It’s a Smooth-Brained Dystopia, and I Feel Fine

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This post contains spoilers for the first three episodes of the Hulu series Paradise.

Discussing Hulu’s latest drama thriller, Paradise, inevitably involves mentioning the shocking twist at the end of its first episode. This isn’t uncharted territory for creator Dan Fogelman, who has a history of crafting unexpected plot twists. For instance, when it comes to talking about NBC family drama This Is Us or Fox baseball drama Pitch, one can’t avoid discussing the surprising structural twists at the end of their first episodes as well. Despite having different storylines, these series share similar tones and scope, focusing on personal dramas revolving around themes like desire, ambition, intimacy, and hope in a contemporary setting. The twists they present might be startling, but they often boil down to characters being more interconnected than expected or key relationships being revealed as figments of someone’s imagination.

As a cinephile, I must admit that “Paradise” offers a unique take on Fogelman’s signature narrative twist. It shares the same jaw-dropping, upside-down-world effect, but it subtly distances itself from the broader show, making “Paradise” feel more like a standalone piece in an increasingly intricate puzzle of television shows exploring similar themes.

Alright, let’s move on: The setup and the shocking turn. Sterling K. Brown, known for his role in “This Is Us”, plays Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent tasked with safeguarding Callum Bradford, a former U.S. president portrayed by James Marsden. Living in an immaculate, strictly managed gated community, one might expect heightened security measures; however, everyone appears unconcerned about protecting President Bradford. This is what makes it utterly surprising when, at the start of the first episode, Collins arrives for his morning shift and finds that President Bradford has been assassinated.

In a more conversational tone: Instead of focusing on unexpected twists, “Paradise” sets up a peculiar atmosphere from the start, suggesting that this series will revolve around a shocking disruption in what was intended to be an utterly secure haven. The mystery deepens as we wonder who committed the murder, why Collins appears unfazed by the president’s death, and why we keep jumping back to flashbacks about how Collins was initially assigned to the president’s detail. However, the true nature of the community is only gradually revealed in the closing moments of the episode. Unlike a typical gated community, “Paradise” is actually an underground bunker hidden within Colorado’s mountains. The residents are not just privileged individuals who chose to live there; they are the last survivors of humanity in the United States, having sought refuge in this bunker following a global catastrophe that wiped out the rest of mankind. President Bradford is not merely a former president; he currently governs this subterranean town and is the one responsible for orchestrating the downfall of the U.S., only to escape to the safety of the bunker. Collins harbors intense resentment towards President Bradford, as he failed to assist in saving Collins’s wife while ensuring that Collins’s children made it into the sanctuary.

Indeed, Paradise is another series that delves into the theme of constructing or inhabiting a bunker for survivors of an apocalypse. Over the past two years, it has joined the ranks of shows such as Silo (underground silos protecting humanity from the desolate world above), Fallout (similar concept, but fallout shelters), and Murder at the End of the World (a luxury bunker located in the Arctic Circle near an underground energy plant/AI server). Going further back, we also have shows like Snowpiercer (an apocalypse bunker, but it’s a train) and American Horror Story: Apocalypse (apocalypse bunkers with a touch of magic). It’s not hard to see why modern television seems to be fascinated with the idea of survival in an apocalyptic scenario.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d rephrase it like this: In contrast to shows like “Pitch” and “This Is Us”, which use unexpected character interactions as their twist, “Paradise” employs a classic sci-fi trope – revealing that our world isn’t what it seems. This makes the story feel less confined by its own intricacies. Unlike “This Is Us”, where each new revelation about characters’ lives needed to be fresh and unpredictable, “Paradise” can unfold in a more straightforward, chronological manner, reminiscent of a thriller. Even when it delves into complex storytelling, like revisiting minor characters to shed light on their role in the main plot, the momentum driven by the murder mystery and apocalypse questions allows for these twists to have less emotional impact.

As a movie enthusiast, let me clarify: “Paradise” is far from flawless. It often veers into silliness, bogged down by its own excessive seriousness and overreliance on Gen-X anthems, perfectly synchronized to the point where a character delivers a crucial or shocking line just as a singer belts out a fitting lyric. (Collins’ teen daughter and Bradford’s teen son are listening to “We Built This City,” and trust me, they didn’t build it on rock ‘n’ roll – they built it inside a rock.) The majority of these songs aren’t even originals; they lean heavily towards either sad emo covers or techno-influenced ones. Coupled with the unimaginative, gloomy visuals, “Paradise” seems more cheaply made than other streaming shows, which prioritize a higher-end aesthetic.

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that I find Paradise to be more exhilarating than most post-apocalyptic series out there. It’s grand and dynamic, with quick-witted pacing, ever-changing objectives, and an instinctive feeling that if it doesn’t keep dishing out fresh twists, it might lose its viewers in a heartbeat. Paradise presents a cleverly deceptive apocalypse, and by that I don’t mean it’s inferior. Some shows value their audience by requiring patience and meticulous analysis; others respect their audience by shaking them awake with a loud “The ducks in the pond are fake! They’re plastic ducks!” Paradise falls into the latter category. They’ve constructed this city, the president is deceased, the ducks are artificial, and nothing is what it appears to be. Let the overdramatic cover of “Eye of the Tiger” sweep you away.

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2025-01-29 20:54