AceShowbiz - Paradise fans are deep into the mysteries surrounding Thomas Doherty’s character in the show’s second season, particularly as the story builds toward the climactic seventh episode, "The Final Countdown." Doherty’s character—sometimes called Link, other times Dylan—has sparked speculation among viewers, especially given his connection to Samantha (played by Julianne Nicholson) and the hints dropped about his origin and motivations.

Throughout season two, Doherty refers to his character alternately as Link, a nickname inspired by the beloved video game character from The Legend of Zelda, reflecting the persona of a nerdy resistance leader. However, the character’s actual name is Dylan, intriguingly the same name as Samantha’s deceased son, who also shares a birthday with Doherty’s character. This coincidence has fueled intense fan theories involving time travel or alternate realities, but Doherty remains tight-lipped about any confirmations. "I’m in survival mode here," he laughs when asked about spoilers. "I’m not trying to spoil shit."

Despite the curiosity, Doherty carefully avoids revealing emotional details or confirming whether his Dylan is indeed connected to Samantha’s son. He shares that during his audition, the character was simply described as "burly man" rather than Dylan or Link. He also confirms that his character will continue into the confirmed third season of the series, maintaining his enigmatic presence.

Even if Dylan is purely a brilliant visionary determined to rebuild the world and confront the elites holed up in the bunker, he remains a fascinating figure. His boldness is showcased when he greets the bunker’s wealthy occupants with a cheeky "Take me to your leader" sign. His fury erupts when Samantha claims she built the bunker, as this erases the legacy of his mentor, Professor Henry Miller (played by Patrick Fischler), whose stolen technology gave Samantha her power. Doherty explains, "That’s the thing that gets his individual ego out. That’s when he’s ready to go."

When Link and his group arrive at the bunker, Dylan initially demands to see the president, but Samantha insists he must deal with her instead. Doherty sheds light on Dylan’s motivations in this tense exchange. "There is unbelievable disdain and resentment and anger toward this woman," he says. "Link—Dylan—ultimately wants to avenge his professor, this person that’s taken him in and taught him so much and changed his life. That personal ego flares up, and I’m trying to, as an actor, keep that here [gestures toward abdomen]. It’s still there, but what we’re talking about is the greater good. This is to restart the world. This is to save humanity. That’s bigger than my grievance—but my grievance is still there. I hope that comes through."

On the day Samantha says, "Everything I’ve built," Dylan snaps back, "Everything that you’ve built?" Doherty reflects on how his understanding of the character evolved during filming. "During episode one, I didn’t really know what he would do in episode eight, but as you go, you get more tidbits and you’re developing more."

When asked about the emotional journey required for episode eight, Doherty pauses thoughtfully. "You’ll see what I mean when you see eight. That knowledge is more for me, Thomas, playing Dylan—Link; I fucking don’t know what to call him anymore—to kind of know what’s coming and to not play that too soon. The information that I’m hit with in eight, I don’t really see it coming [as a character]. It’s not like I needed to factor it in."

On whether he prefers the name Dylan or Link, Doherty admits it has changed over time. "It’s really funny. Now I’m starting to feel Dylan, whereas before, I would never call him Dylan—also because I was scared I was going to spoil something. I always thought of him as Link: I met Dylan as Link, and Annie met him as Link. But you’ll realize, once you see eight, why me as Thomas, I start to feel a bit more connected to the name Dylan. I feel a lot more confident now because I know Link and I know Dylan and I know what I’m walking into, and who I’m walking in as, whereas prior, it’s like, What the fuck am I doing?"

Filming the intense confrontation with Samantha was a significant experience for Doherty. "Getting to do a scene with Julianne Nicholson is insane. She’s the coolest person I’ve ever met—so chill, so talented, really cheeky. There’s no bells and whistles with her. She’s very professional, and she pulls up and creates a really nice environment." Doherty emphasizes the value of working with seasoned actors, stating, "When I work with actors that are a little older, but vastly more experienced, I think it’s important to be quiet more and listen more and watch more, because that’s when you learn, you know?"

He shares a funny anecdote about preparing for the scenes. "Before the show, I didn’t know her. I only associated her as Sinatra, and I remember working out and I’d always have her face in my head so I could get that anger. And then I met her and she’s so disarming because she’s so lovely. On the day, we both know what we’re doing. I really developed this character and knew what I wanted to do. But when you’re in the room with Sterling or Julianne or Shailene, all of that just goes to shit. If you’re going to be honest and present with them, it’s going to be different. It changes and evolves. It was like doing a master class in acting, but I was getting paid to do it."

Maintaining emotional intensity over long hours of filming proved challenging. Doherty reveals, "I amped myself up as Link so much that it was really intense. You’re filming over five, six hours, so it’s about maintaining that intensity, and then it starts to become a little bit erratic, in your eyes. It was just, Compose, compose, compose because I’m working with one of the most composed people I’ve ever met."

Of course, the burning question remains: Is Doherty’s Dylan somehow related to Samantha’s son Dylan? Doherty declines to confirm. When pressed, he simply laughs and says, "No." He enjoys the theory but insists fans will have to wait until episode eight for answers.

Asked whether the coincidence of sharing Dylan’s name and birthday influenced his performance, Doherty acknowledges the complexity of working on a Dan Fogelman script. "When you’re working on a Dan Fogelman script, everything is a possibility. Her being my mother was a possibility, being related to Xavier in some capacity was a possibility, and then you’ve got this quantum-mechanical stuff thrown into the mix. Even the smallest adjustment can change your whole character. You just trust them—the direction, the writers. The writers are always on set. You can go and talk to them. It is a lot, but it’s amazing. I’m so excited for the finale."

When asked if he had his own theory about Dylan, Doherty says, "The reality of what it is is so much better than what I could come up with."

Another memorable detail from the pivotal scene is Doherty’s character eating apple pie while negotiating with Samantha. He describes the difficulty of filming such a moment: "It’s really hard eating onscreen because you become hyperaware of what you’re doing. You’re like, Okay, we’re filming this for four hours, so I have to eat this apple pie for four hours. I’m going to take a bite here. I need to try and get continuity. You’re trying to time it well."

He adds that the pie was notably unpleasant. "Also, it was the sweetest apple pie I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. It was almost like it was dipped in syrup. It was fucking horrible. Sometimes you take a bite and you’ve got a line coming up, but your mouth is still full. It’s a real art form, I believe, eating onscreen."

While the scene involving the pie was filmed in the aircraft setting, Doherty hints there were additional sequences leading up to that moment, underscoring the complexity of the shoot.

In sum, Paradise’s second season finale promises to unravel some of the enigma surrounding Thomas Doherty’s character, but the actor’s guarded yet insightful comments ensure fans will be eagerly tuning in to discover whether Dylan is truly connected to Samantha’s past and how his motives will impact the future of their world.