Paradise Season 1 Ending Explained

The identity of President Cal Bradford's killer (played by James Marsden) is revealed in the Paradise season 1 finale, but it's just one of many significant plot twists. Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond informs Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) at the conclusion of Paradise episode 7 that he must track down President Bradford's killer and put an end to the rebellion if he ever hopes to see his daughter, Presley (Aliyah Mastin), again. When Xavier obeys, he learns that the murderer has been hiding in plain sight the whole time.

The season 1 finale centers on solving the murder mystery in Paradise, but there are other plotlines that must be addressed as well. This includes Jeremy Bradford (Charlie Evans) informing the people of Paradise about the lies they have been told and elucidating the meaning of the numbers on the cigarette that President Bradford left behind. As the characters in Paradise get ready to take on new challenges in season 2, these revelations have permanently altered their lives.

The Killer of President Bradford and Their Motives

Trent (Ian Merrigan), who has been residing in Paradise while posing as a librarian named Eli, is exposed as President Bradford's murderer. When Paradise was constructed beneath a Colorado mountain, Trent served as the construction manager. Trent discovered during this process that the dangerous chemicals his workers were exposed to during construction and demolition were poisoning them. Since the chemicals would only be deadly during excavation and the site would eventually be safe, Trent was fired and prohibited from the construction site when he brought this up to his superior and demanded that the project be stopped.

Trent only knew that construction was still going on because a disastrous event was imminent. He made an effort to inform the media and his former coworkers about the situation, but nobody paid attention. Eventually, this resulted in an attempt to kill President Bradford; during that attempt, Xavier jumped in front of the bullet and saved the president. Trent was imprisoned, but he broke out on the day that Paradise's world ended because of a mass rebellion in the prison where he was housed.

He located the actual librarian who was on his way to Paradise, killed him, replaced him, and had the librarian's wife replaced by a woman he met along the way. Trent settled into his new life with the intention of completing what he had begun. Trent didn't remember why he had infiltrated Paradise in the first place until President Bradford visited the library to create a mixtape. After killing the president, he planned to reach the surface and tell the rest of the world where Paradise was.

Why Jane Doesn't Injure Presley After Shooting Sinatra

Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom) is ordered by Sinatra to stop Presley from disclosing the harmful information she is aware of. In exchange, Jane requests President Bradford's video games, especially his Wii. These terms are unacceptable to Sinatra, who refers to Jane as "f***ing insane." Sinatra assumes that Jane has taken matters into her own hands and killed Presley after she ends the conversation. Rather than letting Presley go, Jane shoots Sinatra because she is sick of being made into an unappreciated pawn and dislikes being referred to as "insane."

Members of Xavier's rebellion are stationed to protect Jane, who gives the impression that she found Presley. After years of devoted service, Jane only wanted the president's video games. Jane escapes Sinatra's control by shooting him and assisting Xavier and his supporters. Even though Sinatra is currently unconscious, Jane will have a big advantage over her when she awakens. The best part is that Jane now has the Wii and the other video games that Sinatra forbade her from having.

The Cigarette's Numbers and How They Benefit Xavier

The meaning of the numbers 812092 that President Bradford wrote on one of his cigarettes prior to his passing has been one of the season's lingering mysteries. Xavier discovers that the numbers on a mixtape CD that the president made for Jeremy correspond to a book in the Dewey Decimal system. Books in a library are arranged and located using these numbers. Xavier discovers a book about Frank Sinatra at the library's 812.092 location, and behind it is another book titled The Man Who Kept the Secrets.

President Bradford recorded all he had learned about the surface from his tablet in The Man Who Kept the Secrets, along with instructions on how to open the external door to the outside world. Xavier is able to leave Paradise and look for his wife, Teri (Enuka Okuma), who he now knows survived the day of the apocalyptic event, thanks to the information President Bradford left behind. In order to assist Xavier in finding Teri, President Bradford made sure he left everything behind.

How Paradise Season 2 Is Set Up by Xavier Going to the Surface

Season 2 will look very different from season 1 now that Xavier is going to the surface to find Teri. Season 2 will alternate between Xavier's story on the surface and the stories of those who are still in the underground community, rather than flashbacks and a story set in the present day in Paradise. Other than the fact that many survivors, including Xavier's wife, are still alive and that portions of the surface are still habitable, very little is known about it. According to President Bradford's notes, there may be up to 55 million survivors.

There is a power vacuum in Paradise as the upper class quarrels over what to do without Sinatra and in light of the exposed secrets. Sinatra is in a coma. After revealing the truth to the public, Jeremy maintains his connection with them, earning their respect and trust. Jane continues to be a wild card while Xavier's children are being cared for by Agent Robinson (Krys Marshall). If millions of surface survivors find out about Paradise and attempt to infiltrate it in search of resources, this precarious situation could become even more unstable.

The True Significance Of The Final Scene Of Paradise Season 1

Notwithstanding an individual's past transgressions, Paradise season 1 demonstrates that there is always time to change the world for the better. For the majority of his life, President Bradford served as a pawn for Sinatra and other influential people, as well as his father, Kane Bradford (Gerald McRaney). President Bradford, however, regained control of his life even as the world was ending by disarming all nuclear missiles and then leaving behind everything Xavier and Jeremy needed to know and tell the truth about the surface.

Robinson, Billy Pace (Jon Beavers), Dr. Gabriela Torabi (Sarah Shahi), Xavier, and even Jane all make an effort to grow from their mistakes and stop working with an unfair system. They have a legitimate desire to build a better society free from the exploitation and deceit of the upper class. A terrible illustration of the harm done to common people in a dysfunctional society is Trent's story, which culminates in his untimely death. In Paradise season 2, Xavier and his kids will hopefully be reunited with Teri in a better world.