Dan Fogelman’s political thriller returns for a second season, reimagining itself as a post-apocalyptic drama more akin to The Last Of Us. It’s a season full of twists that even the most avid TV watcher won’t expect, as the writers continue to take risks that mostly pay off.
In season one, Paradise opens with Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) discovering President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) dead in his home. This is an unthinkable crime anywhere in the world, but the fact that it takes place in a climate-controlled, technology-advanced fallout shelter called Paradise makes it even more shocking.
The series followed the community as it faced the mystery of the president’s death while also trying to rebuild a life in their luxurious bunker. That mystery was neatly wrapped up by the end of the first series, leaving the second season the space to world-build. The sophomore series balances continuing the mysteries of Paradise with exploring more of the outside world, adding even more intrigue and mystery.
The series starts not with Xavier, who we left manning a small aircraft and leaving Paradise, a perfect community in Colorado, which has been funded by shady billionaire Samantha Redmond (Julianne Nicholson), but with a brand-new character. This is another of the bold decisions Fogelman makes throughout the show.
Paradise Explores The Aftermath Of The World-Ending Event
The first episode follows the world-altering events of the last series through new eyes, as Annie (Shailene Woodley) hides out in Graceland as a volcanic eruption in Antarctica triggers a global tsunami. The first episode has no mention of the events of season one, and you won’t be alone in wondering if you’ve turned on the right show.
The opening episode is an innovative reintroduction to the world of Paradise. Where most shows would simply play a ‘previously on’ montage, this episode plays out the whole world-changing end-of-days events from a new point of view. Through some minor exposition-heavy dialogue, the characters teach each other and remind audiences exactly what happened in the first series. We watch the same catastrophe, only from the POV of someone on the ground, cluelessly looking up at the sky.
In the opening episode, we also meet a biker gang (led by Thomas Doherty) on a mission to find the bunker in Colorado, which has become the subject of worldwide conspiracy theories. He is just one of the many new characters introduced in season two of Paradise as the show effectively creates a picture of the world outside the bunker.
Meanwhile underground, the inhabitants of Paradise still have no idea if the world and their loved ones survived the apocalyptic events of season one. The survivor outside can only guess where the president disappeared to as rumours spread that a secret bunker has been built by the elite, for the elite. So, the show sets up two very different factions, neither sure if the other really exists.
The second episode in the season follows up on the end of the first series as Xavier embarks on his mission outside the bunker to find his wife, Terri (Enuka Okuma). The secret service agent had originally believed his wife had died in a missile attack in Atlanta, but discovered in season 1 that she was still alive. The series follows him on his mission to find Terri and bring her back to the bunker to reunite with their children.
In a later episode, the world is expanded even more, as we meet a former mailman whose love of conspiracy theories helped him foresee the catastrophe. It’s an extraordinary episode that links multiple plot points while introducing new threads, characters, and communities.
Paradise continues Dan Fogelman’s trademark non-linear, time-bending narratives that weave together multiple perspectives. In one episode, we watch Xavier repair his own injured knee; in the flashback, we are told where he picked up the knowledge to do so. In another, we flit back to when Cal was still alive, as the bunker prepared to welcome its first baby.
Paradise Is More Concerned With Out Than In
Fans of the Paradise bunker may be disappointed that the addition of new characters means audiences spend a significant amount of time away from the hidden underground community. The characters and dynamics set up in the first series are pushed aside in favour of newer stories.
It’s not until the third episode that we return to Paradise and follow up on the loose ends of season two. After the events of last season, there is political unrest, and those controlling the community are struggling to keep the people settled.
Despite the new additions to the cast, the show still takes time to revisit the bunker and expand on its lore. This series peels back another layer of the veneer of Paradise, hinting at the real reason it was built and introducing the architect behind the project. One character does get her own flashback, in a twist that doesn’t feel wholly right for the tone of the show.
Strangely, the bunker-focused episodes are the weakest in the series. It’s almost like the writers returned out of obligation, not because they had a creative urge to do so. Characters like Sarah Shahi’s therapist, feel shoehorned in rather than a natural part of the story.
Because Paradise essentially follows two parallel stories, the show can feel disjointed at times. There are a lot of characters, tones, and plots going on separately, and it can be hard to keep up. You’ll jarringly spend episodes away from certain characters before being thrown back in.
You’ll Be Left Wanting More From Paradise
It’s a tragedy Paradise wasn’t released 20 years ago when shows like this ran for 22 episodes a season. There is so much left to explore in this world that it’s a shame we only get eight episodes. The diminutive episode count means we only get the time to drop in on characters and scratch beneath the surface of this universe.
At times, season two of Paradise feels like a completely different show to the previous series. It’s commendable that Dan Fogelman took a hugely popular show and turned it on its head, choosing to explore new angles and people instead of repeating the same formula.
Fogelman’s writing can err on the side of overly sentimental. While Paradise mostly avoids this curse, thanks to stellar performances from Sterling K. Brown and Shailene Woodley, it still dips slightly into melodramatic waters. But, in a world that is increasingly more and more cynical, it’s comforting to find a show that wears its heart on its sleeve and asks humanity to do better.
Paradise is surely an early entry into one of the best TV shows of the year. The series started with a wonderful curveball, luring audiences into thinking it was a political thriller, only for episode one to reveal that the show was set in a fake, purpose-built community. With the cat out of the bag, this sophomore season lets the writers fully focus on life before and after the catastrophe, exploring how devastation brings out the best and worst of humanity.
Paradise season 2 premiered on Feb. 23 with three episodes. New episodes will then be released weekly on Hulu.
Learn more about the show at the official website for the title.
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