The Architect of Social Well-Being

Rather than the expected sci-fi, "Paradise" takes on the format of a Closed Room Mystery here, with the investigation of a murder paramount, while suspicion dominates and paralyzes the cast.

It's not made clear the extent of the world catastrophe that leaves us with the people of "Paradise" - not whether some outside colony in China or Australia (see: "On the Beach") or elsewhere exists. So perhaps there is no outside force than can affect our tightknit little group of some thousands of survivors.

At any rate, Sarah and Julianne are the key figures, and this episode turns to Sterling's background, in particular his relationship to his pilot dad, to fill in via flashbacks what makes him tick. Sarah's mysteriousness only increases as she unveils more of her character to him, and the segment ends on a truly ominous note, possibly a red herring or maybe an actual clue.

While the sci-fi format thus far has lent considerable nostalgia to the show's content, I keep hoping it will come into play as more of a driver of the story rather than just a gimmick. Ever since the success of "Lost", fantasy TV creators have been prone to going off on a tangent with their series and hopefully this one will come to the point rather than continue to tantalize.

Going from a great sci-fi-ish political thriller (E1=9/10, E2=7/10), to a pointless and sappy "This is Us" melodrama.

This was an absolutely useless and pointless episode, dragged out for almost an hour, with barely 10 minutes of any relevant plot to this series main theme.

And what's with the sappy score? It makes an already boring episode feel eyerolling cringy.

If this is what to expect for the rest of the season - especially after and edge-of-your-seat first episode, then this series will be a major flop.

I'm willing to look past the major plot holes in return for some thrills and suspense, but not with a useless and pointless filler episode such as this one.

Guess time will tell. It's a generous 3/10 for the less than 10% relevant and plot-forwarding writing in this slog.

I was concerned that this was not going to be my type of show, because I'm not a fan of futuristic type shows, but though this is a part of the story, there is enough other content to keep me interested. Each episode is getting more interesting, and I'm definitely in it for the long haul now.

Everything Dan Fogleman touches, seems to turn to gold. The casting is great, the acting superb, and the storyline is mysterious. Episode 3 teases some additional complexities that makes me anxious to watch the rest. And Sterling K Brown is absolutely perfect in this role!

Can't wait to see where it's going!

While "Paradise" and "Silo" share a dystopian premise, they are not directly connected.

However, "Paradise" could be seen as a thematic prequel to "Silo" by exploring similar themes of survival, control, and the unknown in a post-apocalyptic world.

Both shows delve into the complexities of human nature and societal structures within confined environments, offering a thought-provoking exploration of potential future scenarios.

Both shows feature communities living in enclosed, isolated spaces. In "Paradise," it's a seemingly idyllic but ultimately controlled community. In "Silo," it's the titular silo, a massive underground structure. This shared element creates a sense of claustrophobia and raises questions about the nature of their reality.