Paloma is easily one of No Time To Die‘s brightest spots, which only makes her brief appearance all the more frustrating because it ends almost as soon as it begins. Her screen time could have been doubled without wearing out her welcome, or she could have been written into a larger role with genuine importance to the mission.
Although Nomi is perfectly capable, I never found her nearly as entertaining or memorable as Paloma, whose chemistry with Bond practically demanded another act together. It’s hard not to wonder if Paloma could have filled the role of Bond’s fellow agent instead, allowing their playful dynamic and obvious chemistry to develop naturally.
Another stylish shootout alongside Bond would’ve been far more welcome than watching her disappear after a single mission. In an alternate universe, there’s a better version of the movie where it starts with Bond teaming up with Paloma for a completely different mission and she plays sidekick like Anya Amasova, Holly Goodhead, Pam Bouvier or Wai Lin. I suspect that would’ve been a more entertaining movie.
