What’s Happening on Hulu’s ‘Paradise’? Here’s a Recap Before Season 2 Begins

ParadiseEmmy-nominated drama from This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and starring Sterling K. Brownreturns in season 2. In the series, Brown plays Xavier Collins, the main bodyguard for former President Cal Bradford (James Marsden). When Cal is found dead, an investigation is conducted that opens Xavier’s eyes to a long conspiracy that changes everything he is led to believe is true.

Returning for Paradise season 2 are Krys Marshall, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Aliyah Mastin, Percy Daggs IV and Charlie Evans. Newcomers to the show include Thomas Doherty, Shailene Woodley, Erik Svedberg-Zelman, Betsy Moore and Enuka Okuma.

Read on for a recap of what happened in the first season of Paradise and details on when season 2 will premiere.

Read more: Hulu Review: A Robust Library of Network TV and Fun Streams at a Competitive Price

What happened in season 1 of Paradise?

After an extinction-level event sent the world into chaos, a select group of elites moved into a high-tech bunker. Society, complete with a leadership structure, suburbs and small businesses, all exist under a false sky that helps to show life up.

Cal was the leader from the front, but the real person pulling the strings was a powerful woman named Samantha Redmond. Also known by his nickname “Sinatra,” he is the millionaire who financed the entire project.

As the season progressed, it became clear that he had ulterior motives (which have yet to be revealed) in the way he kept the basement running and the secrets he kept close to the vest.

In order to keep the population under control, lies about the state of the world outside of this chamber are told. But as the season progressed, that narrative began to crack under the pressure of Xavier’s relentless pursuit of the culprit who killed the president. And although the killer was not Sinatra, all roads led back to him.

Who killed President Cal Bradford?

While Xavier was a top Secret Service agent, his relationship with Cal was not all sunshine and roses. Throughout the season, we’ve gotten flashbacks to the events that informed their tumultuous relationship — particularly the president’s decision to escape the disaster without telling Xavier that his wife, Teri, wouldn’t be able to travel in time. Essentially, this puts the president as the one Xavier blames for his possible death.

But is he dead? More on that in a bit.

Xavier’s investigation into the assassination of the president dates back to the construction of the basement. During that time, safety warnings were ignored, and some workers died from arsenopyrite poisoning.

The killer was found to be a construction manager, and his motive for sneaking into Paradise under a false identity was revenge for that meeting. The lack of accountability behind all the damage and pain caused by the bunker project fueled his motivation.

Is Xavier’s wife alive?

The multifaceted nuclear war, which triggered a series of natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, massive tsunamis and massive earthquakes, belied the lies Sinatra and his team told the approximately 2,500 residents of that basement. But was the truth more than a nuclear wasteland?

Xavier was given a glimmer of hope that his wife is still alive when he found out that President Bradford had decided not to use the country’s nuclear weapons. Instead, he shut down the system, which caused a worldwide technological collapse. This move meant that, in Xavier’s eyes, there were potential survivors at the top. And Teri might be one of them.

How did season 1 of Paradise end?

Xavier’s meddling exposed a power struggle within the bunker’s leadership. Jane Driscoll, who worked as a Secret Service agent with Xavier, was revealed as a potential criminal who will play a major role in season 2. She shot Sinatra (aka Samantha Redmond), but she didn’t die. Filling President Bradford’s shoes, on the other hand, was President Baines — a soft-spoken, reluctant figure who Sinatra had little confidence in.

Young citizens form an opposition group after Xavier’s work exposes Sinatra’s lies. The season ended with the future of the backpack and its leadership being talked about.

As for Xavier, he took his job outside the basement. He found links that would lead him to the survivors and went to find more answers and, hopefully, his wife.

When does Paradise season 2 premiere?

The second season of Paradise will premiere its first three episodes on Monday, February 23, on Hulu and Disney Plus. The series will then transition to a weekly episode schedule until the finale, which is set to drop on March 30.

Here’s the full release schedule for the episode:

Episode 1: Graceland – February 23
Episode 2: Mayday – February 23
Episode 3: Another Day in Paradise – February 23
Episode 4: Sacred Payment – March 2
Episode 5: Mail – March 9
Episode 6: Jane – March 16
Episode 7: The Final Countdown – March 23
Episode 8: March 30

You can choose from two Hulu programs. The ad-supported version is priced at $12 per month or $120 per year, and the ad-free version is $19 per month, with no annual payment option.