What Happened on This Week's 'Paradise' Was Just Mean

Spoilers

There’s a neat sci-fi premise and some fun twists in Hulu’s Paradise, but never forget: this is a show from Dan Fogelman, the man who spent six seasons emotionally waterboarding us with This Is Us. Every damn week, he wrecked us, and every damn week, we came back for more because he sprinkled in just enough warmth to make us believe—against all evidence—that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t pull the football this time.

HE ALWAYS PULLS THE FOOTBALL. ASSHOLE.

Anyway! Paradise takes place in an underground bunker where 25,000 people live after the world went kaput. A billionaire named Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) built the place. The President (James Marsden) has been murdered. We don’t know who did it. But at the end of last week’s episode, the President’s shrink, Gabriela (Sarah Shahi), told Secret Service agent Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) that before he died, the President warned her not to trust another agent, Billy Pace (Jon Beavers).

This week, we get to know Billy Pace better. That should’ve been our first red flag.

Billy had a rough childhood—so rough that he eventually murdered his abusive uncle. After serving time, he joined a program that turned him into a highly skilled mercenary, which led to him guarding the President. Sinatra also recruited him for a side gig: discreetly murdering people when necessary. Like, say, when a scientist discovered the air outside was still breathable, Billy shot her before she could share that information because Sinatra decided it would “cause chaos.”

So yeah, Billy was Sinatra’s personal hitman. But—and here’s where Fogelman sets us up for maximum emotional devastation—he was also a big ol’ teddy bear. He was Xavier’s best friend! He was a doting uncle to Xavier’s kids! He was a sweetheart, aside from, you know, the whole “being an assassin” thing! He even had an adorable girlfriend, fellow Secret Service agent Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom). She was giddy about going to the carnival with him. THEY WERE PRECIOUS.

And then.

Billy leaves the carnival and confronts Sinatra about the President’s murder. He accuses her of orchestrating it. She does not deny it. He tells her he’s done killing for her. He warns her to stay away because there’s no one in the entire bunker badder than him.

And Sinatra just smirks.

Later that night, after some wholesome bonding time with Xavier’s kids, Billy heads home to his loving girlfriend. They flirt. They tease. They are adorable.

And then.

“You told her to send the biggest motherfucker she had,” Jane coos. “I’m it, baby.”

And Billy dies.

BECAUSE JANE POISONED HIS BEER. THEIR ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP WAS A LIE. SHE WORKED FOR SINATRA THE WHOLE TIME. BILLY IS DEAD.

DAN FOGELMAN IS A MONSTER.