PARADISE is the best series you’re probably not watching. With season 2 now starting on Hulu, I want to highlight this as a must-watch show that is equal parts political thriller and mystery, with a lot of entertaining and exhilarating moments sprinkled in. Throughout these first two seasons, it also has masterful lead performances from Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson, and Shailene Woodley, all of whom know how to command the screen in every scene they are in. PARADISE is clever, consistent, and a showcase of episodic television at its best. It’s weird to talk about the best series of the year and it’s only March, but I think we have a real contender with this one.
I am going to be very general in my description of this series and I implore you not to look up anything else about it because I want you to be as jolted by the final minutes of the first episode of season one as I was. You think you are watching one show, and it turns out to be something completely different. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and it’s one of those television moments that will make you immediately start the next episode. I challenge you not to go into a binge-watching spiral like I did; I won’t tell you how many episodes I watched in a row out of fear of judgment. The series focuses on Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), a Secret Service agent that is the primary person protecting the President (James Marsden). But when the President is found murdered and Xavier was the last person to see him alive, people start having questions… especially Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond (Julianne Nicholson). Sinatra is a woman with a lot of power and influence and isn’t going to take this standing down.
Season two is just as intriguing as its predecessor, this time focusing on Annie (Shailene Woodley), a medical student turned tour guide at Graceland (yes, Elvis’s home), who comes across Xavier during a time of peril. If you are confused by this sharp about-face in storyline, I was too. And again, because I don’t want to get into spoilers, you’re going to just have to watch to see how these two stories intersect.
Outside of the phenomenal performances and creative storylines, I love how the writers have created an entire world and culture within this show. Just when you think the action is going to zig, it zags. You won’t be expecting the episode to have a twist and then it runs you over with an 18-wheeler. It brings me back to how I felt watching LOST, where I not only wanted to solve what new mystery was around the corner, but also learn more and more about each character’s backstory. You learn more about each character through flashbacks, which build on each other as the season goes on. This pronounced character arc also provides a meaty role to showcase some of the best actors working today.
With everything going on in the world, it’s important to find escapist television series… especially those like PARADISE that are consistently good over two seasons. To say it’s addictive is an understatement. Everyone I have recommended this series to has watched the first episode and were immediately hooked. Don’t be the person that ruins my record. I have a reputation to uphold!
My Review: A
