Paradise season 2 described as ‘breathtaking’ after first look viewing: ‘We are blown away’

TV fans fell in love with Sterling K. Brown’s Emmy-nominated thriller Paradise, which debuted earlier in 2025. The show sees a protection agency fall under scrutiny following the murder of the US President, played by James Marsden.

But as viewers discovered by the end of the first episode, there was far more going on than first meets the eye, as the show was set in a serene underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event.

This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman created the series, and Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, who oversees ABC and Hulu Originals, has now revealed that he has seen the first two episodes of season two, and that fans are in for even more suspense.

“The first episode is breathtaking, an incredible departure and has to be seen to be fully enjoyed,” he told press. “We were all blown away when we watched it, and it reignited our enthusiasm. I think the show will go to new heights next year.”

His comments came the day of the 2025 Emmy nominations, for which Paradise scooped up four, including nods for Sterling, who played Agent Xavier Collins and James, and which Craig said was “satisfying” to see.

As for next year’s ceremony, Craig revealed that he was “confident that next year we will be talking about Shailene Woodley as a nomination”.

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Production for season two began in March 2025 and in May it was revealed that Oscar nominee Shailene had joined the series. 

It is believed that she is playing a survivor of the doomsday events that Sterling’s Agent Collins meets after leaving the bunker in the final moments of season one.

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Sterling won his first Emmy in 2016 and his second, for Outstanding Lead Actor, the following year. In 2025 he will go up against Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Pedro Pascal (The Last Of Us), Adam Scott (Severance), and Noah Wyle (The Pitt).

Showrunner Dan Fogelman previously revealed that he has plans for a three-season arc, although season three has not yet been greenlit.

He told The Hollywood Reporter: “I get frustrated by television shows that titillate and keep you guessing and have twists and turns but then don’t give you the answers at the end of your first break going off the air.

“I want to provide a complete meal by the end of the episode for the audience that’s invested. Any question that people have after the first couple of episodes should be answered at the end of the eighth episode. Then a new question and journey will start that takes us into the second season.”