Paradise Season 2 Is Here: Premiere Date, Episode Schedule, New Cast & What to Expect

Hulu's most-buzzed political thriller is back. Paradise Season 2 officially premiered today, Monday, February 23, 2026, with a three-episode drop that picks up directly after the explosive Season 1 finale. Created by Dan Fogelman of This Is Us fame, the post-apocalyptic drama starring Sterling K. Brown returns bigger, bolder, and now — outside the bunker.

Paradise Season 2 Premiere Date and Episode Schedule

Season 2 launched on Hulu today with the first three episodes available simultaneously. After that, new episodes drop every Monday night, with the season finale scheduled for March 30, 2026. The full season runs eight episodes, matching the length of Season 1.

Paradise Season 2 streams exclusively on Hulu and the Hulu on Disney+ bundle. Unlike Season 1, no linear ABC broadcast is currently planned for the new season.

Paradise Season 2 Cast: Who's Back and Who's New

Sterling K. Brown returns as Xavier Collins, Julianne Nicholson as the icy Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond, and Sarah Shahi as Dr. Gabriela Torabi. James Marsden is also back — primarily through flashbacks as the late President Cal Bradford, whose death continues to drive the story.

The major new addition to Paradise Season 2 is Shailene Woodley, playing a surface survivor named Annie who crosses paths with Xavier in the outside world. Other new cast members include Thomas Doherty, Timothy Omundson, Patrick Fischler, Michael McGrady, Raymond Cham Jr., and Jon Beavers.

What Is Paradise Season 2 About?

Season 2 breaks the show out of its underground setting for the first time. The new season picks up just weeks after Season 1's finale, following Xavier as he ventures outside the bunker in search of his wife, Teri (Enuka Okuma), whom he learned may have survived the global catastrophe. On the surface, Xavier encounters survivor communities, new threats, and the kind of billionaire scheming that keeps Sinatra at the center of everything.

Inside the bunker, political tensions and shifting alliances continue to simmer as the truth behind "The Day" — the apocalyptic event that drove 25,000 people underground — continues to unfold through flashbacks.

Fogelman has described the three-season arc plainly: "We have this very precise three-year plan, and this next season is kind of the middle episode of our trilogy with also its own beginning, middle, and end."

Early Reviews for Paradise Season 2

Critical reception for Paradise Season 2 is mixed but engaged. The Hollywood Reporter described it as having "lots of heart, not enough brains," noting that emotional storytelling remains the show's strength while some plot threads lose focus outside the bunker's tight structure. Other reviewers praised the expanded world-building and Woodley's addition to the ensemble. Season 1 earned an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series — a tough act to follow.

Will There Be a Paradise Season 3?

No official renewal for Paradise Season 3 has been announced yet, but Fogelman has been transparent that the show is planned as a complete trilogy. With Season 2 now underway and the story clearly building toward a larger conclusion, a third and final season remains the expected endgame.