Paradise on Hulu: A Sci-Fi Murder Mystery That Refuses to Play It Safe

Wondering what to watch this weekend?

Dan Fogelman, who gave us This Is Us, has returned with a wild new series that feels like someone tossed The White Lotus, Silo, Lost and a presidential thriller into a blender.

Some TV shows ease you in, gently introducing their world. Paradise on Hulu is not one of those shows.

From the first episode, it throws its audience headfirst into a high-concept world of political intrigue, murder, and an apocalypse just to keep things spicy.

Hulu’s Paradise show is part murder mystery, part sci-fi thriller, and fully committed to keeping you guessing.

It might just be 2025’s most audacious TV experiment.

What’s Paradise About?

At first, Paradise sets itself up as a standard political thriller set in an exclusive gated community.

But this being a Fogelman creation, nothing is quite what it seems.

Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown, effortlessly cool as always) is a Secret Service agent assigned to protect former U.S. president Callum Bradford (James Marsden).

Bradford has retreated to a seemingly utopian, hyper-controlled community, which (surprise, surprise) turns out to be anything but peaceful when he’s found dead.

The show’s first episode doesn’t just set up a murder mystery; it yanks the floor out from under you with a revelation that changes the stakes entirely.

Turns out, Paradise isn’t a fancy gated community—it’s a last-ditch survival bunker for what may be the final remnants of humanity.

The Cast of Paradise on Hulu Brings Their A-Game

The ensemble cast delivers performances that ground what could have been a ridiculous premise:

Sterling K. Brown leads as the ever-watchable Xavier Collins, whose mix of calm authority and barely concealed rage makes for a compelling protagonist.

James Marsden brings his usual charm (and just a touch of smarm) to Cal Bradford, a man whose past choices are haunting the future.

The series also features Julianne Nicholson as the enigmatic Sinatra, a character who knows more than she lets on (and steals every scene she’s in).

The supporting cast includes Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, and veteran actor Gerald McRaney

Expect plenty of betrayals, hidden agendas, and moments where you’ll have to pause just to process what just happened.

Why Paradise Is Both Brilliant and Bonkers

Paradise reviews have been mixed, but there’s something oddly compelling about its approach to storytelling.

The show throws everything at the wall: political intrigue, family drama, murder mystery, and post-apocalyptic survival.

Is it perfect? Not by a long shot. But there’s something refreshing about a series that’s willing to be this brazenly ambitious.

The Good, The Bad, and The Slightly Ridiculous

What Works:
The central mystery is genuinely intriguing
Sterling K. Brown could make reading a takeaway menu compelling
The production design of the bunker community is impressive
Each episode reveals new layers to the conspiracy

What Doesn’t:
Sometimes the plotting feels like it’s being made up on the spot
The flashback structure can get confusing
The music choices are debatable

Paradise Review: Love it or Hate it?

Critics have been divided. Some praise its audacity, calling it a breath of fresh air in a TV landscape drowning in safe, formulaic storytelling.

Others think it bites off more than it can chew, with flashbacks that feel more like narrative detours than necessary reveals.

What everyone agrees on is that Paradise is trying something bold—and whether you love it or hate it, you won’t forget it in a hurry.

Should You Watch Paradise?

If you enjoy your television with a healthy dose of “what on earth did I just watch?” then this Paradise series is absolutely worth your time.

It’s not deep television. It’s more like a page-turner novel that you can’t put down even though you know it’s slightly ridiculous.

New episodes drop weekly on Hulu (via Disney+ in the UK), and while it might not be the most sophisticated show of 2025, it’s certainly one of the most entertaining.

Just don’t think too hard about the logistics of building a secret mountain bunker city – that way lies madness.

Paradise Release Schedule and Episodes

Paradise reviews suggest the show hits its stride around episode three, but you’ll need to watch from the beginning to keep up with its twisty plot.

And maybe don’t doomscroll on your phone while you’re at it.

The eight-episode season runs through March 2025, with new episodes landing on Tuesdays.

Final Thoughts

If you’re into shows that mix genres then Paradise is absolutely worth your time.

That said, if you prefer your storytelling neat and tidy, this might not be your cup of tea.

Paradise isn’t trying to reinvent television, but it’s having an absolute blast playing in its own unique sandbox.

It’s the TV equivalent of a rollercoaster – maybe not the most nutritious entertainment, but sometimes you just want to forget everything, dive in and enjoy the ride.