Why Hulu’s ‘Paradise’ is a TV show worth obsessing over
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Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who loves a disaster movie.
“Paradise,” which premiered on Hulu last month and was recently renewed for a second season, has managed its heady brew of political intrigue, murder mystery, interpersonal drama and planetary destruction with aplomb, as Screen Gab editor Matt Brennan writes in this week’s Turn On.
Plus, “Found” star Gabrielle Walsh drops in to talk about idolizing “Law & Order’s” Mariska Hargitay and we offer more streaming recommendations for your weekend.
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Turn on
Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
“Paradise” (Hulu)
Though its most explicit point of reference is the 1988 action classic “Die Hard,” my latest TV obsession won me over with its allusions to two beloved titles from a decade later: “Deep Impact,” Mimi Leder’s tale of an ambitious journalist who discovers the world is about to end, and “The Truman Show,” Peter Weir’s portrait of a man born and raised in a fake-reality bubble. Set in the suburb-like bunker where the president (James Marsden), his Secret Service guard (Sterling K. Brown) and approximately 25,000 others are riding out the apocalypse, “Paradise” rarely goes in for pyrotechnics, preferring to plant the seeds of its many plot twists through careful character development and tantalizing time jumps. The result is a wildly entertaining political thriller that scratches beneath the surface of human emotion in extremis, much like its late-1990s inspirations or creator Dan Fogelman’s tearjerking family drama “This Is Us” — including that of its villain, grief-stricken tech billionaire Samantha Redmond, played by Julianne Nicholson in one of the performances of the year so far. — Matt Brennan
READ MORE: Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden say ‘Paradise’ brings twists and existential questions
“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” (Hulu)
A good rule of thumb for music documentaries: If Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson directed it, you should watch it. Following the Oscar-winning “Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Tubi, Hulu) and the best part of the “Saturday Night Live” 50th celebrations, “Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music” (Peacock), Thompson puts his focus on Sly Stone, leader of the still-influential Sly & the Family Stone. It charts the meteoric rise and fall of Stone, although leaving out some of the lower points after his surprise appearance at the band’s 1993 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The archival footage of interviews with Stone himself are enlightening, but the doc is missing a modern Stone in his own words. However, for music nerds there are gems throughout, such as Grace Slick talking about Stone producing a pre-Jefferson Airplane recording of “Somebody to Love” and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis telling the story of how a dinner out led them to using “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” as the foundation for Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” — Vanessa Franko
Catch up
Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about
Sometimes the algorithm works. For months, my PBS subscription through Amazon Prime has been insisting that what I really want to watch next is “Astrid,” a Franco-Belgian detective series known in its native land as “Astrid et Raphaëlle.” Not being a fan of the algorithm, I resisted, then finally caved — only to discover that, in this case, the coders were right. Set in Paris, “Astrid” is a terrifically entertaining and sneakily revelatory odd-couple procedural that explores the wide-ranging geography of the human mind and heart while zipping around Paris and the rest of France to solve all manner of colorful murders.
The odd couple in question is the impetuous, outspoken French police inspector Raphaëlle Coste (Lola Dewaere) and the self-contained, deeply methodical and neurodivergent police archivist Astrid Nielsen (Sara Mortensen). When Astrid gives Raphaëlle not just the file she requested but also another case that Astrid believes is related (her version of “you might also like”), the inspector quickly realizes that a brilliant criminologist is being wasted among the stacks.
Not everyone in the department is convinced. Astrid’s autism, including her ability to instantly spot details and adamantly announce conclusions, initially makes many of Raphaëlle’s colleagues uncomfortable, and Astrid herself is, not surprisingly, reluctant to deviate from her professional and personal patterns. The results, however, are inarguable: Astrid is almost never wrong, her knowledge of past cases appears bottomless and she cannot resist a puzzle. The cases they solve are clever, occasionally bordering on wacky, but the real mystery “Astrid” continually explores is that of human connection and communication.
Over the course of four seasons (the fifth just finished airing in France and will be available on PBS Masterpiece early next year), we learn how Astrid’s late father, a police inspector himself, battled to keep his daughter from being institutionalized and how she, with the aid of a “social skills” group of neurodivergent people, struggles to understand and cope with the neurotypical world. In Raphaëlle, she finds the perfect partner — intent on solving every case, Raphaëlle sees Astrid for what she is, a brilliant woman whose experience of the world is valuable not in spite of but because of its divergence. Both women must adapt to each other’s perspective and foibles, and each grows in the process. Raphaëlle gives Astrid confidence and Astrid offers Raphaëlle clarity. The social skills group, led by William (Jean-Benoît Souilh), provides a delightful reversal of stereotypes — why, its members wonder, can’t neurotypicals just say what they mean? (good question) — and an occasional resource for members of Raphaëlle’s team, who soon come to admire, and even adopt, some of the habits they once found so off-putting.
It’s not the first series to use neurodivergence or other atypical thought patterns to solve mysteries; ”Monk” made obsessive-compulsive disorder part of the title character’s detective work and “The Good Doctor” linked autism with medical genius. But “Astrid’s” portrayal of its main characters’ willingness to accept, and adapt to, each other’s differences make it as much a love story as a murder mystery. Which is, apparently, what the algorithm had been trying to tell me for so long. — Mary McNamara
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
“Found,” NBC’s sophomore drama about systemic neglect of missing persons cases involving people of color, is about as heart-wrenching as TV series get. But Gabrielle Walsh, like her character Lacey Quinn — a law student and former kidnapping victim — refuses to “let life’s bitterness turn [her] sour.” Instead, the actor, wellness aficionado and TV buff chooses love, empathy and “The Office.” As “Found” awaits news of a Season 3 renewal, Walsh stopped by Screen Gab to discuss her childhood dreams of playing a lawyer, what she’s watching and more. — Matt Brennan
What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?
I would have to say “Apple Cider Vinegar” [Netflix]. The storytelling is incredible. Just like the allure of social media, it sucks you in. The visual aspects and performances mirror the addictive pull of our need for control and love. It turns the wellness movement on its head!
Although I agree that modern medicine is a wonder and a miracle, I also believe there is more than just one answer. Nature is our biggest healer, along with human connection. Being intentional about your wellness journey is essential. As a fan of the holistic healing and personal development, what we put into our body, mind and what we choose to surround ourselves with dictate how we experience the world both physically and mentally. Stay ahead of your health by becoming more conscious of how you are treating yourself. Health is wealth, and I plan to live a long life if I can help it!
What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?
How can I choose? I am such a binger, and it switches constantly, but my mains are: “The Office” [Peacock], “Seinfeld” [Netflix] and “American Dad” [Hulu]. “The Office” is my top choice. I have watched it hundreds of times. Ridiculous slice-of-life humor is my jam!
I often joke that I got my J.D. at “The Good Wife” University. Given that your character, Lacey, is training to be a lawyer, I wondered what your favorite legal drama is and why.
First off, I love “The Good Wife” [Paramount+]. I channel Alicia Florrick any time I need to win an argument.
But my first love would have to be “Law & Order: SVU” [Peacock]. Playing a lawyer or detective has always been a part of the dream. Growing up, my mom loved “SVU,” and I had it in my mind to be either a lawyer or an actress. Then I thought, “I’ll just play a lawyer on TV!” It could be more fun that way, and then I could explore all the other ventures of life along with the people who inhabit them.
I fell in love with Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson. The way she connects with the victims and fights like hell, using the law and morality as her weapon, is not just astounding, it’s inspiring. She is my superhero. I hope to portray Lacey with half the compassion, competence and fire that woman holds as Olivia Benson.
Despite the trauma she’s suffered, Lacey remains a fundamentally sunny person. What have you learned about overcoming adversity from playing her?
Lacey has been a great channel for conveying what life has already taught me. I’ve faced many personal challenges in my life and made a promise to myself to choose love. As a little girl, I made a decision to never to let life’s bitterness turn me sour. I had seen the cold, jaded nature of some people and, beneath that, saw a need to be loved and accepted, just like me.
I desire to understand people beyond their choices and life circumstances, to empathize rather than judge or condemn. I am not perfect, but I try to see where the light can shine in. In turn, I better understand myself and am kinder when I, too, am fallible. It requires a lot of letting go and focus-shifting, but what is truly important should feed the soul in a way that uplifts.
A lot is happening in the world today and in our personal lives. Rather than absorb the poison presented to us, let’s do our best to transmute and transform, to create a life worth living — a life that chooses love over hate and faith over fear.
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