Season one of Hulu’s Paradise seemed to start as yet another murder-mystery show. However, by the end of the pilot episode, we discovered a twist: it was also a science fiction story, and everyone was living in an underground bunker in Colorado because the world was ending. As that season unraveled, the mystery of who killed the President (James Marsden) revealed itself, along with the conspiracy that went with it. The finale ended on a cliffhanger, and our protagonist, Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), now embarks on a new mission to find his wife, Teri (Enuka Okuma), thought to be long dead, in Atlanta.
Hulu wisely drops the first three episodes this season to really whet the appetite of its fans and even new viewers. Although we were left following Xavier, this time we’re introduced to Annie (Shailene Woodley) and what life looked like both before and during the apocalypse. Initially a third-year medical student, she settles into a tour guide role at Graceland because of her mother’s love of Elvis and manages to survive there. Eventually, a group of survivors shows up, and she learns to function with mankind again after being alone for so many years. She makes a romantic connection to Link (Thomas Doherty), who is headed to the bunker, but she decides to stay. As the episode ends, we learn two things: Link and his group are headed to Colorado to find someone named “Alex” and to kill them, and months later, Annie is now pregnant, and she comes across Xavier, whose plane has crashed.
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Although we want to explore more about how the characters of Annie and Xavier develop, the next two episodes instead focus on the backstory, seen through flashbacks, of Xavier’s relationship with Teri when they first met. The story also moves to the present, to the bunker and the aftermath of Samantha Redmond’s (Julianne Nicholson) shooting, and the antagonist, Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom).
I had heard all the buzz on season one, even after the pilot, and I wasn’t enticed, even after I saw the bunker twist. Eventually, I did make my way through the series, and it did get better, with a moderately satisfying ending. I still wasn’t sure if that was enough to make me watch the second season. I once again heard the buzz and was lucky enough to attend the premiere, where I watched the season opener that focused on Shailene Woodley’s character. After that, I was definitely in. I might just be a guy who likes that genre—the apocalyptic world—which makes me ask myself, what would I do in this scenario? Or, thankfully, I can only watch as a viewer what a character does.
If you like shows such as The Walking Dead or The Last Man on Earth, this is the direction that the season will take you, balanced with what’s happening in the bunker. I’ve seen the entire season, minus the finale, and I was invested all the way through. In addition, don’t be fooled: Dan Fogelman created his hit show “This Is Us,” and there were a lot of emotional moments throughout that series. Even though we’re touching on science fiction and conspiracy, this season has its own touching story arcs.
Season 2 of Paradise is now streaming on Hulu.
