TV's Best Show Returns With Shocking Episode That Will Throw Fans For A Loop | REVIEW
"Paradise" took the entertainment world by storm when season one premiered.
"Paradise" is officially back, and it might not be what fans are expecting.
Basic info:
- Streaming platform: Hulu
- Plot: Xavier searches for Teri out in the world and learns how people survived the three years since The Day. Back in Paradise, the social fabric frays as the bunker deals with the aftermath of Season 1, and new secrets are uncovered about the city’s origins.
- Cast: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Krys Marshall, James Marsden, Shailene Woodley, Thomas Doherty and Jon Beavers
- Episode count: Eight (three currently streaming on Hulu).
- Premiere date: February 23, 2026
- Creator: Dan Fogelman
"Paradise" returns with a bang.
"Paradise" took the entertainment world by storm when it premiered in January 2025. It was a new take on the post-apocalypse genre. The United States government evacuated to a secret bunker in Colorado following a world-changing weather event sweeping across the globe.
It's hell on the outside of the bunker, but relatively normal inside. Of course, that's what people are led to believe. In reality, little is as it appears on the surface. That's where "Paradise" flourishes as the mystery develops and unfolds.
Season one ended with Secret Service agent Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) leaving the bunker to search for his wife after learning she was still alive somewhere on the outside.
That leads me to the season two premiere. I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say we were all expecting the season two premiere to focus heavily on Xavier's journey as he searches for his wife.
Buckle up because that's not what happened in the first episode of season two. Not at all.
PARADISE - "Graceland" - Annie is a tour guide in Memphis, Tennessee, when the world ends. Her survival in the ensuing years after The Day is revealed as well as her encounter with a traveling group of survivors. (Disney/Ser Baffo via Hulu Press Site)
Instead, viewers were introduced to a young woman named Annie (Shailene Woodley), and her life story. In an unexpected twist, the premiere focuses entirely on how Annie managed to survive the world-changing weather disaster……by bunkering down at Elvis' Graceland estate.
Talk about a very random storyline to inject into the "Paradise" universe. Yet, that's not the most important takeaway.
The biggest development is the arrival of a group of men at Graceland. They're not threatening (or are they?), but per usual, little is as it appears on the surface.
It's clear that these men have big plans, and it's hard to say after the premiere if they're righteous or not.
What I will say is that despite not being at all what I expected for the season two premiere – not even close, in fact – I thoroughly enjoyed the return of "Paradise." It's clear that viewers and fans are in for a monster season two. Anything less would be a massive disappointment. The good news is creator Dan Fogelman proved with season one that he's operating on a different level. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out. Are you already watching? Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.