Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
Hulu’s newest political thriller series, “Paradise,” centers around the inner circle of a Secret Service team assigned to guard the U.S. president. This subject matter may make it a tough sell, considering the current political climate. Yet, despite my initial ambivalence, my need for fake drama got the better of me. The show has more twists and turns than a Möbius strip; it is engaging and entertaining, though not without its faults.
Written and created by Dan Fogelman, “Paradise” stars Stanford alum Sterling K. Brown ’98 as Xavier Collins, the lead agent responsible for keeping President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) alive. The pilot episode introduces the key players in Collins’ orbit and deftly spools the narrative that something is off-kilter. After a catastrophic event where government secrets are stolen, Collins is tasked with solving the mystery and finds himself unsure of whom to trust.
Brown previously starred as Randall Pearson on “This Is Us” (2016-2022), another show created and helmed by Fogelman. In 2018, Brown became the first Black actor to win a Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a TV drama. “Paradise” is both an evolution in their creative partnership and a return to form. Brown is expertly cast as Collins, a man whose stoicism is an occupational requirement and a mask used to hide a deeper trauma.
There are several emotional scenes where Collins withholds his tears. Sometimes, he holds back because he does not want other characters to comfort him during their own painful moments. At other times, he portrays a man whose circumstances have made him unable to experience his own feelings. Indeed, Collins is also a father of two who is trying to give his children a sense of normalcy after the loss of their mother. The audience slowly understands that the skills he has honed on the job — constant vigilance and monitoring the world for potential threats — are ones that he deploys as a parent.
Although the show is set in the world of politics, parenthood and family are still central themes that are developed throughout. Another agent, Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson), frequently mentions her role as a mother. Her parental status appears to be a statement of fact about her life but serves as a preeminent defense of nefarious behavior. As the plot moves between work and home, the unifying thread is an exploration of whether selfish actions are justified if they preserve the lives of loved ones.
Because “Paradise” is a political drama, it’s hard not to compare it to similar shows such as “Scandal” (2012-2018). The “Scandal” connection is especially salient as we learn more about Bradford. He has an unchecked drinking problem, struggles with fidelity and is generally an unfit president who “earned” the job because of his wealthy father and good looks. It is annoying and amusing watching Bradford bumble around as the most powerful person in the world. We eventually learn that he is actually under the thumb of a cabal of individuals who pull the strings, including “the billionaires.” Truth may be stranger than fiction, but sometimes fiction is too real!
As an ensemble drama that seeks to uncover the psychological motivations behind people in and in proximity to power, the initial episodes feature several flashbacks that show how characters got into the positions they occupy. The backstory provides insight into the various motivations driving people to frame their megalomania as altruism, but the drawn-out scenes in different timelines feel disruptive as the series progresses. Collins is at the heart of the present-day action, and when there are several scenes in a row where he is absent, it’s hard not to miss him.
In addition to the show’s inability to keep up with the pace set in the pilot, there is an underdeveloped metacommentary about race and complicity in upholding an empire that marginalizes people of color. In a flashback to their first meeting, Collins takes a mental note of the fact that Bradford is kind of racist. In a later scene with his father, Fred (played by the legendary Glynn Turman), Collins proudly reflects on their heritage — his grandfather was a Tuskegee Airman. Fred is one of a handful of Black captains of a commercial airline and Collins protects the president. This is an impressive legacy, but does Collins feel any dissonance safeguarding someone whose problematic views and actions have harmed his family? Granted, “Paradise” is still mid-season, but so far, this has gone unaddressed.
“Paradise” is not exactly an escapist show for those looking to avoid politics. However, it is set in a society that is even more bleak than our reality, and it paradoxically manages to provide some reprieve from the dire conditions of our real world. “Paradise” is a reminder that things could be worse — and it’s a call to action to prevent things from further degenerating.