Paradise Found

For six seasons, This Is Us wowed me with its unique blend of family drama and genre-style time-hopping. I enjoyed it so much that I mentally signed up in advance for whatever the series' creator, Dan Fogelman, did next. That turned out to be the Hulu drama-thriller Paradise.

Paradise centers on Secret Service agent Xavier Collins. As the story begins, it's clear he's had some kind of falling out with President of the United States Cal Bradford. But when Bradford is murdered, it's up to Collins to solve the case. The investigation involves all sorts of narrative hopping back and forth in time, as we slowly learn about the history of the two men... and, oh, big spoiler for the end of episode one: that this entire story is taking place in some hidden underground bunker, in the aftermath of a global apocalypse.

With this show, Dan Fogelman brought with him many of the people who worked behind the scenes on This Is Us. The transition totally works; they already had experience with twisty mysteries and dramatic tension, and now are bringing their skills to bear on an actual thriller. And like This Is Us, Paradise gives the impression that its storytellers know where it's all going, and aren't making things up as they go along.

But it isn't just the plot that drew me in; the cast also had a lot to do with it. Sterling K. Brown is a dynamic anchor for the show as Agent Collins; he's just as compelling when bottling his emotions up as he is when they show through. James Marsden is great as President Bradford, whose facade as a spoiled rich man-child is steadily eroded as we learn more about the character with each flashback. Julianne Nicholson perfectly takes the reverse journey as Sinatra, whose early impression of stern determination grows increasingly dark as the season unfolds. And I'm thrilled to see Krys Marshall as Agent Robinson; here's a role for her in a genre show that doesn't require her to endure hours of old-age makeup.

It's difficult to get into why I enjoyed Paradise so much without mentioning any of the big reveals that take place over the 9-episode first season. But fortunately, this is not one of those shows you have to try for a few episodes before you know you like it. Either episode one will hook you immediately, or Paradise isn't for you. It was for me, an A- overall, and a clear contender for my Top 10 shows of the year when it comes time for me to make that list.