Why Hulu Mystery ‘Paradise’ Is Worth Your Time
Editor’s note: Spoiler alert for first three episodes of Hulu’s “Paradise.”
Hulu really wants you to watch “Paradise.” The twisty sci-fi mystery from Dan Fogelman (“This Is Us”) got an ABC and FX premiere in addition to its streaming home on Hulu, and it’s easy to see why the Disney Corporation is throwing their full weight behind the Sterling K. Brown-led series.
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The sci-fi tale appeared to be about the death of the President (James Marsden), but by the end of the first episode, it became clear the mystery is much, much bigger than just who shot the president in his home in the middle of the night. Sterling K. Brown’s secret service agent Xavier finds the body and clearly has a complicated relationship with the man, but throughout the opening episode it’s clear there is more than meets the eye here. By Episode 1’s end, fans realize that the entire town is actually a bunker, and well, there will be many more twists to come.
Proma, we’ve been excitedly slacking back and forth about this show, which is a bit surprising to me only because sci-fi genre stuff is not typically what I geek out over. What’s been your favorite part so far?
Proma Khosla: Oh, man. Where to begin? We should admit up front that we’ve both seen seven episodes, and while we won’t spoil anything — a lot of my favorite moments are still to come. In the first three episodes my favorite part has to be the obvious: Sterling K. Brown. I don’t think anyone watching this was confused as to why Dan Fogelman would do another show with this guy, but any doubts there could have been should be dispelled almost immediately. You can see how Brown as an actor and Xavier as a character bring such a calming influence to an uncertain environment. I love a good end-of-the-world or dystopian twist, so the end of Episode 1 made me go all in on a show that I was already interested in watching. For someone who doesn’t normally go for sci-fi, what drew you in?
Erin Strecker: Um, Sterling K. Brown, duh.
Truthfully the whole cast: I’m always excited to see Julianne Nicholson pop up somewhere (watch “Janet Planet” now); and James Marsden is pitch-perfect casting as a good ol’ boy president. Dan Fogelman has made a career out of projects with memorable plot twists, particularly the trick of holding back plot details that change your understanding of what is taking place. To put that concept in the sci-fi space — with all the big questions and what ifs? — seemed like something worth our viewing time.
We’ve seen a little more, but what big questions did you have after the end of episodes 2 and 3?
Proma Khosla: Ever since the Episode 1 twist I was pretty much salivating to find out what happened to drive these 25,000 people into their dystopic dome. Samantha’s (Nicholson) Episode 2 flashbacks suggest that it’s a climate catastrophe — extremely believable — and Gabriela (Sarah Shahi) ostensibly hand picked every survivor living in the dome. The end of Episode 3 has us doubting Billy (Jon Beavers) — but I admit I was way more intrigued by the chemistry between Xavier and Gabriela (the shower scene! The song cover! Help!!). I like the relationship developing between Xavier’s daughter (Aliyah Mastin) and Cal’s son (Charlie Evans). They must have known each other before the dome because of their fathers, and now they’ve both lost a parent while still navigating this new reality — but you know I love a good romantic subplot regardless.
How about you? What’s your biggest burning question right now?
Erin Strecker: In his IndieWire review, critic Ben Travers noted, “Fogelmaniacs don’t have to settle for a single ‘This Is Us’ actor in a routine broadcast procedural. They can have the ‘This Is Us’ creator writing for the best ‘This Is Us’ actor (Sterling K. Brown, duh) in a show that’s weirdly similar to their Emmy-winning hit. ‘Paradise’ may embrace enough characteristics of its superficial genre to serve as an effective thriller, but don’t be fooled: For better or worse, this is “Us” all over again.”
Perhaps that’s why I liked it so much! In addition to the sci-fi stuff, this is clearly a show about relationships — Xavier’s love for his children and dead wife; President James Marsden’s love and longing for his son and father; other secret service agents with their own compromised, complicated relationships. Beyond the murder mystery and “what would you do?” ethic questions, this is a sci-fi show with its heart on its sleeve.
Proma Khosla: I won’t be so bold as to make a “Lost” comparison, but “sci-fi show with its heart on its sleeve” does describe both and is the secret sauce to getting people hooked on this one. No matter what anyone in this show is going through, the survivors all have more in common than your average idyllic town of 25,000. The murder mystery provides a propulsive central narrative, but everything else sprawls and tangles out from that in a way that feels designed (by Samantha’s architect?) to keep us coming back.
In the end, it’s all about simplicity. Whether it’s “This Is Us,” or mentally classifying “Paradise” as “‘This Is Us’ in a mountain dome,” or any character-driven drama crossing genres, the most effective sci-fi, fantasy, and alternate reality stories succeed with an uncomplicated core — and pushed forward by deeply complicated people.
New episodes of “Paradise” premieres Tuesdays on Hulu.
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