‘Paradise’ Season 2 Review: Fogelman’s Thrilling New Chapter Raises the Stakes

This spoiler-free review of Paradise Season 2 covers Episodes 1-7. It does contain spoilers for Season 1.

A little over a year since the first season premiered, Dan Fogelman‘s Paradise Season 2 delivers a huge expansion of the world and even more mysteries to uncover. While the marketing for Season 1 made Paradise seem like a normal political thriller and murder-mystery series, the series premiere added an extra layer by setting the events in a post-apocalyptic future.

From its mind-blowing series premiere to its climactic Season 1 finale, Fogelman knows how to keep audiences hooked. The show went on to be a hit, earning multiple award nominations, and Season 2 has easily become one of the most anticipated shows of 2026. But does Paradise Season 2 continue that momentum, or does it crash and burn?

Xavier Collins’ World Comes Crashing Down in ‘Paradise’ Season 2

After Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) gave Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) hope that his wife, Teri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma), might be alive outside the bunker, Xavier flew out to search for her in the Season 1 finale. But his journey isn’t as simple as he expects, as he learns firsthand why Sinatra wanted to keep outsiders out of their safe haven.

In Season 1, the tension built up gradually as we learned that not everyone could be trusted in the seemingly idealistic underground community. Now in Season 2, that tension is amplified when dealing with the outside world. Fogelman introduces various factions, and it’s hard to tell which are trustworthy, like the new characters played by Shailene Woodley and Thomas Doherty.

As for the bunker, things are more chaotic after Xavier, Nicole Robinson (Krys Marshall), and Jeremy Bradford (Charlie Evans) exposed Sinatra’s secrets. While the mystery surrounding President Cal Bradford’s (James Marsden) death has been resolved, Paradise Season 2 introduces even more questions that change everything we thought we knew. For the most part, the flashbacks do a good job of providing important context for the big mysteries or fleshing out certain characters. But there are a small handful of times that they seem distracting or disconnected from the overall narrative.

Shailene Woodley Is a Perfect Addition to the ‘Paradise’ Cast

Among the new cast members, Woodley and Doherty deliver great performances that leave a lasting impression on the season. Audiences will want to check in with them every episode to learn more about their characters. There’ll definitely be a lot of discussion and theorizing regarding their roles throughout the season. Woodley especially deserves some award nominations for her performance in Paradise Season 2.

As for the returning supporting cast, Nicole Brydon Bloom remains a frightening foe as Jane Driscoll. Fans, including myself, are still not over the fact that she murdered Billy Pace (Jon Beavers) without remorse last season. Bloom’s chilling presence as Jane builds up the suspense at the bunker, as we’re never sure where her allegiances lie or who her next target could be. Viewers looking to learn more about her backstory are in for a treat.

You’d think after Sinatra was shot by Jane in the Season 1 finale, she’d lie low and change her ways. However, she’s back to her shady dealings, which hit very close to reality when it comes to keeping people captive for doing what’s right. Sinatra remains a complex character: her reasons are valid, but her methods are too extreme. Considering how dangerous some of the outsiders can be, it’s understandable why she’d want to keep them away from the paradise she helped build.

‘Paradise’ Season 2 Will Keep Audiences on the Edge of Their Seat Each Week

Thankfully, Paradise is avoiding the pitfalls of the streaming era by releasing two seasons in back-to-back years. Now let’s hope the Season 3 announcement isn’t too far behind so we can see Fogelman’s three-season plan come to fruition. While Paradise Season 2 isn’t as strong as Season 1, it features great performances and lays the groundwork for very exciting stuff to come in the season finale and beyond.

Paradise Season 2 Episodes 1-3 will be available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally starting February 23. New episodes drop weekly every Monday. Follow Agents of Fandom socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews. For more Paradise coverage, subscribe to the Agents of Fandom podcast for our weekly breakdowns and theories.