At the core of theParadise’s first episode is a major twist that throws any expectations about the series into question. Paradise is a miniseries on Hulu that focuses on a member of the United States Secret Service in the middle of a fateful murder investigation. When the President is found dead in his home, Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins sets out to find out what happened to his former friend. The character drama and focus on character relationships serves as the external layer of the show, giving it a tight focus despite the clear global consequences of the story.
The character relationships ofParadise’s cast of charactersis given just as much weight (or even more so) to their stations within the greater world. This quietly initially hides the true nature of the show, which is only overtly confirmed in the closing moments of the first episode. This creates a natural sense of unique possibility within Paradise, which has proven it can subvert expectations beyond just character motivation and backstory. In fact, the tonal shift at the end of thefirst episode ofParadisehighlights how the miniseries' strong writing could go in all sorts of directions going forward.
Paradise Isn’t A Political Thriller, It’s A Sci-Fi
Paradise’s First Episode Twist Gives The Show A Major Sci-Fi Element
Paradisesubverts expectations with a great first episode twist, as the final moments of the premiere sets the stage for a quietly sci-fi concept that could easily translate into easy character drama.Paradisepresents itself throughout the first episode as a political thriller. The show keeps a tight character focus on Xavier Collins and Cal Bradford throughout the episode, keeping the attention on their relationship in the past and Collins' attempt to discover what happened to him.Paradisedoes a great job establishing itself as a character-centric thriller long before it reveals thatParadiseis happening in a sci-fi setting.
In the final moments of “Wildcat Is Down,” it’s revealed that [Paradise] is set in a domed city underneath a mountain, presumably one of the last remaining human settlements on the planet after an unseen extinction level event occurred.
This helps hide the genre shift at the end of the first episode, a genre feint means the audience isn’t quick to pick up on about the true nature of the universe ofParadise. In the final moments of “Wildcat Is Down,“it’s revealed that the show is set in a domed city underneath a mountain, presumably one of the last human settlements on the planet after an unseen cataclysmic event changedParadise’s world. Even the sun hanging overhead is just a spotlight, controlled by unseen workers to ensure that the small town remains thriving even as the world ends.
How Paradise Hides Its Genre Shift In Plain Sight
Despite the show being centered on a murder mystery of the most important person in the United States government, almost the entire emotional arc of the first episode ofParadise, “Wildcat Is Down,” is about Collins and Bradford.The episode charts their relationship, from the first time they met to the height of their friendship after Collins saved Bradford from an assassination attempt. However, this stands in stark contrast to their more recent interactions, which are far tenser than before.Paradisesets up a murder mystery where the secondary element of the show is the exploration of a deteriorated friendship.
All of this does a great job of distracting away from minor clues that could hint at the real premise of the show, keeping the twist hidden in plain sight. The small town American vibes don’t gel with the classic imagery of Washington DC or the Presidency. The advanced technology that’s casually used reflects a different time period than the modern day. The surprising small number of people operating in a highly important setting like the home of the President all introduce little wrinkles in the universe that would give the game away if the main drama wasn’t so compelling.
Paradise’s Character Focus Keeps The Show Politically Minded
ParadiseFeels More Like A Political Thriller Than Hard Sci-Fi
Paradisedoesn’t completely lose that political thriller element when it establishes the sci-fi elements, either.Paradiseis a relatively grounded story, despite the concept of the characters living in a city underneath a mountain after the end of the world. Technology isn’t radically futuristic, and many classical elements of modern society are present all around the city. While everything might be a facsimile of the old world, there’s an authentic nature to it present because of the characters surrounding it. Supporting characters read old books or play old video games over experimenting with bizarre new technology, keepingParadisefeeling realistic.
Paradise Review: Sterling K. Brown Delivers A Sensational Performance In Hulu’s Entertaining Thriller From This Is Us Creator
The political sci-fi thriller is a great sign for TV this year, though it routinely reveals itself to be better on paper than in practice.
It all comes together in a quietly compelling way, ensuring the miniseries never feels too outlandish despite the premise inviting comparisons to more overt sci-fi shows likeSilo. It’s also clear that the show is exploring a story about power in times of crisis, positioning the ultra-wealthy Samantha Redmond and the other capitalist survivors of the apocalypse as the true ruler behind the scenes of government.Conspiracies, affairs, and moral quandaries are already set up for the miniseries, making sure the tone never veers away from thriller even if more elements of science-fiction are incorporated into the uniquely boxed-in world.
Paradise’s Sci-Fi Twist Means Anything Could Happen
ParadiseCould Change Genres Again With Ease
Paradisebeing a character drama, a political murder mystery, and a post-apocalyptic sci-fi show at the same time means the story can go in any number of directions. As the plot advances, it could become as distant and outlandish as it wants, revealing wild new twists and turns to be related to the fallout from the unseen extinction level event. It could double down on the character drama at the heart of the scripts.It could even lean further in the political thriller and showcase what people in power are willing to do with the world once they’ve broken it.
Paradisereunites Sterling K. Brown with Dan Fogelman, who created the show and also createdThis Is Us.
This is where having a firm moral character like Xavier Collins in the lead role really pays off. The hero can be committed to uncovering the truth about everything and ground the moral compass of the plot even if takes some wildly unexpected swings. The sci-fi nature of the twist even means more threats could emerge from outside the city. It’s a genuine strength forParadisethat brings a lot of fun potential to the series. The strong writing, compelling performances, and solid direction madeParadisea must-watch, but the big genre swings introduce a lot of really exciting wrinkles.
