Stephen King Backs Up Praise For Hulu's Hit New Sci-Fi Series As "Closest Thing On TV To Lost"

Shortly after its season 2 finale, Stephen King is doubling down on his praise for Paradise, endorsing it as the “closest thing on TV to Lost.“

After its penultimate episode, Stephen King praised Paradise season 2 for being “even better” than the first season, which he considers “rare,” and complimented the show’s acting, the cohesive story, dialogue, and lack of clichés. King’s praise meant a great deal to creator Dan Fogelman, who reacted in an Instagram post captioned, “Pick me up off the floor.”

Now, shortly after the season 2 finale on March 30, Stephen King is backing up his praise for Paradise by reposting fellow author Linwood Barclay‘s review, which reads, “Great season finale for Paradise. This show is the closest thing on TV right now to Lost.”

Paradise begins in an underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event and follows Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) as he investigates the assassination of the president. Season 2 expands the show’s scope beyond the bunker and into the outside world as Xavier Collins searches for his wife.

Paradise‘s cast also includes Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Aliyah Mastin, Percy Daggs IV, James Marsden, Krys Marshall, Enuka Okuma, and Charlie Evans in main roles. Jon Beavers, Kate Godfrey, Cassidy Freeman, Gerald McRaney, Richard Robichaux, Matt Malloy, Ian Merrigan, Michelle Meredith, Shailene Woodley, Thomas Doherty, Michael McGrady, and Cameron Britton appear in recurring roles.

What Critics Are Saying About Paradise Season 2

Brian Roedel / ©Hulu/Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection

Stephen King and Linwood Barclay aren’t the only ones praising Paradise season 2, which has a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, better than season 1’s 86% score. Overall, critics have praised Paradise season 2 for fully leaning into its genre roots, delivering another compelling run packed with heightened intrigue, strong performances from its cast, and consistently engaging drama.

Paradise seasons 1 and 2 have 84% and 80% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.

In ScreenRant‘s Paradise season 2 review, Graeme Guttmann gave the new season seven out of 10 stars and writes that “in its sophomore outing, Paradise maintains a sense of fun and mystery even as its expansion into new territory treads familiar thematic ground.”

Paradise season 1 received four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor for Sterling K. Brown, Outstanding Supporting Actor for James Marsden, and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Julianne Nicholson.

How Paradise Is The “Closest Thing On TV To Lost”

Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) walking towards the bunker's supercomputer in Paradise season 2 — Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) walking towards the bunker’s supercomputer in Paradise season 2

Comparing Paradise to Lost is certainly high praise for the Hulu series, as the latter is regularly ranked among the best TV shows of all time. Both series begin with a relatively simple premise and, through various twists and turns, expand into something far greater, more complex, and increasingly unexpected. This shared DNA is what makes both shows so compelling and endlessly rewarding to watch.