PARADISE: SEASON TWO
Starring: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Sarah Shahi, Krys Marshall, Charlie Evans, Aliyah Mastin, Enuka Okuma, Shailene Woodley, Thomas Doherty, and James Marsden
Creator: Dan Fogelman
NICK
Although the soundtrack isn't as good this time around (the score remains one of my favourites), I was fully engaged with the second season of Paradise. With uncertainty as to how things would continue, creator Dan Fogelman presented many new wrinkles to this story, with mixed results. By following the Walking Dead model of splitting episodes into character centric pieces, the narrative stumbles more than it needs to, but the performances once again carry the series. It may not be as good as Season One, but Paradise does more than enough to justify furthering this story, and keep me watching.
AMARÚ
When a science-fiction show expands on its unique lore, that expansion often leads to depreciating return. With some slightly silly plot reveals, I can see that being the case for some with Paradise: Season Two. But for me, the world outside the bunker was surprisingly more intriguing than the one within it. That is, until a certain backstory episode I was certain I wouldn’t care for surprised me with how it intriguingly brought everything together. That’s this season in a nutshell: being surprised at how many flaws I gladly forgave due to constant tension, fascinating characters, and propulsive music that never stops. Like ever.
