Dan Fogelman’s hit Hulu series Paradise wrapped its first season on March 4. And after giving fans and characters some much-needed closure on the president’s murder, writers perfectly set the stage for an intense Season 2.
Spoilers for Paradise‘s Season 1 finale ahead.
After Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) learned that the bunker’s project manager, Trent (Ian Merrigan) — the man who attempted to assassinate the president on the White House lawn — murdered Cal (James Marsden), he said goodbye to his kids, hopped in a plane, and left the bunker in hopes of finding his Teri ((Enuka Okuma).
As the bunker’s doors opened and natural light flooded in, Xavier’s last words were, “I’m coming, baby!” So is this the last we’ve seen of him and theParadise crew? Or will their search for the truth continue in a second season?
Curious if Paradise Season 2 is a go at Hulu? When Paradise Season 2’s premiere date is? And what a second season of the political thriller might look like? We’ve got answers, along with some thoughts from Paradise star Sarah Shahi.
Great news, Paradise stans! On February 20, ahead of the show’s Season 1 finale, Hulu renewed Paradise for Season 2, with Fogelman revealing he has a three-season arc for the series already planned out.
“I have a plan for three seasons of the show. Without giving away too much, each season of the show is a slightly different show, within the same show with the same characters,” Fogelman told The Hollywood Reporter. “…As we go into second season, we pivot a little bit, but in a way that I think is very follow-able. But yes, there’s big moves ahead.”
In an interview with Decider, Shahi also opened about a second season and confirmed that her character Gabriela would be returning. “I’m not 100% sure what that storyline would look like, but we have talked about Season 2. I would be a part of [it],” she said. “And Dan is just so damn good. He creates such rich characters that really can go anywhere, and he builds in so much heart for each person. I would love to explore what Gabriela’s backstory is and go along that ride with him.”
Knowing there’s breathable air outside of the bunker and survivors as a direct result of Cal’s decision to disable the nukes changes everything. So first and foremost, Season 2 will likely explore Cal’s journey to the outside world and perhaps even flash back to show the events of Episode 7 through the lens of those outside of the bunker, including Teri and Marsha.
Beyond exploring new terrain, Paradise Season 2 will presumably follow Season 1 characters inside the bunker, as well, which means see the aftermath of the fallout between the Wii-loving Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom) and Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson), check in with Gabriela (Shahi), Robinson (Krys Marshall), Xavier’s kids, and Cal’s family. If the series picks up immediately after Season 1’s end, President Baines (Malloy) will have a major mess to clean up without Sinatra by his side.
When the Season 2 renewal news hit, Fogelman posted a video of the writers’ room celebrating and noted that several people — including Scott Weinger — were absent because they were already hard at work writing new episodes. On social media, Fogelman confirmed, “We start shooting in just a few weeks. It won’t be 2 years I promise!” So with any luck, we’ll get another new season by early 2026.
Paradise Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.