One of the best post-apocalyptic shows is back with new season streaming now

The series is giving The Last of Us a run for its money.

The second season of Paradise, the addictive post-apocalyptic thriller series, has been added to Disney+.

From the makers of the hit drama This Is Us, the first season of the show premiered last year.

It begins with Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Oscar-nominee Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction) investigating the murder of a former US president (James Marsden, X-Men) in the seemingly peaceful community of Paradise.

Spoilers for Paradise Season 1 ahead!

The first episode of S1 ended with a reality-altering twist, however.

Paradise is, in fact, a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado, made to feel like "Anywhere, USA".

It was secretly set up by the most powerful in society, in advance of Earth suffering a catastrophic doomsday event, something which did end up coming to pass.

Season one, though, ended with the revelation that the damage to the planet was not quite as bad as believed.

We also learned that Xavier's wife, Teri (Enuka Okuma, Impulse), who he believed died on the surface, may still be alive.

As such, the plot synopsis for season two of the series states:

"In season two, Xavier searches for Teri out in the world and learns how people survived the three years since The Day.

"Back in Paradise, the social fabric frays as the bunker deals with the aftermath of Season 1, and new secrets are uncovered about the city's origins."

JOE has seen the first two episodes of Paradise S2. We'd argue that the series has retained what made the first season so strong - a focus on character and moments of humanity amidst strange, dire new circumstances - while broadening out its world.

The first episode of season two, titled 'Graceland', is a great example of this.

It focuses entirely on the new character of Annie (Shailene Woodley, Big Little Lies). She was a tour guide at Elvis' mansion in Graceland when the catastrophic disaster happened.

The episode chronicles her efforts to survive after the doomsday event. It does a brilliant job balancing suspense and twists, with genuine human emotion and introspection, in a way that recalls recent HBO hit The Last of Us.