Agent Collins’s pursuit of the truth about who murdered President Bradford takes an unexpected turn.

As has often been commented on these pages, series finales are tough to pull off. Penultimate instalments are regularly terrific, with everything in the air, and all to play for. In a finale – especially these days – a show has to not only dot the i’s and cross the t’s, but attempt to tee up a second season which may or may not even happen.

Post-apocalyptic whodunnit, Paradise, approaches the task with a forensic eye for detail. Every loose end is tied up neatly with a bow, and there are some strong pointers for what will underpin the next outing which we know has already been greenlit.

It’s mature, expertly crafted stuff; however…

In resolving the whodunnit – via the deft use of flashback to the construction of the bunker more than a decade before the main action of the series – while the story makes complete sense, and I was certainly interested and indeed convinced, I did become a little disengaged. Everything we need has been seeded, there are no narrative cheats, but on the down side, the explanation takes us away from the emotional heart of the show. It’s a little technical – a little cold – when I suspect most viewers would rather be knee deep in what makes Xavier Collins’ heart beat faster. Sterling K. Brown has been rock solid throughout and it would have been better to keep him right at the heart of the action.

As for season 2… I’m already excited, but after giving up on both Silo and Severance during their ‘difficult second albums’ all I can say is, they’d better not bugger this one up as well.

Verdict: Paradise has been eight episodes of gripping, well-crafted, high concept TV, well worth anyone’s time. I just don’t want to be making ‘Paradise Lost’ jokes in eighteen months’ time – and I’m sure you don’t want that either. It’s in everyone’s interest that they get it right. 9/10

Martin Jameson

www.ninjamarmoset.com