Commentary: ‘Paradise’ Paints An Optimistic Apocalypse

Post-apocalyptic stories are very popular these days. Series like The Last of Us and Fallout take place in worlds that are cruel and bleak, which makes a lot of sense. When society breaks down, humanity could possibly turn to the worst versions of itself. That horrible outcome isn’t a foregone conclusion, though. It’s possible that even though the world has ended, people are inherently good at heart and what emerges from the ashes could be a place of kindness. This is the setting Paradise chooses to portray.

It begins after a super volcano erupts, causing a massive tsunami that covers the planet. Those who manage to survive the immediate destruction are faced with bleak conditions as the ash cloud blocks out the Sun, causing temperatures to plummet for a prolonged period of time. Eventually, the atmosphere warms enough for humans to create some sort of life for themselves. They are led by individuals such as Dylan (Thomas Doherty), who are profoundly intelligent and have the skills necessary to keep life going amidst crumbling infrastructure and destroyed social hierarchy.

While Dylan acknowledges that there are bad pockets in the world meant to be avoided, he also says that the world is more-or-less good. And there is a certain logic to this. The deep freeze that covered the Earth was extremely difficult to survive. Those who did so needed to be smart and not make stupid decisions. Afterwards, it is very difficult to survive alone. Those who did survive managed it by working together and pooling their resources. These people need to be decent, good, and kind to cooperate, so it makes sense that those are the kinds of people who are left after the world is over. This is a nice contrast from the depressing way the end of the world is depicted in other media.

Paradise is now streaming on Hulu.