Even in Paradise, one can’t help but get Lost.
Now streaming on Disney+, the new series Paradise follows to Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), a loving father who stands at the right hand of President Cal Bradford (James Marsden). As head of his security, Collins takes his responsibilities seriously, demanding safety for the world’s most powerful leader. However, when he arrives in the President’s home one morning, he is shocked to discover him murdered on the floor of his bedroom, setting off a high stakes investigation in their upscale and affluent community.
Developed by Dan Fogelman, Paradise is a wild departure from his previous mega-hit This is Us. In fact, when one really settles into Paradise, the comparisons to ABC’s classic series Lost are inevitable. Yes, the setting is different but the pieces fit together in similar ways. That sounds like a criticism but, frankly, it’s the furthest thing from it. There were certain aspects of that iconic series that made it appointment viewing.
And, honestly, Paradise might be just as addicting.
After all, this is a series that’s steeped in both conspiracies and science fiction. Without giving away any spoilers, there’s far more going on in Paradise than a presidential murder. While that would be more than enough to power any potential thriller, Paradise is far broader in its storytelling. Showing its hand fairly early, the show pivots into something more difficult for its characters that changes the landscape they must endure. They may not be trapped on a deserted island but they definitely are all dealing with the same otherworldly struggle. (Though, thankfully, the series never gets bogged down with issues like the smoke monsters and ancient prophesies that plagued Lost.)
Even so, the joy of Lost was never because of its lore. What made that series so fascinating was the way that it fused the lives of its characters prior to the island into their interactions within its chaos. It’s this structure that Paradise co-opts in order to give it characters deeper meaning amidst the conspiracy. Like Lost, every character in this series has experiences that have done damage before the events of the series.
And, like Lost, those lives shape them in the present as well.
It’s these flashbacks that make us see these characters as more than heroes and villains with secrets to keep. Instead, they’re just humans. Broken, angry humans just trying to survive in the madness. (In this way, Fogelman’s talents with This is Us are put to good use.) That’s why we care about them, even when we despise them. We feel like we know them.
What’s more, the series features some strong performances across the board, especially from Brown and Marsden. Although his character dies in the show’s opening moments, Paradise’s ability to ebb and flow via flashbacks means that Marsden still has an important part to play. President Bradford is a man of endless charm which suits Marsden well yet, at the same time, there’s something uneasy about him. We love him but are uncomfortable at the same time.
What’s more, Marsden’s performance balances well with Brown’s more stoic role as Agent Collins. With a steely glare, Brown has an incredible ability to bring focus to a scene. Even so, we’re allowed to see behind the strong jaw line to see a man of grieving and care. In essence, he’s a man of both rage and love. And, in moments when the two men are together, Paradise truly pops, providing a tension that keeps us riveted.
It’s also worth noting that Paradise uses music in the most fascinating of ways. Each episode seems to take a song from the past and uses it to both celebrate and mourn. For some titles, this happens naturally. For others, multiple versions of it may play throughout the episode. Since the show exists within the tension of past and present, this creates an interesting juxtaposition of styles that leans into the character moments. (And, this could be another way that Fogelman echoes his work on This is Us.)
In the end, one can’t deny that Paradise is place worth visiting. Well-executed and wild, this is a series with legitimate potential to be something special. In short, if you’re considering another day in Paradise, you don’t need to ‘think twice’.
Paradise begins streaming on Disney+ on January 28th, 2026.
