Paradise's Season 1 Finale Finally Reveals The Ironic Tragic Origin Of The Show's Title & Its Real Meaning
The following contains spoilers for Paradise season 1 episode 8, "The Man Who Kept The Secrets," now streaming on HuluParadise's title gets a dark new meaning in the season 1 finale, which highlights a thematic core of the show. Despite initially presenting itself as a political thriller dealing with the fallout of the President being killed, Paradise has steadily revealed itself to be a far larger story. The show has played with plenty of genres in quick succession, all while developing a cast of versatile characters who easily fit into the shifting tone with ease. The result is Paradise remaining wild and unpredictable even as it codifies some pretty clear thematic throughlines.
One of these themes is most prevalent in a speech given in the climax of Paradise's season 1 finale, "The Man Who Kept The Secrets." The moment is already a tense and important beat in the story, but the use of Paradise's title underscores a major subtextual aspect of the show. While the town may be called Paradise, the comment highlights how the community is far from that and takes on additional meaning given the history of the character who utters it. Here is how the Paradise season 1 finale changes the meaning behind Paradise's title ahead of season 2.
Paradise's Title Is Said By Cal Bradford's Killer
Trent Calls Paradise A "Joke" In His Final Moments
Paradise is uttered as one of the bitter final words of Trent before he jumps to his death, underscoring the harsh elements of the Hulu show's perspective on the community. Although the town has been referred to as Paradise before, it's never been clearer how ironic that is. During the events of "The Man Who Kept The Secrets," Trent reveals himself to be posing as "Eli" the librarian and was the one to kill Cal Bradford. Trent tries to escape only to be cornered by Xavier and Robinson. During his final speech, he refers to Paradise as a "joke."
Xavier's Tragic Reason For Hating Cal In Paradise Highlights A Bigger Problem With The Show's Apocalyptic World
Paradise reveals exactly why Xavier Collins grew to hate President Cal Bradford and how it underscores a moral core of the Hulu thriller.
In his view, the survivors of the cataclysmic event that ended the world had a chance to start fresh. Instead, they lulled themselves into stability by repeating the same societal and ethical mistakes that doomed humanity in the first place. Trent refers to it as a prison for the survivors, where the elite can remain in power. Even he was guilty of this, growing comfortable for years before finally finishing his mission to kill Bradford. It's a harsh condemnation of the town and the very core of the concept, and one that speaks to the moral core of the world.
Paradise's True Meaning Is Connected To The Show's Thematic Core
Why Paradise Being A "Joke" Is A Harsh Truth About The Show's Moral Perspective
Paradise has an idyllic outer layer, with a small-town vibe that invites easy living and friendly interactions. Under the surface are plenty of moral compromises and harsh decisions that have killed innocent people. Trent was inspired to become a murderer in memory of all his friends who were killed in the construction of Paradise. He went to prison and understands how that system works. Trent isn't wrong to compare the ever-present security cameras and security forces that appear in Paradise to life within jail. A gilded and comfortable prison is still a prison, after all.
For all the good that can come out of a place like Paradise, it's far from its namesake. The powerful control it and just make it seem like that to maintain control. Each potential new leader likely has a different idea of what that looks like, setting up a far more contentious power struggle in season 2. Paradise is a "joke" unless someone like Jeremy follows through on Bradford's final message to "fix" it. Paradise's dark callout in the season 1 finale speaks volumes to the thematic weight of the show.
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