Paradise Episode 5 Ending Explained: Who Has President Bradford's Tablet & What It Means
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Paradise season 1, episode 5, "In the Palaces of Crowned Kings."Paradise episode 5's ending raises the stakes with shocking new revelations. The newest episode provides the most focus yet on President Cal Bradford (James Marsden), with his funeral taking place in the present day, and the flashbacks revealing key moments in his journey to the White House and in the days before his death that is the source of Paradise's murder mystery. President Bradford is not the only death that looms over the episode after Paradise episode 4's ending, which saw Billy Pace (Jon Beavers) killed by Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom).
Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) finds Billy's body, and despite Jane framing his death to look like a drug overdose, Xavier is convinced that his friend was murdered. In both the flashbacks and the present day, the focus on President Bradford puts the spotlight on his family, including his son, Jeremy (Charlie Evans), and his father, Kane (Gerald McRaney). This Paradise episode culminates with Xavier making a bold move and revealing the surprising character who has President Bradford's missing tablet in their possession.
Why Xavier Put That Message In The Sky
He Is Going On The Offensive In His Investigation
Paradise episode 5 ends with the message "They are lying to you" written in the sky via bright red letters. Xavier calls in a favor from his neighbor, Carl (Richard Robichaux), to use his position to have the message written in the sky of the underground community. The message is meant to challenge Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond (Julianne Nicholson) and to shatter the illusion that everything is still as idyllic as it appears to be in Paradise.
Xavier wants Sinatra to know that he is onto her, and he wants all of Paradise's citizens to realize that everything is not what it seems to be. They have been told that President Bradford died peacefully, but Xavier is now openly refusing to let Sinatra perpetuate this false narrative. With the support of other citizens, Xavier can get closer to finding out who really killed President Bradford, Billy, and what else Sinatra and the rest of the establishment are hiding. Xavier is no longer alone in his investigation, and now the entire community will want to know the truth.
Why Presley Has President Bradford’s Tablet And Who Knows She Has It
The Tablet May Help Her Locate Her Mother
Image via Hulu
Even more surprising than Xavier's message is showing that his teenage daughter, Presley (Aliyah Mastin), is in possession of President Bradford's tablet. After discovering the president's body in episode 1, Xavier also sees that the tablet containing government secrets was missing. Episode 5's flashbacks divulge that the tablet contains secrets that were hidden even from President Bradford, including that there are still survivors on the surface of Paradise's world. While the killer and the person who stole the tablet were presumed to be the same person, this may not be the case.
If Presley somehow learned about there being survivors on the surface, she would realize that her mother might still be alive, and she could use the tablet to try and find her.
Presley may have stolen the tablet while someone else was responsible for killing President Bradford. If Presley somehow learned about there being survivors on the surface, she would realize that her mother might still be alive, and she could use the tablet to try and find her. It is unclear how she would have learned about this, though, especially since this information was concealed even from President Bradford and from Xavier. Kane remembers seeing Presley the night President Bradford died, and he tries to explain when he sees her with Jeremy, but the accusations are dismissed due to Kane's dementia.
What The Flashbacks Reveal About Paradise’s Murder Mystery
President Bradford Was Likely Killed For Wanting To Reveal The Truth
Image via Hulu
After episode 5, Sinatra has even more motive for being the one to kill President Bradford. While the president knew about Paradise's cataclysmic event and the preparations being made because of it, he was kept in the dark about there still being survivors out there, that the surface is still technically habitable, and that the scientists sent to investigate were murdered. The flashbacks show President Bradford confronting Sinatra about this and insisting that the truth must be shared with Paradise's citizens.
Episode # | Episode Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
6 | "You Asked for Miracles" | February 18 |
7 | "The Day" | February 25 |
8 | "The Man Who Kept the Secrets" | March 4 |
This gives Sinatra sufficient reason to have President Bradford killed, as she is concerned about what will happen if the truth comes out, and that it will destroy the community she has worked hard to create and maintain. After seeing how mercilessly Jane killed Billy on Sinatra's orders, Jane seems most likely to have killed President Bradford, although Sinatra hinted that she has other killers at her disposal as well. Presley having the tablet does not fit into this explanation, though, which will need to be addressed in the final three episodes of Paradise season 1.
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