- The first episode of "Paradise" has hooked fans and critics with an unexpected twist.
- The series is billed as a political thriller starring Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden.
- A big reveal in episode one shifts the genre of the show.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for episode one of "Paradise."
Hulu's new show "Paradise" begins with one major mystery — someone murdered the president of the United States — but the first episode ends with an even bigger twist.
"Paradise," which premiered on Monday, is marketed as a political thriller and murder mystery following Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), the lead security agent for the President (James Marsden), who is caught in a major conspiracy after someone kills POTUS on his team's watch.
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"Paradise" has received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans, but the discussion has centered on a big twist in the first episode.
Kristen Baldwin, TV critic for Entertainment Weekly, called it a "mind-rattling revelation."
Jacob Stolworthy, the chief culture reporter from the Independent, said the show had the "best debut episode in years."
Me, at the end of the first episode of #Paradise on @hulu: pic.twitter.com/wW9pGuz2du
— Steven (@playsbyme) January 27, 2025
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just watched the premiere of #Paradise on Hulu! The twist at the end had me slapping my knee and saying “no way!”
— shelle. (@changethetidess) January 27, 2025
So good.
Want another episode right away.
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Just watched the first of Paradise on Hulu and holy shiet
— lil shorty arthritis (@wsupden) January 28, 2025
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The twist is that Xavier, the president, and seemingly everyone left in America live in a giant artificial city in a bunker underneath a mountain in Colorado.
A twist should have been expected from "Paradise," as it was created by Dan Fogelman, the creator of the Emmy-winning drama "This Is Us," which had a reputation for having plenty of twists.
"Paradise" episode one is split between multiple flashbacks set in the White House, the more recent past at a lavish house where the president was living before his death, and the present, when Xavier is trying to figure out what happened to the president.
At the end of the episode, when another agent takes over the investigation, Xavier decides to jog home, and there are more indications that not all is what it seems.
People across town use electronic wristbands to open doors or pay for food. A person is seen putting an artificial duck in a lake. A virtual sign says that dawn is delayed due to maintenance.
"Paradise" is really a sci-fi dystopia rather than a political thriller. The president's murder may be the central mystery, but the real question is how this group of people ended up living in a bunker and what happened to the world outside the mountain.
The first three episodes of "Paradise" are available on Hulu (or Disney+ in the UK), with remaining episodes released weekly.