Stephen King reviews Hulu’s Paradise and explains why the show is “rare.”

The science-fiction thriller series created by Dan Fogelman debuted in January 2025 and quickly garnered critical acclaim and high viewership. Paradise season 2 premiered in February 2026 and has once again been well-received, as the show expands its scope beyond the bunker and to the outside world as Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) searches for his wife, Teri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma). On March 17, it was announced that the series would be returning for season 3, with Brown sharing the news in a video reminiscent of a scene in season 2 with the character Link (Thomas Doherty) outside the bunker.

Shortly after the season 3 renewal, King posted his review on Threads, in which he praises Paradise season 2 for being “even better” than season 1. He explains that this is a “rare” achievement for any show and compliments the acting, the cohesive story, dialogue, the lack of clichés, and that it is a series writer Elmore Leonard would have liked. Check out King’s review below:

PARADISE (Hulu): First season is good, second season is even better. How rare is that? The acting is good, the story actually hangs together, and the dialogue is the best part. Sharp. Few cliches. Highest praise: Elmore Leonard would watch this.

King’s praise means a great deal to Fogelman, who posted a screenshot of the review on Instagram with the caption: “Pick me up off the floor.” Per the Rotten Tomatoes score, critics agree with King that season 2 further elevates the show. Season 1 has an 86% Tomatometer score, while season 2 sits at 90% as of this writing. In ScreenRant‘s Paradise season 2 review, Graeme Guttmann gives the new season seven out of 10 stars and writes that “Fogelman’s series transcends some surface level issues to maintain its status as one of the most thrilling series currently on television.”

In addition to King, Paradise‘s cast and overall quality were recognized in season 1 by the Emmy Awards, which gave the show four nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Brown for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series, James Marsden for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and Julianne Nicholson for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. As for King’s reference to Leonard, this is likely because the author was known for writing excellent dialogue, which is one of the show’s strengths highlighted in the review.

This is not the first time that King has used social media to review newer shows, having previously shared his thoughts on Apple TV’s Silo, FX’s Alien: Earth, Netflix’s Stranger Things, and the MGM+ horror series From. In the case of From, it helped bring more attention to the once lesser-known series. While Paradise already had a strong reputation, King’s review brings further prestige to the show as season 2 nears its end and ahead of season 3.

The Paradise season 2 finale will be released on March 30, and season 3 filming will begin shortly afterward, with Fogelman having told Collider that production begins on April 7. He and other members of the show’s creative team have said on numerous occasions that there has been a three-season plan, meaning the story is nearing its endgame. The quick turnaround with filming also fulfills the promise of bringing the series back on an annual basis, which it previously delivered on with the release timeline for seasons 1 and 2.

Paradise releases new episodes Mondays on Hulu.