The past 15 years have seen the emergence of streaming as one of the dominant ways that Americans consume entertainment, but it’s also led to tons of stuff. If you try to navigate through Hulu for a TV show that’s worth your time, you might find that you spend more time scrolling than actually watching anything.
Paradise is a great place to start if you’re looking for a compelling new show that isn’t overwhelming. The eight-episode series follows a secret service agent who must investigate the president’s death as mysteries continue to reveal themselves around him. Besides the length, here are three reasons why Paradise is worth checking out.
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It has enough twists to keep you coming back
There are several seismic reveals in Paradise that are best left unspoiled. These twists are designed to keep you watching as the show unfolds. Written by Dan Fogelman, who also created the twist-reliant This Is Us, Paradise knows exactly how to dole out its reveals without feeling overly gimmicky.
Instead of changing the name of the game, Paradise is continuing to reveal things about its world to us. The audience learns things at roughly the same pace as the central character, which keeps the whole enterprise from feeling too frustrating.
Its trio of lead performers are all excellent
Sterling K. Brown, who was a standout on This Is Us, is just as great as the central character on Paradise, and he’s supported by two equally good supporting turns from Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden.
Marsden, who plays the president, seems a natural fit for the role, and Nicholson is steely-eyed and excellent in the kind of performance she should be allowed to deliver more often. Brown, though, reminds us why he received so much acclaim for This Is Us. He’s at once steely and sensitive, a man shouldering enormous burdens who nonetheless always exudes a steady confidence.
Its seventh episode is one of the best of the year
It’s impossible to fully describe what makes the seventh episode so great without understanding more details. Trust us. Paradise produces an exceedingly tense hour of television that will keep you riveted from start to finish.
The episode, which is also unsettling, is a masterclass in holding out on your audience until exactly the right moment and then filling in a bunch of necessary details. The episode has been discussed as the show’s defining achievement, and given how riveting it is, that’s undoubtedly true.
Stream Paradise on Hulu.