Paradise’s Xavier Is Amazing, but This Seemingly One-Dimensional Character’s True Personality Blew My Mind

The year 2025 has started off well, with so many new shows and the long-awaited new chapters of beloved series turning out just fine. But the biggest surprise of the year is definitely Hulu ’s Paradise. The series premiered on January 25, and let me tell you, no other show like this one has kept me on the edge of my seat every episode recently.

You only get to realise the premise of the show at the end of the first episode, although it starts with the main tragedy: the murder of the president. The body was found by probably the closest person he had, special agent Xavier Collins, played brilliantly by Sterling K. Brown.

I fell in love with Agent Collins the moment I saw him. I would be lying if I tried to deny it had nothing to do with his looks, but it was probably his calm exterior and clear head that made me sympathize with him. When you see a person like that, you just know that he is in control and you are safe around him. And he knew that about himself, too, so it was very frustrating for him to find his president dead on his watch.

However, it took me some time to buy what the President, Cal Bradford, amazingly played by James Marsden, was trying to sell with his character. And it wasn't until later episodes that I finally understood what was going on with him.

Cal Bradford Is the Most Tragic Character in Paradise

The thing is, the writers were trying to create an image of him as a young and not-so-bright nepo baby who only became president because his father had the power to make him one. At first, Cal's portrayal gives the impression that he's one-dimensional. I was ready to dismiss him as just another plot device, only to realize how much more he actually meant to the story.

Only later did we all realize that Cal himself wanted to be a highschool teacher, he loved literature, but his father just laughed in his face when he tried to tell him that. As the story unfolded, however, it became clear that he was still humbly trying to save the world from ending, or at least make it livable again.

The worst thing is that no one knew this when he was alive. The recognition came after he was murdered. And that's another thing I love about the character. He was so humble that he never let anyone (except Xavier sometimes) know what he was really thinking, and he kept so many secrets playing dumb.

“I think he may be my favorite character on the show. Such a sweet man with a good heart who didn't deserve the treatment he received from people. He would've been an excellent educator and had fantastic musical taste! I'm going to miss his character if they can't find a way to write him into the story for season 2,” Redditor CrownedHuntress said.

The fans of the show are absolutely in love with how the character has been written. Episode 7 cemented the good attitude towards him and we finally got to see him as the best human being and the best president. And the scene on the plane with the line "If she doesn't move, kill her" referring to Sinatra is something that will live in my head forever.

“Just finished the show, what a brilliant piece of art, honestly the thing that moved me the most was Cal's character, a man who always seemed motivated to do what was right, but was treated horribly by everyone. Particularly sad that on the day he died, it was probably one of the worst days of his life. Brilliantly written character,” Redditor empathyxd said.

James Marsden pulls it off perfectly, portraying the three-dimensional, complex character with so many things to look for.

Paradise Season 2: Everything We Know

Paradise is available to stream on Hulu. And it's no surprise that the show has been greenlit for another season. What is known for now is that the new chapter will explore the outside world more.