You may go into watching Paradise expecting it to be one thing, but quickly realize it’s something very different. Yes, it’s about a Secret Service agent who is the last to see the President alive and finds his dead body, after which he is considered a suspect. Yes, the story follows the search to find the president’s killer, told through flashbacks and present day. But there’s a lot more bubbling beneath the surface of this twisty thriller.
Paradise Review

(Note: This review is based on the first seven of eight episodes, which were provided for screening.)
Paradise instantly draws you in with the big mystery presented early on in the first episode: President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) is dead. Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) is the head Secret Service agent assigned to the president’s detail, and someone who who was close with the president.
Through the trailer, you’ll learn that Xavier is interrogated, suspected to be the one who is responsible. Sarah Shahi’s mysterious character is seen discreetly showing the words “say yes” written on her hand when asking him if there’s a part of him who is happy that the president is dead. Clearly, there’s something more going on.

It’s tough to discuss too much about Paradise without revealing the big twists. Viewers know it’s about an exclusive community of affluent people. Julianne Nicholson plays a crucial role, but the plot is by and large centered around Xavier and his quest to find (or maybe hide?) the truth.
Each episode presents more questions. You think you have it all figured out but another giant twist is thrown your way. The twists and turns aren’t to the point of being overdone, however. The story is told through flashbacks at different times along with the mystery in present day, and it all connects beautifully once you understand what’s actually going on.
Touching on the topics of politics, corruption, power, and influence, not all is what it seems. Who was Cal? Is he a good guy, a puppet, or misunderstood? The president is flawed but he’s also human, and by and large seems like a genuine guy. But you never know. Marsden is perfectly cast in the role, delivering equal doses of smarmy arrogance and endearing charm that keeps you intrigued.

Brown is just as fitting for the role of Xavier. The drama, which hails from Dan Fogelman who created This Is Us, reunites the pair. Fogelman has mentioned in interviews that while writing Paradise, he had Brown specifically in mind for the role, and it shows. Xavier is a doting father. He’s a complicated man. And he’s someone who won’t back down. “The relentless man,” as Cal called him. There’s a lot of Randall Pearson (from This Is Us) in Brown, but the character is a far cry from a goofy, nerdy dad (he still, it seems, loves to go for morning runs, though).
Nicholson, meanwhile, is absolutely convincing in her role, proving she’s arguably one of the most underrated actors of this generation. The mysterious character requires her to showcase so many different parts of this fractured woman. The character is the type of person viewers want to sympathize with yet also loathe.
You might initially be confused with Paradise, but as the plot thickens, you’ll become more deeply invested in it. Paradise has a storyline that goes much deeper than a traditional whodunit. In fact, the question of who killed Cal becomes less and less important as other storylines come to light. Motivations, desire for control, and a completely different existence are all par for the course in this show that’s far more a thriller than it is a drama.

Every episode takes you down a path whereby you’ll be itching to hit “play” on the next. Thankfully, the first three episodes are released at once to kickstart your viewing. The episodes get better from there. While there will undoubtedly be an explosive end, we have high hopes that Paradise will return for a second season to continue the story with a completely different focus.
Should You Watch Paradise?

This series is a complete departure from Fogelman’s other work, which also includes less intense shows like Pitch and the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. This Is Us was intense in its own way, but this show has a completely different tone and feel.
It isn’t your average procedural drama about a president’s murder and a secret agent’s quest for the truth. There’s a lot more at play here, and you’ll have to watch to find out what that is. By the end of episode one, you’ll have a much better idea.