Paradise Season 1 Ending Explained: Who Killed the President? Paradise’s Season Finale Opens Its Doors?

Paradise Season 1 is a science fiction series set in a post-apocalyptic world where a select group of people lives in a huge underground dome while most of humanity has been devastated by a global catastrophe. The plot follows Special Agent Xavier Collins, who is tasked with investigating the murder of President Cal Bradford inside this luxury shelter. However, his search for truth leads him to discover a conspiracy that puts Paradise‘s apparent stability in check as he struggles to find his wife Teri, who may be alive on the devastated surface. I admit it: when, several weeks ago, I was asked to review and have my say on Paradise, I did not accept immediately. Before I went to check what it was because, despite the work I do, it was a title that had not entered my radar in the least. Yes, it is clear: I had received the various Disney and Hulu press releases like all my colleagues. But now I reveal a great truth: when you receive a daily average of e-mails above 100, if it is not something that already interests you or if it is not a question of particular press activities such as interviews and the like, everything is inevitably destined to end in a very specific virtual place.

Since my “yes” or “no” with the box closed always go in well-defined directions, my answer came after the appropriate checks, as I said earlier. It was not so much the generic premise that struck me; among other things, it does not go into detail about the true plot of the production. Frankly read that I would have endured about 8 hours of a story on, I quote verbatim, “a quiet community inhabited by some of the most important people in the world “connotated by, always verbatim, a serenity that” shatters when one occurs shocking murder and a high-risk investigation opens” gave me all the impression of being a one-way trip to Bandia banality. In the various official materials of the House of Mickey Mouse, however, the top names of this Paradise appeared: that of its creator, Dan Fogelman, and its protagonist, Sterling K. Brown. In short: the mind behind This is us and one of its main actors. The bar of curiosity rose accordingly, like the eyebrow arch, so much so that I turned into a human version of the emoji that appears if you type the term “interesting”. The rest of the story is easily understood from the review published on January 24, at the end of the embargo. I must say that the trip has been amply repaid. And now I still want some.

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Paradise Season 1 Ending Explained: Who Killed the President?

Some time ago, I recommended another series available in streaming on Paramount+ entitled From. A horror full of puzzles, so much so that in the article I mentioned Lost and how the legendary TV series of JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Jeffrey Lieber influenced 80% of the serial productions that arrived then, especially in the matter of tales based on the mystery box. Translated for the uninitiated: they are those series entirely based on a mystery behind which many others are hidden, increasingly intricate and connected with the lives of the characters. Paradise also falls perfectly into the category of those television frescoes based on a similar assumption. It is quite curious that Dan Fogelman and Disney and Hulu themselves have decided to show seven out of eight episodes to the press in advance. A move to preserve the who killed President Cal Bradford as much as possible (James Marsden).

All perfectly understandable even if, in reality, giving a face and an identity to the person responsible for the murder was almost the least interesting answer of the many still pending. Compared to what is out of the gigantic bunker-community, how many people are still alive all over the world, how the status quo in Paradise will be rebuilt after the various upheavals, knowing the identity of a killer or killer was almost a factor accessory. Much more stimulating is the painting of the context that led this person to commit what he did, a painting whose brush strokes arrive, as in the other episodes, through a flashback reconstruction.

An Ending, Many Mysteries

That Paradise was not an anthological series, I had already understood when I was able to see the “first seven episodes” to tell you in a review in which I had to dodge the spoilers like Keanu Reeves’ Neo in Matrix with the bullets that are shot at him. Too many doors remained open with the splendid and very tense seventh episode, in its small a shining example of how splendid it can be done, narratively and logically speaking, with a TV series. And precisely: the fact that Samantha Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) had not been the one who killed the president, directly or through a third party, was information that almost lost its importance; there were still many knots to untangle. Still, this joint is also solved with admirable depth. It is not easy to deal with stories that, despite the greater minute that is normally guaranteed by the narration for TV, manage to outline all those situations that deserve to be understood by the viewer in the round. But the success of a series is also measured in establishing that delicate balance between satisfaction with the answers given to some questions and the thirst to see the new ones that are left open resolved.

Of course, it is striking how in some ways the questions born from this season finale remember a little, in some ways, those of Fallout, the excellent Prime Video series taken from the Bethesda video game saga of the same name. People who live underground because the outside world has been blown away, for one reason or another. Who finds himself dealing with having lived a lie. Then it’s natural: Paradise‘s setting is more realistic “and more dystopian Fallout’s, but the assumption remains similar. And it is good, let it be clear, because in both cases it is successful production, it means that cases of “elective affinities” have become in tune with the public. Now I want to know what truths Agent Xavier Collins will face outside Paradise. If Sinatra, once healed, will return lucid and ruthless or if she has softened without being more able to do good and bad weather in the community. And if the President’s young son, Jeremy Bradford, manages to become a beloved and respected leader, after being reconciled post-mortem with his father. I would like to understand that it goes through Jane Driscoll’s head, fixation with Nintendo Wii aside. I demand an episode dedicated to Xavier’s wife with the story, from his point of view, of the last day of the earth as we knew it. If possible, I would like another Goosebumps episode like the seventh of the first season. In short, when the second season comes out, there will be no need to woo me too much to make me review it.

Who Killed Cal Bradford?

The season’s great revelation comes when it is discovered that Trent, a former dome worker, was the one who murdered Cal Bradford. Trent and his team were tricked into building what they thought was a recycling plant, unaware that it was an exclusive haven for the elite. In addition, they were exposed to toxic materials that put their health at risk. While trying to report him, Trent was fired, and his testimony was ignored by the media. With the world on the verge of collapse, Trent managed to infiltrate *Paradise* under a false identity and, for years, lived as a simple librarian until he came across Cal again. At that moment, his desire for revenge resurfaced, and he murdered him in his room. However, before he could carry out his plan to reveal the truth to the outside world, he was intercepted by Xavier and Robinson. Preferring death before capture, Trent launches himself from the top of the dome, breaking the illusion of security for the privileged inhabitants of *Paradise*.

The Unexpected Turn: Jane Betrays Sinatra

Just when the mystery seems to be solved, Jane surprises everyone by shooting Sinatra in the neck, leaving her in a coma. The most shocking thing is his motivation: he just wanted access to Cal’s video game console. During the series, Jane is shown as a Sinatra ally, but her loyalty falls apart when she realizes that the leader of Paradise was willing to kill Presley, Xavier’s daughter. By leaving Sinatra incapacitated, Jane breaks her control regime, which could open the door to a future democracy in Paradise, with Henry and Jeremy leading the change.

Xavier Leaves Paradise in Search of His Wife

One of the biggest dilemmas of the season is whether the information about Teri’s survival is real or a Sinatra trap. Although Paradise is a haven, the outside world remains unknown, with irradiated areas and little chance of survival. Despite doubts, Xavier decides to surface to find his wife, using an airplane to reach his last known location in Georgia. With this, the season ends with Xavier leaving Paradise, leaving Robinson in command of the stability of the refuge while the outside world remains a mystery.

What Can We Expect From Season 2?

The second season of Paradise promises to explore the aftermath of the collapse of the Sinatra regime and Xavier’s fate in the outside world.

Within the dome, the absence of a strong leader could trigger political conflict and power struggles, with Robinson trying to maintain order.
Jeremy could become a leader to the people, questioning the lies told to them about the outside world.
Jane remains a latent threat, enjoying her quiet moment with the video game console, but she is ready to act if the situation changes.
Outside, Xavier could face new dangers, from hostile survivors to creatures mutated by radiation.

Paradise has proven to be a series with a solid narrative and compelling character development. With a confirmed second season, viewers can expect more action, shocking revelations, and the fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world full of secrets.