Hulu released the first episode of Sterling K. Brown‘s new series Paradise earlier than expected. The drama reunites Brown with This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman for a gripping tale of murder in a tranquil community. Paradise was set to debut Tuesday, January 28th on Hulu, but the streamer surprised subscribers by dropping the first episode on Sunday night. The first three episodes of Paradise were supposed to premiere on January 28th, but now only the second and third will be featured, with the rest debuting weekly. The positive reviews may have prompted Hulu to move up its timeline for the series.
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The synopsis for Paradise explains things in a rather simple manner, but trailers reveal how deep and concerning this murder truly is: “Paradise is set in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.” The murder in question involves the former President of the United States, Cal Bradford, played by James Marsden. Sterling K. Brown portrays the President’s head of security, Xavier Collins, and is the #1 suspect in the President’s death.
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Paradise isn’t the first streaming series to do a surprise drop ahead of its previously announced debut date. For example, Prime Video has released season premieres of The Boys and its spinoff Gen V early, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. The second trailer for Paradise raises the stakes when former President Cal Bradford brings Xavier Collins into his inner circle, revealing some of the country’s deepest, darkest secrets. That’s what makes Collins the prime suspect in the President’s death, especially since Collins was the last person to see the President alive.
“Paradise is the exploration of that storyline, but it’s also about how people deal with crisis, how you move on when the world has been flipped upside down and you don’t necessarily see a way to move forward but there is,” Brown told Variety. “And how you cope with a sense of loss with a new normal. The truth of the matter is, he had a very complicated relationship with the president, who is his employer, who I think he would also consider to be a friend. Maybe not at the time of his passing, which is why he’s also implicated, but definitely in life, they have a friendship.”
Paradise also stars Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Aliyah Mastin and Percy Daggs IV. Dan Fogelman, Sterling K. Brown, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, John Hoberg, Jess Rosenthal, and Steve Beers are executive producers.
