Paradise

When LOST arrived on ABC in 2004, it changed TV forever. For all its faults, audiences became addicted to long-running, character-focused mysteries that move back and forth in time. Some have worked better than others, but shows like it are here to stay. The latest, Paradise (on Hulu and rated TV-MA for adult content, violence, and strong language) has the potential to be among the best.

Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) is a single dad with a good life in an idyllic small town. Morning runs through the neighborhood are followed by breakfast with his kids before putting on his suit and tie and going to work. His neighbors are friendly, and Collins has healthy relationships with those who work under him. This is essential because his job is protecting the president of the United States.

Why President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) is in Paradise and not Washington, D.C., will be explained in due time. The important thing, on this particular morning, is that Collins finds Bradford dead in the bedroom of the presidential residence. While Collins quietly hated the man, he’s compelled to solve the mystery. A murder isn’t just a wrong done to an individual but to an entire community. In a small town like Paradise, the ripples are large, threatening to tear apart their entire world.

It’s impossible to say too much more without getting into spoilers, and it’s best to go into this show knowing as little as possible. Each episode focuses on the backstory of someone in the president’s orbit, spooling out information and deepening our connection with those involved. Bradford himself is a sort of John F. Kennedy figure, with all his strengths and flaws. But who was really pulling the strings? Who would want to kill him, and why?

Coming from an old Persian word, “paradise” means “an enclosed garden.” Of course, when we’re confined within boundaries, even a garden can feel like a prison. Worse yet, we can fool ourselves into believing that our prison is a paradise. As Paul warned the Colossians, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col 2:8). Ideas can sway our perspective, but truth is truth.

With season two already confirmed, it will be interesting to see how Paradise expands and what new ideas it has to offer. Even though the central mystery is solved, we’re still left with many questions. As long as it continues to have commanding performances and gripping stories, told in a way that rewards repeated watches, I’ll be happy to keep dropping in every week. (Hulu Original; in Canada available on Disney+)