Paradise Season 2: Does the Emotional Core Survive the Expanded World?
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. If Hulu’s post-apocalyptic drama Paradise has a secret weapon, it’s This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman’s skill for provoking emotion. The new second season knows just how to get a viewer in their feelings, spilling tears over characters in the pits of despair, or joy as they rediscover lost pleasures, or warmth as lonely souls find camaraderie in dark days.
A Season of Expansive Ambition, But Lost Focus
As the episodes wore on, however, other, less pleasant emotions began to creep in. Frustration at the accumulation of plot holes. Exasperation at intriguing storylines that fizzled. While Paradise has always been more heart than head, the latest run prioritizes the former to such a degree that the entire thing feels off-balance.
The first season of Paradise remained anchored to a single location – a city-sized bunker beneath Colorado – and a central mystery: the death of President Cal Bradford. It wasn’t always profound, often feeling like a cover of an ‘80s pop song trying to appear classy, but it had addictive momentum. The finale left us with Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) preparing to venture into the outside world, opening up endless narrative possibilities.
New Characters, New Locations, and a Scattering of Plotlines
However, Season 2…doesn’t capitalize on those possibilities in a cohesive way. The seven hours (of eight) sent to critics sprawl in every direction, scattering existing characters on disjointed journeys while introducing a slew of new ones. The plot covers thousands of miles, and the flashbacks span decades.
There are bright spots. The premiere, directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, offers a thrilling first extended glimpse of life outside the bunker, following Annie (Shailene Woodley) as she navigates the end times at Elvis’ Graceland. Woodley delivers a sensitive performance, beautifully portraying Annie’s emotional journey from panic to bittersweet connection.
Echoes of ‘The Last of Us’ and a Growing List of Inconsistencies
Other storylines introduce doomsday preppers forming a found family and orphaned children hardened by survival. At its best, Paradise’s second season evokes the haunting beauty (though not the brutality) of HBO’s The Last of Us.
But the cumulative effect of inconsistencies begins to erode the season’s structural integrity. Small details – like a three-year delay in raiding Graceland, a weak computer password, or an ID lacking a name – become distracting. Who cares about such nitpicks when we’re moved by Annie’s rediscovery of life or Xavier’s desperation to reunite with his wife?
Lost Momentum and Underdeveloped Subplots
The expanded scale comes at a cost: a loss of focus. Subplots, like Cal’s son Jeremy’s rebellion, receive little attention, and compelling characters like Annie are sidelined once their purpose is served. Too much time is spent hinting at the hidden agendas of characters like Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) without establishing why we should care. The overreliance on flashbacks stalls momentum, making Paradise feel like a collection of backstories loosely connected by a shared present.
Emotionality Reaches Its Limits
Even Fogelman’s emotional touch falters. While Season 1 humanized a seemingly monstrous character through a tragic past, the attempt to repeat this feat in Season 2 falls flat. The season also struggles with its portrayal of female characters, sometimes bordering on condescension.
Ultimately, Season 2 feels constantly in motion but doesn’t seem to arrive anywhere. It’s a collision of characters and ideas, resulting in the rubble of something that once ran smoothly. As Xavier’s son muses, “Maybe the thing that’s interesting about trains is the possibility that these huge metal contraptions could one day crash into one another.” And in Season 2, Paradise seems to have crashed.
Verdict
Lots of heart, not enough brains.
Airdate: Monday, Feb. 23 (Hulu)
Cast: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Krys Marshall, Enuka Okuma, Aliyah Mastin, Percy Daggs IV, Charlie Evans, Thomas Doherty, Shailene Woodley, Cameron Britton
Creator: Dan Fogelman
