The Man Who Kept the Secrets

After last week's episode, this episode started off slowly. Some questions about who killed the president and why will be answered. You will be surprised by who it is and why it happened. The clues from earlier in the season tie together here and leads Xavier to an answer. Once that's revealed in the episode, the writing sets up more questions that pique our interest and set up Season 2. By the time the episode ended and the credits rolled, I was wondering when is Season 2? It can't happen fast enough.

The episode sets up the cliffhanger for what's next. No spoilers again in this review because it's best if you don't know before you watch this. You won't be disappointed. I would give this episode 9.5 after last week's hands down 10. But it is a great ending and some closure to Season 1. Can't wait for Season 2 to drop.

From the outside looking in, a series like Paradise might seem a little generic: President, Secret Service, espionage-esque plots, lots of action and running-around. But I absolutely beg you to give this one a shot, as it contains so much more than what originally meets the eye.

For a very basic overview, this first season of Paradise tells the story of Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), a Secret Service agent in charge of protecting President Cal Bradford (James Marsters)--a leader he loathes. When Cal ends up dead minutes into episode one, Xavier embarks on a mission to find the killer--leading him to mysterious advisor Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) & fellow Agents Robinson (Krys Marshall), Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom), and Billy (Jon Beavers). As Xavier continues sussing out the situation, viewers begin to learn that not everything is as it seems in the seemingly quaint little village of Paradise.

It is really hard to write a spoiler-free review of Paradise because an enormous twist re-contextualizes the entire experience, so I don't want to rob you of that. But suffice it to say, there is more buried underneath the surface of Paradise than you can possibly imagine!

Like I said, Paradise might look a little bit "network TV procedural" from clips/trailers, but it is instead an absolutely masterpiece of story and characters.

From a plot perspective, show creator Dan Fogelman--of This Is Us & Tangled fame--creates an 8-episode slate here that is as compelling as any single season of a series I've ever seen (including greats like LOST, Homeland, Breaking Bad, etc.). Through the use of flashbacks and incredible narrative twists, Fogelman expertly parcels out information to keep you on the edge of your set.

Similar brilliance is shown with the characters. Brown, Marsters, & Nicholson (who in particular is an absolute scene-stealer) are fully-realized characters with fleshed-out backstories and motivations. There are no clear "heroes and villains"--but rather just individuals doing what they have to in order to deal with trauma and/or provide for their families.

I could sing the praises of Paradise for many more sentences, but I'll stop here and just say this: if you are at all a fan of good, solid TV drama this is a must-watch. It is the furthest thing from "generic", yet at the same time isn't so high-brow or high-concept as to be wearisome. The type of series that ABC could have put over-the-air in the 2000s and perhaps had a LOST-like effect.

They tried to be cool with a plot twist and made the whole thing feel senseless and random. Sometimes you just have to write a good story, not one that makes you feel clever. Every other episode is a solid ten, but this one was written by 2023's ChatGPT. That said, since the plot and previous episodes were good the series is still pretty decent overall. I'd watch it again. Just don't expect much of an ending for season one, and as a result don't expect much of season two either-unless they change writers. They overpromised and underdelivered, which leaves them in a pretty weak position to start season two. Unless they have a few brilliant ideas the show is cooked.

On the title alone I would have given it a miss. On the surface what appeared to be a murder mystery thriller turned into something quite different. Some solid performances from stalwarts such as James Marsden, Sarah Shahi & Sterling Brown. And a few newcomers to watch out for in Aaliyah Mastin & Nicole Brydon Bloom. I came in at the penultimate episode and was hooked. I watched entire series over a week. Slow burn. Characters strong. Storyline unpredictable. Wrapped up nicely in the last episode. Set it up well for next series.

I can't wait for season two. My sister and I have enjoyed this series so much. I won't give anything away. This was a well written and thought out story. It is a must see because it leaves you guessing and you won't figure things out until they are revealed. Most actors I have never seen before. I'm sure it won't be the last I see of them. The lead character's did an excellent job portraying their characters. James Marsden who plays the president did a great job but my favorite was Sterling K. Brown who played the lead character Xavier Collin's. He is great in this series. I just can't wait until season 2 is here!