Paradise: In The Palaces of Crowned Kings
February 14, 2025 7:51 AM - Season 1, Episode 5 - Subscribe
Xavier faces the consequences of his investigation, forcing him to consider how to proceed. Meanwhile, Cal's family history and his last days are examined.
Recap - DC is under 500' of water (or maybe the Washington monument fell in a unlikely way, who knows), back in 1997 Cal wanted to be a teacher, but his dad ran him into politics. Cal's dad is kind of a dick.
Cal's dad knew about Billy's mission when Cal didn't - the billionaires are running the show! *gasp* *surprise*
The documents that Cal reads on the tablets suggest that deglaciation due to climate change led to a supervolcano in Antartica being uncovered. The next document shows a volcano chain along the coast of Antartica, with a "if one of these pops off, it will melt the remaining ice and cause the rest of them to erupt, too!" note in the body.
Apparently pops has biometric access to the tablet system too, so Cal can see the information the surface survey sent out and finds out that Billy "took care" of them.
When Cal is taking notes about what he uncovered, he's zooming in on a map of the southwestern US, and the route of the expedition suggests they made their way over the plains states to the CityPlex towers in Tulsa, a field in Memphis, and Dobbins AFB outside of Atlanta or Marietta.
He then makes up a mix CD, I assume dumping all his findings to a CD for his son to find eventually and rifles through the library, so the code is probably a dewey decimal number or something along those lines.
More flashbacks to his final day where he confronts Samantha about having Billy kill the expedition.
Oh hey, there's a shooting range under the Arena. Surprise surprise. And Robinson knows (or can guess) the code.
Some more footage of the Washington Monument. And apparently the USS Gerald Ford?
So, Presley somehow has the tablet. Maybe _she_ killed Cal!
And Xaver had his neighbor change the sky to say "they're lying to you" at like midnight when barely anyone reliable will see it, good job Xav.
posted by Kyol at 8:43 AM on February 14 [2 favorites]
Cal's dad knew about Billy's mission when Cal didn't - the billionaires are running the show! *gasp* *surprise*
The documents that Cal reads on the tablets suggest that deglaciation due to climate change led to a supervolcano in Antartica being uncovered. The next document shows a volcano chain along the coast of Antartica, with a "if one of these pops off, it will melt the remaining ice and cause the rest of them to erupt, too!" note in the body.
Apparently pops has biometric access to the tablet system too, so Cal can see the information the surface survey sent out and finds out that Billy "took care" of them.
When Cal is taking notes about what he uncovered, he's zooming in on a map of the southwestern US, and the route of the expedition suggests they made their way over the plains states to the CityPlex towers in Tulsa, a field in Memphis, and Dobbins AFB outside of Atlanta or Marietta.
He then makes up a mix CD, I assume dumping all his findings to a CD for his son to find eventually and rifles through the library, so the code is probably a dewey decimal number or something along those lines.
More flashbacks to his final day where he confronts Samantha about having Billy kill the expedition.
Oh hey, there's a shooting range under the Arena. Surprise surprise. And Robinson knows (or can guess) the code.
Some more footage of the Washington Monument. And apparently the USS Gerald Ford?
So, Presley somehow has the tablet. Maybe _she_ killed Cal!
And Xaver had his neighbor change the sky to say "they're lying to you" at like midnight when barely anyone reliable will see it, good job Xav.
posted by Kyol at 8:43 AM on February 14 [2 favorites]
I think Uncle Billy gave the tablet to Presley. Or stashed it in the house and she found it.
posted by cooker girl at 12:54 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]
posted by cooker girl at 12:54 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]
Yeah, sort of the irony is that we're got a bunch of information about the end of the world, which should be "aw neat!" for a dystopian post-apocalypse show, instead I kind of find myself more interested in who killed Cal, even though it's going to end up being Samantha, or someone doing it at Samantha's behest which is, y'know, probably boring? I mean, it could be interesting somehow, some way, but "billionaire doesn't appreciate how cranky the president is getting and decides to deal with him" is... Eh.
I mean, what other options are there? Someone _else_ (that we haven't been introduced to yet, hasn't been in any part of what amounts to what Xavier calls an investigation, etc) snuck into his bedroom and _accidentally_ brained him? He was drunk and tripped over a footstool? Shoot, I just saw that the other day on Poirot, and he wrapped it up in an hour.
Oh, and Vulture has been doing recaps, I guess.
posted by Kyol at 2:00 PM on February 14
I mean, what other options are there? Someone _else_ (that we haven't been introduced to yet, hasn't been in any part of what amounts to what Xavier calls an investigation, etc) snuck into his bedroom and _accidentally_ brained him? He was drunk and tripped over a footstool? Shoot, I just saw that the other day on Poirot, and he wrapped it up in an hour.
Oh, and Vulture has been doing recaps, I guess.
posted by Kyol at 2:00 PM on February 14
Another asshole daddy. Asshole daddy WITH DEMENTIA is even worse.
CUE THE...clouds. Less impressive.
"I wish you had died with the rest of the world." WOW.
Jane is not a good actress. "Oh. I've been trying to get ahold of him too."
"Come on, booger."
"It's hard to be a sniper in a world without real guns." I miss guns! Oh, there's guns, I just won't admit that there's guns, but there's guns.... I'm still shocked at the idea of a world with no guns here. Like yeahrightneverhappeninginabillionyearsintheus.
"I've got top presidential clearance, motherfucker."
"Your Honor!"
"What if I wanted to make a mix tape?"
A world where the president can just kick it with his headphones in the library.
John Locke has entered the chat.
"Are you actually trying to use GUNS to bribe me into staying?!"
"My life was your chess piece, and I delivered." Can you give me a compliment before I die, dad? NOPE.
Through Xavier's eyes, Cal's kind of an egotist shallow frat boy asshole. This episode makes me feel bad for Cal and that he wasn't a complete dick.
Arthur's not a great man's name. Tell King Arthur of Camelot that.
It's taken me THIS long to clue in that's Gerald McRaney.
Oh, sure, wait until your kid is dead to be nice and apologize.
Wait, how does PRESLEY have the tablet?
This is the scariest version of "Eye Of the Tiger" EVER. Good lord, yikes.
Sir, please write more than "They're lying to you." A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:26 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]
CUE THE...clouds. Less impressive.
"I wish you had died with the rest of the world." WOW.
Jane is not a good actress. "Oh. I've been trying to get ahold of him too."
"Come on, booger."
"It's hard to be a sniper in a world without real guns." I miss guns! Oh, there's guns, I just won't admit that there's guns, but there's guns.... I'm still shocked at the idea of a world with no guns here. Like yeahrightneverhappeninginabillionyearsintheus.
"I've got top presidential clearance, motherfucker."
"Your Honor!"
"What if I wanted to make a mix tape?"
A world where the president can just kick it with his headphones in the library.
John Locke has entered the chat.
"Are you actually trying to use GUNS to bribe me into staying?!"
"My life was your chess piece, and I delivered." Can you give me a compliment before I die, dad? NOPE.
Through Xavier's eyes, Cal's kind of an egotist shallow frat boy asshole. This episode makes me feel bad for Cal and that he wasn't a complete dick.
Arthur's not a great man's name. Tell King Arthur of Camelot that.
It's taken me THIS long to clue in that's Gerald McRaney.
Oh, sure, wait until your kid is dead to be nice and apologize.
Wait, how does PRESLEY have the tablet?
This is the scariest version of "Eye Of the Tiger" EVER. Good lord, yikes.
Sir, please write more than "They're lying to you." A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:26 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]
I was so bothered by "THEY'RE LYING TO YOU".
I mean, everybody knows the sky is fake so there's nothing shocking about the writing itself, maybe they do announcements that way. So the words are what matter, and he chose POINTLESSLY AMBIGUOUS WORDS.
How about "CAL WAS MURDERED" maybe?
posted by mmoncur at 10:17 PM on February 14 [3 favorites]
I mean, everybody knows the sky is fake so there's nothing shocking about the writing itself, maybe they do announcements that way. So the words are what matter, and he chose POINTLESSLY AMBIGUOUS WORDS.
How about "CAL WAS MURDERED" maybe?
posted by mmoncur at 10:17 PM on February 14 [3 favorites]
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE ALIVE UP THERE would also be a good choice.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:20 AM on February 15 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:20 AM on February 15 [1 favorite]
Xavier's lack of insight into the essential differences between different sub-expertises in writing and communication does not go well, as he asks the resident post-postmodernist to obtain access to the sky control room:
WELL THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M WRITING ON THE SKY, AND SO I CAN ONLY TAKE A STAB IN THE DARK IF YOU WILL AS TO WHAT TYPE OF SENTIMENT AND/OR RHETORIC WOULD BEST CONVEY IN THIS CONTEXT WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW, WHICH TO BE HONEST IS IMPLACABLE PERTURBATION AND AN ESSENTIALLY PERMANENT STATE OF PILOERECTION AFTER THE DEATH OF OUR PRESIDENT UNDER CONDITIONS THAT EVEN THE MOST WORLD-WEARY AND HARDENED SECRET SERVICE TYPE COULD NOT DENY ARE SUSPICIOUS AND POSSIBLY EVEN CONSPIRACY-ADJACENT. IN THE INTERESTS OF TIME AND SPACE (BOTH OF WHICH THIS FAKE SKY ESSENTIALLY MOCKS AS BASIC INGREDIENTS OF THE HUMAN BEING'S SOUL'S MOVEMENTS), I MAINLY JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THEY'RE L
posted by sylvanshine at 9:14 AM on February 16 [8 favorites]
WELL THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M WRITING ON THE SKY, AND SO I CAN ONLY TAKE A STAB IN THE DARK IF YOU WILL AS TO WHAT TYPE OF SENTIMENT AND/OR RHETORIC WOULD BEST CONVEY IN THIS CONTEXT WHAT I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW, WHICH TO BE HONEST IS IMPLACABLE PERTURBATION AND AN ESSENTIALLY PERMANENT STATE OF PILOERECTION AFTER THE DEATH OF OUR PRESIDENT UNDER CONDITIONS THAT EVEN THE MOST WORLD-WEARY AND HARDENED SECRET SERVICE TYPE COULD NOT DENY ARE SUSPICIOUS AND POSSIBLY EVEN CONSPIRACY-ADJACENT. IN THE INTERESTS OF TIME AND SPACE (BOTH OF WHICH THIS FAKE SKY ESSENTIALLY MOCKS AS BASIC INGREDIENTS OF THE HUMAN BEING'S SOUL'S MOVEMENTS), I MAINLY JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THEY'RE L
posted by sylvanshine at 9:14 AM on February 16 [8 favorites]
My gut feeling is that the psych doctor Torabi is Cal's killer.
I'm not sure why I think that or even if it makes sense. Clearly Sinatra a killer by order, Jane is a killer on command, Billy killed the explorers but was reforming and about to turn (?).
Maybe Torabi wants to be Queen of Paradise and Sinatra's in her way.
I am enjoying this, nevertheless.
posted by chavenet at 4:32 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure why I think that or even if it makes sense. Clearly Sinatra a killer by order, Jane is a killer on command, Billy killed the explorers but was reforming and about to turn (?).
Maybe Torabi wants to be Queen of Paradise and Sinatra's in her way.
I am enjoying this, nevertheless.
posted by chavenet at 4:32 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]
My gut feeling is that the psych doctor Torabi is Cal's killer.
Yeah, I worry it's going to be something bullshit like a sky tile fell and knocked up a rock that just arced perfectly to brain Cal before bouncing back out to the garden BUT WHO LOOSENED THE TILE?!? CAL'S DAD? Next season on Paradise!
And yeah, for all my grumbling, I'm still enjoying it. I just think the writers room maybe got high on their own supply, but I never watched This Is Us, so I don't know if this is just their style, very slick, very well produced, blah blah etc but really needs a producer who can say "no, fix that, it doesn't make sense" or "you don't have 18 episodes to stretch this out into" or whatever.
posted by Kyol at 9:49 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I worry it's going to be something bullshit like a sky tile fell and knocked up a rock that just arced perfectly to brain Cal before bouncing back out to the garden BUT WHO LOOSENED THE TILE?!? CAL'S DAD? Next season on Paradise!
And yeah, for all my grumbling, I'm still enjoying it. I just think the writers room maybe got high on their own supply, but I never watched This Is Us, so I don't know if this is just their style, very slick, very well produced, blah blah etc but really needs a producer who can say "no, fix that, it doesn't make sense" or "you don't have 18 episodes to stretch this out into" or whatever.
posted by Kyol at 9:49 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]
Xavier's lack of insight into the essential differences between different sub-expertises in writing and communication does not go we
Finally got to this episode - all hate-watching again. The sky thing was super dumb, the buildup and flashbacks all revealed nothing of value that couldn't have already been inferred, and Xavier was super chill about his best bro dying from questionable causes.
And then another buried lede: Xavier's daughter has the super ipad! Why give us Xavier's nonsense story when she has a more interesting story to tell?
posted by The_Vegetables at 4:07 PM on March 2 [1 favorite]
Finally got to this episode - all hate-watching again. The sky thing was super dumb, the buildup and flashbacks all revealed nothing of value that couldn't have already been inferred, and Xavier was super chill about his best bro dying from questionable causes.
And then another buried lede: Xavier's daughter has the super ipad! Why give us Xavier's nonsense story when she has a more interesting story to tell?
posted by The_Vegetables at 4:07 PM on March 2 [1 favorite]
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posted by Kyol at 7:52 AM on February 14 [2 favorites]