a good judge of character and a strong negotiator, suggesting he may find a peaceful resolution to whatever obstacles lie ahead.

Still, his best chance of finding his wife at the moment is to take Gary at his word, whose actions will continue to dictate Paradise‘s narrative going forward, setting up a frantic ending to the second season.