Paradise's James Marsden Explains Why President Bradford Kept That Secret From Xavier

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Paradise season 1, episode 7, "The Day."

Paradise star James Marsden breaks down why President Cal Bradford kept a critical piece of information from Secret Service agent Xavier Collins. Created by This Is Us showrunner Dan Fogelman, Hulu's hit sci-fi drama takes place in an underground community three years after an apocalyptic event, following Sterling K. Brown's Xavier as he investigates the death of President Bradford (Marsden). The most recent episode, Paradise season 1, episode 7, "The Day," revealed the natural disasters that led to humanity's downfall and Bradford’s last-minute heroic decision in the face of a burgeoning nuclear war.

In an interview with Variety, Marsden unpacks his character's choice to conceal the lengths he went to save Xavier’s wife, Teri (Enuka Okuma). As disaster loomed, President Bradford employed the use of the "blue code" to disable all electronic devices on Earth, including nuclear missiles. This ultimately saved countless lives, including Teri, who was spared from a missile headed towards Atlanta. However, the commander-in-chief never revealed this to Xavier. Read what Marsden had to say below:

It’s a good question, right: Is he martyring himself? I had that thought as well.
There’s moments where he begins to, and especially in that scene in the first episode, where they’re in the bedroom, and Cal asked Xavier about if he can forgive him, and I think in that moment, Cal is going to tell him, but I feel like he’s also not going to stop the very first time Xavier is speaking honestly from his heart with fire, with fury, with passion, with a very strong point of view, and he has shed every layer of his code that his job requires.
This is a man talking to a man. This isn’t a Secret Service agent talking to the commander-in-chief. Xavier even stops him, he says, “Stop.” So I feel like that was his chance to tell him and I think that, had he not met his demise, Cal would find another way to tell him.
But I do think that Cal senses this is coming. This is why he’s going to plant these clues, to talk to the therapist, all of this. But it’s a great question: why doesn’t he just come right out and say, “Hey, by the way, here’s this and this and that.” But he’s also tried to reconnect with his son. There’s other parts of his life that are very big as well that he’s trying to put together. And I don’t think he has the language at that point in his life to express that, but he’s still riddled with so much guilt over it.

What President Bradford's Secret Means

The Struggle For Power In Paradise

President Bradford's decision to employ the blue code saved countless lives. He chose to give humanity a fighting chance, going against the advice of Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson), who told the president to allow those on the surface to meet their instantaneous deaths rather than condemning them to an apocalyptic wasteland. This fundamental ideological divide between Bradford and Sinatra fuels the ongoing power struggle in Paradise, with her leadership prioritizing control and order at all costs as Xavier's rebellion seeks out truth and justice.

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This revelation also shifts Paradise's murder mystery in an unexpected direction. Episode 7 confirmed that the DNA found at Bradford’s murder scene did not match anyone inside Paradise, suggesting the president's killer came from outside the underground community. It's possible that survivors on the surface, unaware of Bradford’s sacrifice, may have viewed him as a symbol of the elite who abandoned them. A flashback introduced new suspects, such as Marsha (Amy Pietz), a former White House aide who was left behind.

Our Take On Marsden's Insight Into Bradford

The Cost Of Survival & The Burden Of Leadership

Cal (James Marsden) discovers Samantha's plans and decides to take measures to protect the truth in Paradise (2025) Season 1 Ep 5

President Bradford's silence isn’t just plain secrecy. He withheld the truth of his impossible choice like a self-imposed exile, unable to express the guilt for the lives that he couldn't save, even to his closest ally. With Sinatra tightening her grip on the community and Xavier stuck between finding his wife or leading the revolution, Paradise season 2 won’t just be about survival—it’ll be about who ultimately secures the power to define it.

Source: Variety