Series Review: Paradise (Season 2)
Season one of Hulu’s *Paradise* was a tense surprise hit, but now that we know there are survivors outside the bunker, will season two get even more intense, or is the show just going to lose its claustrophobic pressure?
As Xavier searches for Teri out in the world, he learns how people survived the three years since The Day. Meanwhile, back in Paradise, the social fabric frays as the bunker deals with the aftermath of the president’s murder and the new secrets uncovered about the city’s origins.
The Premise and New Additions
This picks up right where season one left off, with Xavier piloting the plane towards Atlanta, where he hopes his wife is still living. The cast returns from the previous season, but we’ve also got some new additions, just thanks to the expansion of those on the outside of the shelter. Shailene Woodley, Cameron Britton, Enuka Okuma, and Thomas Doherty provide more depth on what the world looked like for those who didn’t have the benefit of getting into that secure bunker.
What worked so well for the show in season one, aside from the mystery of who killed the president, was the contained location with somewhat shady people calling the shots, which helped to add intrigue and anticipation to the storytelling. For season two, the show takes a gamble that the same sort of pressure-cooker feeling is going to continue once we get glimpses of life outside.
Before I go on, I have to let you know I’ve only had access to the first seven of the eight episodes at the time of this recording. The last episode hadn’t been completed to allow for a screener copy, so all of my thoughts, positive or negative, are only going to encompass episodes one through seven.
Pacing and Episodic Structure
For this season, the plot is chunked out so that an episode or two, maybe even more, will focus on a story outside the bunker on the new characters that we come in contact with. Then, we briefly spend a few minutes inside the bunker just to keep us up to date with any drama that’s going on on the inside. The majority of the show, though, is centered around various outsiders, which eventually feed into the main narrative of Xavier searching for Teri, and the impact or influence all of these episodes have on the events leading up to the conclusion.
The chunky presentation does make it feel as though the show doesn’t have a full grasp on what it wants to do, especially with all of the upheaval and mistrust that’s churning inside the bunker, leaving us to then meander on brand new characters without any reasoning or inkling of how their portion is going to inform what’s to come.
Standout Performances and Character Arcs
We spend the most time with Shailene Woodley’s character, Annie, and I appreciate how it uses her story to highlight the strength and resolve of people despite the odds stacked against them in life. Annie’s a nervous and insecure character, lacking faith in herself and suffering from an almost debilitating amount of self-doubt. But she also has these areas of her life where she is confident; without the combination of all of these traits, her trajectory wouldn’t be so powerful or memorable. There’s a tremendous sequence that showcases Annie’s fierce resolve, and while it’s also hugely emotional, it reinforces the hope that has woven itself throughout the storytelling—and in this season, through Xavier in particular, as he unwaveringly searches for his wife.
Each of the episodes is a decent length, making the episodic release worth the watch, especially with the effectively cruel cliffhangers that the series often creates at the end of each episode. Even though the arcs have us bouncing around to different locations and people, there’s still a good amount of dread and concern that builds, sometimes becoming extremely dire before rolling the credits without a resolution, and other times just allowing us to watch the series of events and the consequences actions have for certain characters.
Expanding the World
The show is also still easy to follow, despite feeling like it’s beginning to wander into *The Walking Dead* territory. I’m not referring to zombies or anything like that—just the wandering and searching of people, some of whom band together and become a pack or horde like you’d see screaming through the wastelands in *Mad Max*. There’s even a visual that felt like it was taken directly from *The Walking Dead* set, with the post-apocalyptic view of Atlanta from the outskirts as the highways are just littered with abandoned vehicles and the city is decrepit from the cataclysmic events.
As we get further into this season, the story does begin to focus more on the players inside the bunker. For this area, the mystery continues to grow, just thanks to some vague mumblings and cryptic names that are uttered. We don’t know if they’re referring to people, if they’re just acronyms, or maybe they’re an entirely new threat. For this portion, Julianne Nicholson, Nicole Brydon Bloom, and Sarah Shahi lead the pack to highlight both the power and the ferocity that they wield over the residents, and sometimes each other.
Soundtrack and Story Conveniences
Probably the most impressive and best part of both seasons one and two has been the soundtrack. The show uses well-known hits and features new renditions by different artists. A lot of the songs still come from the ’80s and ’90s, but we also get some popular releases from the ’50s and ’60s. I also appreciate that while the songs themselves are beautiful to listen to, their inclusion in the story serves a purpose, highlighting key elements or emotions the episodes are centered around.
There are a few plotlines that benefit from massive story conveniences, allowing characters to get away with some actions that really should have been more questioned. But in the spirit of efficiency, the show allows these to go automatically accepted, which does then keep the pacing quick and not bogged down by rational logic. Other times, characters survive things they really shouldn’t. It’s not like I want the key players to get offed, but when just about everyone is impervious to tragedy, some of the stakes are lowered, or maybe even removed at times. That can ratchet down the suspense and make the storytelling less lethal than it should be.
Final Verdict
There’s a lot going on this season. While that’s not always an issue—especially when all the elements are complementary and combine to exponentially increase the anxiety—the story also suffers from just *too* much going on and not enough focused time spent with ideas and arcs that would create more depth for situations while also not reducing apprehension.
Sterling K. Brown, in the lead role of Xavier, continues to exude calm menace no matter the situation, while also demonstrating this massive capacity, especially in this season, for compassion and hope. He does get put into the backseat for a good portion of the season, but that doesn’t diminish his presence when he does appear. Even though the episodes jump around locations and time, creating a sense of uncertainty in the writing, as events fall into place, there are nail-biting sequences brewing that produce dreadful excitement as the story rockets us towards an unknown potential catastrophe.
Rating: I give season two of Paradise 4 out of 5 couches.
There is still one episode that I haven’t seen, so it really could disappoint in the finale, but I’m crossing my fingers that we are going to get some good and reasonable answers before then plunging us into more mystery for us in an ideal, hopeful season three.
Okay, did you like season one? If so, who is your favorite character? Let me know in the comments below!
