THE STORY – A Secret Service agent investigates the murder of a former president in a seemingly peaceful community.
THE CAST – Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom & Krys Marshall
THE TEAM – Dan Fogelman (Showrunner/Writer)
*This review is only of the first seven episodes of season two*
The first season of Dan Fogelman’s “Paradise” had an ace up its sleeve that truly kept it afloat compared to many of its streaming counterparts. The genre-twist rug pull at the end of the pilot, baked into the series’ central conceit, was far more effective as a hook than someone like me would like to admit. Despite being an overall solid season, the series managed to build a dedicated fan base and even earned recognition from the Television Academy. When we left the show, Fogelman and company had set the stage for series lead Sterling K. Brown to venture above ground into the unknown in search of his wife, whom he believed was long gone. Sadly, the only thing that seems to be gone is any desire to keep pushing through this season (and possibly future ones), as “Paradise” suffers from an aggressive case of the sophomore slump, leaving audiences with little to remember of what once made the series so watchable.
For those coming in for half-baked twists and turns, don’t worry, you’ll still get your fill, especially as Brown’s Xavier Collins experiences life (and danger) for the first time in years outside the Colorado bunker that not only saved his family but also thrust him into a wide-ranging conspiracy plagued by dead bodies, including President Cal Bradford, played by James Marsden. Fogelman, the series’s showrunner and creator, whose work on “This Is Us” helped revive the mainstream appeal of modern network dramas, admittedly takes risks this time around, even centering episodes on new characters, particularly in the season premiere. The introduction of Shailene Woodley’s Annie is the biggest new addition to the ensemble, not only because of Woodley’s star power but also because of how the character helps set the season’s central conflict in motion. It’s telling, however, that Woodley is the only performance besides Brown’s that manages to muster anything worthwhile. Even then, the alterations Fogelman brings to his signature storytelling structure are short-lived, as his reliance on interwoven past-and-present timelines once again becomes the series’ default mode. This approach feels even more taxing now, as it fills in backstory gaps for characters who are either uninteresting or contribute to a plot that remains nearly stagnant.
Brown, whose gravitas as a performer is usually captivating, feels strangely sidelined this season as the quality of the writing declines. Xavier is far less compelling as a character, stripped of the few shades of complexity he once had and transformed into a stoic action hero navigating a series that seems unsure of what it wants to be. Whenever the season cuts back to the various storylines inside the bunker, the experience becomes exhausting, particularly with the continued escapades of Julianne Nicholson’s Sinatra, who remains as lifeless an antagonist as she was in the first season, despite Nicholson’s best efforts to elevate the material. It becomes increasingly clear that “Paradise” is at a loss without the consistent presence of Marsden, whose chemistry with Brown was far more essential to the show’s momentum than the series seems willing to acknowledge.
There are a few moments, most notably in the episode “A Holy Charge,” where Fogelman briefly regains momentum. Even then, nothing reaches the heights of the first season’s “The Day,” an episode that remains the benchmark for “Paradise” at its absolute best. Fogelman overextends as the series expands above ground, offering a larger scope but fewer compelling ideas beneath the surface. “Paradise” was always an amusing genre mash-up, blending pseudo-science-fiction elements with conspiracy thriller, but there used to be limits to its ridiculousness. Perhaps that’s the inherent cost of building a series around a central conceit tied so closely to a single location. Once those confines are broken, the bubble pops. We’ve seen it happen time and again, even within the past five years, with shows that debut as massive hits only to outstay the novelty that made them alluring in the first place. If “Paradise” hopes to continue at a level that justifies its existence, simply tossing more genres into the blender is not the solution Fogelman and the creative team seem to think it is.
THE GOOD – Sterling K. Brown and Shailene Woodley do their best to ground audiences in an emotionality that’s rare to find amid all of the genre mash-ups that make a digestible streaming series like this work so well in the first place.
THE BAD – It expands its reach yet has little of note to keep viewers interested, as its attention is split between an array of uninteresting storylines and the lack of compelling tension and chemistry between Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
THE FINAL SCORE – 4/10
