With stellar performances by Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden and Julianne Nicholson, the latest show, where nothing is as what it seems, created by the wondrous Dan Fogelman is a must-watch.
A dystopian futuristic thriller with plot twists and bends you won’t expect, starring a stellar cast and written by the man behind such faves as the 2011 film Stupid Crazy Love and the TV hit This Is Us, with the backing of Disney? Yes please! And Paradise turns out to be just that, a streaming heaven on earth of sorts, with the kind of episodes that you wish to bing on, but then are disappointed to reach the end of, because then you won’t have any more fun until the next one is released. Yup, it’s that good. And so much fun! While all the performances are spot on, the supporting cast made up of the cool Jon Beavers, the perfectly vulnerable Sarah Shahi and the mysterious Krys Marshall just adds a convincing layer to the outer worldly drama.
Xavier (played by the Oscar-nominated, Emmy, SAG and Golden Globes winning actor Sterling K. Brown) is the security service man assigned to the President of the United States, Cal (played by the smoldering James Marsden). Xavier is also a devoted father, a charming man who keeps himself in impeccable shape and who gives the best of himself to his job. But at what cost? The core of that question is what unfurls before us, the viewers of Paradise — the first three episodes are now available on Hulu, and every Tuesday a new episode will begin streaming until the series finale on March 4th. At each turn, through flashbacks, we are told the whole story, which only begins taking us deeper and deeper into a tale woven in colors of dystopia, thriller and mystery. It is simply too good for words, so don’t take mine and head over to Hulu to stream the first episodes.
So just what makes Paradise so great? A mixture of great production values, exquisite acting — funny, powerful and surrounded by characters we really yearn to know more about, like Sinatra who is only briefly introduced in the pilot — but also a script that is dead-on in its parallels with the kind of political climate we find ourselves in, all over the world. This idea that our governments feel they “know better” so they will keep us in the dark about important decisions that they believe we may not understand is the root of problem that gets right-wing politicians elected, time after time. These guys instead claim to tell the people “the truth” and that, their version of this truth, is what sells.
At a recent press conference online, Executive Producer and Showrunner Fogelman was joined by actors Marsden and Nicholson and the show’s Executive Producer and Star Brown. Fogelman admitted that his approach to casting Madsen as the President was a bit unorthodox. “I went home and I was like “Oh, I really was weird with James Marsden,” I told my wife,” Fogelman said, tongue in cheek. This was because he basically cornered the X-Men and Westworld star at the Emmy's one year, as Marsden remembers it. “He was very gracious and sweet and said, “I know we’re not supposed to do this, like, at these events, but I have you in mind for something” and” pulled out the script, as Nicholson jumped in to add. “Here it is, here it is. Go over in the corner and give it a quick read, would you?” Marsden continued, channeling Fogelman and then added, as the showrunner did “Would you be a peach?”
‘Paradise’ cast and crew at London premiere, photo by © Rich Cline
It’s interesting this peach comment, as Roald Dahl’s book James and the Giant Peach figures heavily in the story of Paradise and won’t give any spoilers away by saying how.
Another character in the story is of course the location where the show takes place. And both Fogelman and Brown are dads and filming the show in LA seemed the easier, more sensible option. With the horrors of the fires in the area, Paradise takes on another layer of poignancy, through the fictional story it tells of course. But you’ll have to watch it to understand why.
Nicholson, best known for her roles on shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Mare of Easttown, pointed the proverbial finger to the reason why the characters are so compelling in this series, when she answered a question directed at her, calling her character Sinatra ‘badass’. “It’s interesting because all of these characters are presenting as one thing and there’s so much going on behind,” them, she admitted, adding “and I think that’s sort of relatable and in our everyday life too, what we are showing to the world and what’s happening on the inside,” can be so different. As an aside, she looked phenomenal in a black tux jacket and sheer lacy trousers, with a simply white T peeking out from under the blazer.
At the central London premiere of the show, inside the elegant May Fair Hotel, guest mingled with the stars and creator of the show and took selfies on the red (grassy green with white picket fence) carpet. The duck man was the highlight, and we couldn’t help taking a selfie with him peering at us ominously in the background. Photographed with me are fellow Golden Globes voting member and film critic Rich Cline, who took the selfie, and Syrian filmmaker extraordinaire Soudade Kaadan (pictured above).
The special ‘Paradise’ apple cake, complete with moisture drops, leaf and product label!
Disney does things in style, let me say once and for all. From the reserved seating for us three, next to one another, to the popcorn on the seats, to the themed drinks and vegan and non-veg canapés brought out by the competent staff, to the dreamy desserts, which included hot churros with caramel sauce and fresh ice cream and sorbet, this was a classy affair. And we all went home with a piece of the show, in the form of an apple-shaped chocolate cake complete with post-it note stating “eat me first” as it appears in a scene of the show.
And one last bit from me, a personal observation. I loved an evening with few journalists attending, as I could count my colleagues on the fingers of one hand, and many many influencers. The latter as a group bring an enthusiasm that is unseen among the seasoned media. They dress up, they love these events and clearly look forward to connecting with each other and the show’s stars. And their fresh joie de vivre, their excitement is infectious.
Watch Paradise on Hulu now. Follow the show on Instagram for all behind-the-scenes updates and fun facts.
All photos used with permission.