Paradise delivers a shocking twist at the end of its first episode, and with this brilliant design, it has already become the most impressive series of this year's first quarter.
The story centers on Marcus Chen (played by Steven Yeun), a dedicated Secret Service agent, and his complex relationship with the charismatic U.S. President Sarah Martinez (Rachel Weisz) in a near-future America transformed by an experimental utopian project. When a mysterious murder occurs within the supposedly perfect Paradise community—a cutting-edge society free from surveillance but governed by strict social codes—Marcus finds himself caught between his duty and mounting suspicions. The victim, Paradise Security Director James Cooper (Mahershala Ali), had been investigating anomalies in the community's founding principles.
Marcus, aided by Paradise's skeptical Chief of Police Diana Torres (Michelle Rodriguez), must navigate through layers of political intrigue and personal betrayal, all while confronting the possibility that Paradise's utopian facade masks a carefully orchestrated system of control that challenges everything he believes about freedom and security.
The show unfolds in a Philip K. Dick-esque narrative style, weaving a locked-room dystopian political thriller beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect utopia - one that intriguingly lacks total surveillance. Through clever use of flashbacks, the series continuously enriches the present timeline's dialogue with fragments of the past, naturally integrating essential background information into the current plot. This structure gives the entire case a classic mystery feel, allowing viewers to both explore past truths while contemplating future developments.
The writers have struck an exquisite balance between mystery setup and puzzle-solving pacing. Each episode ends with a memorable cliffhanger, while the next episode skillfully resolves previous questions while planting new mysteries, creating an irresistible rhythm for viewers.
The performances are equally outstanding. The actor playing the U.S. President perfectly embodies a complex character who appears carefree on the surface but harbors deep cunning beneath. The male protagonist's loyal and devoted nature provides ample room for character development. The show excels at character creation, allowing viewers to easily find their emotional anchor and follow these characters as they explore this fascinating new world.
I've always loved when TV shows feature songs that perfectly match their storylines, and this series delivers such a fitting song at the end of each episode. The end of the first episode's song reveals one of the topic which is to think about the effect their actions have on others. If they’re enjoying their comfort and stability, there are always others who aren’t, and we are responsible as humans to care for each other by ‘thinking twice’. Like in the song it points the fact that people who don’t live in the street are in ‘paradise’, which means they don’t have such a bad life. Further in the show it also talks about the complex decisions about who deserves salvation, the journey of processing grief for lost loved ones, and the ways we grapple with feelings of vengeance against the world. Really interested to see where this will go.
BTW, the "horse" element in episode 3 is so Walt Disney coded, it is genuinely chilling. Suggesting that as the plot deepens, I bet more disturbing details of the design will gradually surface.
8.5/10
