Paradise Season 2: Thinking Outside The Bunker (Early Review)

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first seven episodes (out of 8) of Paradise Season 2. The first three episodes premiere Monday, February 23rd on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The season finale airs March 30th.

“It was never just about the bunker.”

A revelation spoken by Samantha Redmond, aka “Sinatra”, that serves as the catalyst for expanding the viewer worldview this season beyond the city of Paradise. The first season brought with it a welcome change through its delivery of both a heightened murder mystery encapsulated within an apocalyptic universe and a strong narrative structure containing multiple plotlines fluctuating between the present day and flashbacks to key events and characters that made the bunker possible. Thankfully, that season answered major questions, while at the same time, revealing others that left viewers excited for what comes next. This new season, fans will be welcomed back with a similar narrative approach as storylines go from past to present, but with its altered world focus, expectations are subverted by not immediately jumping back into the events of the bunker, but rather choosing to focus on characters from the outside world and events that will inevitably impact the city of Paradise as this season progresses.

While fans now know that life exists outside Paradise primarily through the recording of Teri’s voice, which motivated Xavier to leave the city and his two children in search of his wife, they might not be prepared for just how much time this season dedicates to the portrayal of what that life truly looks like for other survivors. To that point, many of the characters existing in Paradise take a backseat to those outside in favor of this season’s world-building. The benefit of this choice is the introduction of some of the show’s strongest characters to date, some of whom are on a natural collision course with those in Paradise, but also ones that, while their time might be measured within the series, their impact is so profound that it casts a shadow on some of the other narrative choices this season as being pale in comparison. Xavier is an excellent example of this, as in season one, he was the main character with much of the plotlines dedicated to his actions within them, but compared to those of this season, his motivations and struggles appear so small that it can introduce new characters quickly and cultivate strong emotional investment to them where they can carry much of the narrative direction aside from him. It’s a shift that is risky through its execution because the characters that are introduced to provide these viewpoints are ones that viewers have no emotional investment in; however, they lead to so much more intrigue by showcasing more diverse stories than those of the elites from Paradise.

When the story does show life within Paradise, turmoil and mistrust are always front and center. Sinatra continues to struggle to maintain her hold on the bunker and those who truly run it, while still seeming to hold something back, much larger than just self-preservation, from the public. She has chosen to weaponize Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom), the agent who shot her at the end of season one, to better solidify her seat of power, but is still contending with Dr. Torabi (Sarah Shahi) and Agent Robinson (Krys Marshall), who know the danger she possesses. President Bradford’s son, Jeremy (Charlie Evans), is on a mission to tear down the city itself, finding himself an ally with the architect of the entire vision of Paradise. Meanwhile, much more is revealed about the creation of Paradise and the timeline for survival through flashbacks with President Cal Bradford and Dr. Louge (Geoffry Arend).

As this season drew to a close, it was difficult to pinpoint just what specifically it was about the series that keeps it interesting and viewers wanting more. Yes, there is strong writing, immense acting talent, and a world in which it is equal parts distant from reality and yet dangerously close to believable at times. Despite these markings of a great, dramatic series, there was still something else that pulled me in, and that is its ability to resemble television from a bygone era through its narrative pacing. There are echoes of 2004’s ‘LOST’ within its DNA that reveal flickers of inexplicable possibilities or undertones of something much larger looming in the distance, while viewers are focused on the macro events in the forefront.

What is more impressive about Paradise is how it creates this feeling while never fully addressing or committing to it, leaving the viewer mystified as to which direction the season will ultimately choose and being entertained throughout the entire journey. It’s a series that causes one to ask, “Could they actually go there?” while rationalizing the steps it would take to do so, but then quickly recoiling to a much more grounded explanation, only for more crumbs to be dropped, causing a repeat in the mental gymnastics all over again, or at least until the next episode begins playing. The second season of Paradise takes several risks, some of which pay off tremendously. Unlike season one, it provides no overarching resolutions, but instead poses several large questions for its survivors and leaves hope for what may come.

To some, this might feel like a regression, but if executed correctly, it could be looked back upon as being the building blocks for a foundation that allows this series to expand to places that was never expected.

still courtesy of Disney

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