Paradise's Murder Mystery Takes On A Surprising New Turn Thanks To A Truly Unexpected Wildcard

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Paradise season 1, episode 5, "In the Palaces of Crowned Kings."

Paradiseintroduces a truly unexpected wildcard into its ongoing murder mystery. Since Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) discovered that President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) had been murdered, many of Paradise's characters have come under suspicion. Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond is a particularly powerful figure who is at the heart of everything that happens in Paradise and is a prime suspect. Xavier has been wary of Agent Robinson (Krys Marshall) due to the affair she was having with President Bradford.

Paradise episode 3's ending makes Billy Pace (Jon Beavers) seem like a dangerous individual who could be behind the murder mystery, although that is quickly refuted in the heartbreaking story of episode 4. Billy's girlfriend and fellow agent, Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom), moves up the list of suspects after poisoning him and being revealed as a deadly operative working for Sinatra. The ending to Paradise episode 5 has now thrown another surprising individual into the center of the murder mystery.

Presley Has The President's Tablet In Paradise

The Tablet Contains Classified Government Information

Paradise's murder mystery is not only about who killed President Bradford, but who stole his tablet that contains government secrets. Episode 5 includes the shocking reveal that Xavier's daughter, Presley (Aliyah Mastin), has the president's tablet and is hiding it under the mattress of her bed. Prior to this moment, Presley's story seemed to only be about her relationships with Xavier, Billy, and a potential romance with the president's son, Jeremy Bradford (Charlie Evans). She has not given any indication of being directly involved with the president's death or the missing tablet.

Presley having the tablet adds an entirely new dimension to her story. The only person who seemingly has any inkling of her having the tablet is President Bradford's father and Jeremy's grandfather, Kane Bradford (Gerald McRaney). When Kane sees Presley with Jeremy, he begins shouting at her, but his words are dismissed because of his dementia. Kane later has another moment of clarity where he remembers that he saw Presley "that night," meaning he probably saw her with the tablet the night President Bradford was murdered.

How Could Presley Be Involved In Paradise's Mystery

It May Relate To Presley's Mother

It seems unlikely that Presley killed President Bradford, although Paradise's many game-changing twists have proven that anything is possible. She may have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and potentially playing the Wii with her Uncle Billy and Jane while the cameras were turned off that night. Presley may have accidentally ended up with the tablet in her possession that night and took it home, unsure of what to do with it.

Episode #	Episode Title	Release Date
6	"You Asked for Miracles"	February 18
7	"The Day"	February 25
8	"The Man Who Kept the Secrets"	March 4

Another possibility that gives Presley more agency is that she stole the tablet to discover if her mother could still be alive. Episode 5's flashbacks show President Bradford learning that there are still survivors on the surface through top-secret files on the tablet. The tablet could be Presley's key to finding her mother, but this does not have to mean that she was involved with the president's death. Presley may have stolen the tablet while someone else with their own agenda killed President Bradford in Paradise.