Commentary: ‘Paradise’ Hit The Same Problem As ‘Westworld’

There was a lot of buzz when Westworld first premiered on HBO. Its premise of a no-holds-barred western themed amusement park filled with humanoid robots delivered masterfully. However, the first season more or less concluded on its premise. Subsequent seasons, in order to continue on, needed to find a way to shift gears and become something new. The sci-fi thriller Paradise is facing a similar dilemma.

The first season of Paradise dealt with the nature of the city of Paradise itself. After a cataclysmic tsunami, a large portion of the United States retreated into a bunker within a mountain. It was built to resemble a picturesque American town. But as Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K Brown) learned, there were survivors on the surface — including his wife. The second season followed Xavier as he heads out into the post-apocalyptic world to find her.

The premise and hook of the first season was built around this enclosed city. It didn’t have anything to do with the world outside. It had a lot of suspense and tension around the hierarchy of the city, forcing Xavier to lead a revolt against its creator, code named Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson). Once the revolt settled, the show had to pivot and find a new story to follow. Westworld operated in much the same way. After the story of the western themed amusement park concluded, the plot had to move on into other areas, eventually diverting far from the concept of the amusement park itself and into the world at large. It’s an interesting parallel that Paradise has had to deal with.

Paradise is now streaming on Hulu.