I didn’t know what I was getting into after seeing a promo for a show on a plane that sparked my interest, but boy, was I hooked.
“Paradise” on Hulu was far away from the definition of the word — an ideal or idyllic place or state. This was clear from the first episode to the last.
The show dropped every Tuesday on Hulu from Jan. 26, when the first three episodes were released, and ran through March 4. Each episode ended with my mind spinning in circles and rattling as to what just happened. Every week brought a new cliffhanger that left fans wanting more.
The opening scene introduces us to Xavier Collins (Sterling L. Brown), a family man and a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Callum Bradford (James Marsden), the president of the U.S. Right from the start, we see how Collins juggles a double life with his job and caring for his family as a single-father — often leaving his daughter Presley (Aliyah Mastin) to take care of his son James (Percy Daggs IV) when duty calls even if it was James’ bike in the yard.
Bradford lives in a pristine, highly controlled gated community, as many high-ranking officials do in political shows. At first, “Paradise” had the feeling of “West Wing,” “Madam Secretary” or “House of Cards” because of the political edge. But then, about 15 minutes in everything shifted.
When Collins returned to his post after a morning run, he calls for Bradford but there is no answer. Eventually, Collins lets himself in and finds the president on the floor, blood gushing from his head. Collins was the last one to see Bradford the night prior; nobody else.
This is where the dystopian mystery kicks into high gear and starts to become interesting. Who committed the murder? Why didn’t he call it in when he first saw him on the ground? Could he have done it himself?
While these questions eventually get answered, the show expertly leaves fans asking questions episode after episode. Each cliffhanger only deepens the mystery. As somebody who likes the suspense in weekly released shows, “Paradise” had me waiting for the next Tuesday. But if you’re someone who usually gets deterred from watching shows like this, don’t panic and click off; turn on the next episode because it keeps getting better.
And trust me, your questions will be answered and you’ll be surprised in the process.
The gated community that Collins protects isn’t the usual White House in Washington D.C. setting. Instead, it opens with the biggest twist that changed my perception of the whole show.
Right from episode one, this community is actually an underground bunker built inside a mountain in a mysterious place — later shown to be in Colorado.
The most emotional and drama-filled episode, and my personal favorite episode, is episode seven “The Day.” In this episode, it answers the biggest question of them all: why these citizens are in this bunker in the first place.
A massive eruption of an in-ground volcano in Antarctica triggered tsunamis that devastated the whole world, breaking everything in its path, with the U.S. next in line. This disaster was known by Bradford, his fellow cabinet members and Collins, but not even by the general public or the many members that were inside of the White House.
Bradford faced many decisions, whether to call Versailles — a series of plans to bring high members of the public into the bunker so they could survive — or not. As chaos ensued, he stops to talk to the custodian of all people to see his reaction to the impending doom that the custodian didn’t know was coming. Collins also tried to pull Bradford’s attention by trying to make sure his wife Terri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma) made it to the bunker.
Episode seven delivers an emotional punch, based on what transpired from Bradford’s decisions in that episode. While I won’t spoil what Bradford decided to do to save the country, I highly recommend watching it yourself and watching all the way to ensure you catch up on every detail, especially with a second season coming in 2026.
Credit to director Dan Fogelman for mastering pacing the series slowly and slowly peeling the layers of the show and not spoiling the mystery too early or showing the hypotheticals fans thought ahead of each episode.
Beyond the twists and suspense, “Paradise” does an excellent job of exploring themes of isolation, loyalty and moral transparency. You don’t suspect Collins to be the hero as he wrestles with guilt, his service and survival instincts in a collapsing world. It shows in his performance when he adds emotional weight to an intense narrative. Brown’s ability to convey paranoia while trying to figure out who killed Bradford elevated the show.
Collins may have left “Paradise,” but I’m definetly staying for season two.
