Return to Paradise season 2 will be make or break for Mack and Glenn's relationship as star teases ‘emotional blocks’ in new episodes

Anna Samson holds a pen and phone
Anna Samson as Mackenzie Clarke in Return to Paradise. (Image credit: BBC)

Return to Paradise season 2 returns (pardon the pun) to BBC iPlayer in the UK on October 31 and will be coming to ABC in Australia on November 15.

Typical Halloween content it is not, but don't underestimate the drama that's to come. As season 2 begins, Mack (Anna Sansom) is still stuck in Dolphin's Cove, the home we saw her return to in season 1 after working for the Metropolitan Police in London.

This time around, there are brand-new cases to solve, an epic roster of guests stars and one question that won't let go: Can Mack and Glenn (Tai Hara) properly be together?

After so much on-off tension, it's a question I've been desperate to get to the bottom of. Thankfully, I had the chance to ask Anna Samson herself, and she's teased some substantial "emotional blocks"... but not Mack's.

Return to Paradise season 2 shines spotlight on Glenn's 'emotional blocks'

Official Trailer | Return to Paradise Season Two | ABC iview - YouTube Official Trailer | Return to Paradise Season Two | ABC iview - YouTube
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"I think Mackenzie feels doomed in her emotional life always. I don't think she sees herself as lovable," Samson tells me. It's not about the fact that she doesn't love people or care about people. She thinks she's unworthy of love in that capacity.

"So I think a sense of loneliness is something she carries in her at all times, and that's where the feeling of doom comes from."

She continues: "It's quite a tragic story in a lot of ways, those two characters. You get to see more of Glenn's emotional blocks in season 2. It's not just Mackenzie that's making this difficult, he has a responsibility and his own problems.

"They both bring their own psychology and their own damage, and we'll see more of Glenn's in season two."

That's a lot for any relationship, let alone a singular season of TV. If Return to Paradise follows its predecessors Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise, we've got plenty of future seasons left to watch.

While we don't know what challenges lie in Mack and Glenn's path just yet, don't be surprised if there are no clear resolutions in season 2 (and that's a good thing).


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Jasmine Valentine
Streaming Staff Writer

Jasmine is a Streaming Staff Writer for TechRadar, previously writing for outlets including Radio Times, Yahoo! and Stylist. She specialises in comfort TV shows and movies, ranging from Hallmark's latest tearjerker to Netflix's Virgin River. She's also the person who wrote an obituary for George Cooper Sr. during Young Sheldon Season 7 and still can't watch the funeral episode.

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