All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: ‘Paradise’ Stars Julianne Nicholson and Thomas Doherty
Airdate: March 26, 2026
Guests: Julianne Nicholson (“Sinatra”) and Thomas Doherty (“Link”)
Theme: A deep-dive with the stars of Hulu’s “Paradise” on world-building, character complexity, and the mysteries at the heart of the show as its second season finale approaches.

Episode Overview

In this engaging, spoiler-alert conversation, Alison Stewart is joined in studio by Julianne Nicholson and Thomas Doherty, leads of the Hulu series Paradise. As the show’s second season races toward its suspenseful finale, Stewart explores the intricate world-building, the psychology of survival, the blurred lines between villain and hero, and the sci-fi twists driving fan speculation. This episode features behind-the-scenes insights, actor perspectives on character development, discussion of major plot points (with fair warning!), and a lively Q&A with listeners.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Building the World of Paradise

(03:03–04:19)

• Show’s Construction: Nicholson discusses the detailed “Bible” sent to cast:

  “They thought about everything… restaurants that were there, the hair salons… the specificity of it that I loved.” (03:23, Nicholson)

• Survival Above Ground: Doherty describes preparing for the role of Link, whose survival is rooted in primitive instincts:

  “When you’re talking about apocalypse… people definitely kind of defer back to their most primitive survival instincts. So there’s a lot of violence, a lot of death…” (04:21, Doherty)

2. Leadership, Control, and Hard Choices

(04:57–06:04)

• Sinatra's Motivation: Nicholson explains her character’s secrecy and caution:

  “If people understand there are survivors, then… there is no room for another person in our bunker… Any outside influence is a nightmare.” (05:09, Nicholson)

• Protectiveness vs. Control:

  “She’s such a control freak, and anything that diverges from her plan is cause for major concern.” (05:47, Nicholson)

3. Link: Complexity and Defense Mechanisms

(06:16–08:26)

• Charming Yet Menacing:

  “It’s a defense mechanism… surviving is not just fresh water and food, it’s also the emotional toll.” (06:16, Doherty)

• Transformation for the Role: Doherty on adopting the “burly” look:

  “That’s how I was auditioned… Burly man.” (07:16, Doherty)

• Accent Work: Praise from Nicholson for Doherty’s American accent:

  “I never hear your… the Scotsman when we’re acting.” (07:54, Nicholson)
  Doherty reflects on the difference:
  “The beautiful thing about the American accent… what comes out is very directly connected to what’s felt.” (08:26, Doherty)

4. Sinatra’s Vulnerability and Motherhood

(09:23–11:34)

• Character Growth:

  “She thought… if you had enough money, enough power… you could control everything… and she has been disavowed of that belief.” (09:23, Nicholson)

• Motherhood as Motivation:

  “It all does stem from the loss of her son. That’s the impetus behind everything… she never recovers.” (10:41, Nicholson)

• Family Dynamics:

  “You see her coming back to her family a little bit… you see the thing that’s most important to her.” (11:34, Nicholson)

• Memorable Praise:

  “The scene where you come back to your husband… is so beautiful, honestly. It’s a hard scene to do.” (11:34, Doherty)

5. Who is the Villain?

(11:47–12:55)

• Villainy and Moral Ambiguity:

  “For sure. Yeah. She sits beside me.” (11:51, Doherty, joking about Nicholson-as-Sinatra) “Do people who do evil things know they’re doing evil things, or do they think they're doing the right thing?... All that really does is breed compassion.” (12:07, Doherty)

• Sinatra’s Perspective:

  “Yes, 100%. She thinks she’s doing the right thing. Greater good.” (12:57, Nicholson)

Spoiler Section: Time, Identity, and Sci-fi Mysteries

Spoiler alert issued (13:02, Stewart).

6. Time, Alex, and Identity

(13:43–18:18)

• Link’s “Tricky Relationship with Time”:

  “Link doesn’t really know… He’s highly, highly intelligent. …Nothing is impossible with what we’re dealing with.” (14:38, Doherty)

• The Issue of “Alex”:

  “Should we be thinking about Alex in a different way?” (19:39, Stewart) — Speculation about Alex’s nature (AI? A thing? A person?) is left unresolved, as both actors dodge spoilers.

• Sinatra’s Connection to Link/Dylan:

  “She does believe it, and it gives her peace… a level of relief and release that she’s been holding so tightly for almost 20 years.” (16:14, Nicholson)

• Quantum Mechanics and Faith:

  “You have to sort of… have faith is what it is. …You just have to trust the writing.” (17:31–18:08, Nicholson & Doherty)

• Fan Theories: Actors delight in the range of wild theories (alternative universes, body-swapping, AI, etc.), appreciating engaged viewership:

  “It’s such a thrill to be on a show that people are that excited about.” (18:49, Nicholson)

7. The Actors’ Process: Navigating Uncertainty

(19:21–23:34)

• Information During Filming:

  “Maybe broad strokes, but not the specifics… We don’t see all the scripts right away.” (19:28, Nicholson)

• Performing Without Full Knowledge:

  “I had the information, but you just have to actually put it out of your mind and take the scenes as they come.” (21:53, Nicholson) “My turnaround was so quick… I was kind of just thrown into this.” (22:31, Doherty)

• Making Sci-Fi Feel Real:

  “You just have to believe… commit.” (23:25, Nicholson) “You can really just throw yourself at an immerse… Working with Julian Nicholson and Sterling K. Brown and Shailene Woodley… bring a performance out of you.” (23:36, Doherty)

8. Fan Questions and Oddities

• The Mysterious Nosebleeds:

  “Can you explain the nosebleeds to me?”
  “No. We’re still wondering ourselves. It’s Alex’s fault. Blame it on Alex.” (24:05–24:16, Stewart, Nicholson, Doherty)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“You see her coming back to her family a little bit… you see the thing that’s most important to her.”
— Julianne Nicholson on Sinatra’s arc, (11:34)

“Do people who do evil things know they’re doing evil things, or do they think they’re doing the right thing? …All that really does is breed compassion.”
— Thomas Doherty, reflecting on villainy, (12:07)

“She does believe it, and it gives her peace… a level of relief and release she’s been holding so tightly for almost 20 years.”
— Julianne Nicholson on Sinatra and Link/Dylan’s connection, (16:14)

“It’s such a thrill to be on a show that people are that excited about and are talking about and, like, letting their minds wander about.”
— Julianne Nicholson, on fan engagement, (18:49)

“You just have to believe the facts that have been written for you and just commit.”
— Julianne Nicholson, on grounding sci-fi storytelling, (23:25)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• [03:03] – Nicholson on Paradise’s world-building “Bible”
• [04:21] – Doherty on apocalyptic survival instincts
• [05:09] – Nicholson on motivations behind secrecy
• [06:16] – Doherty on Link’s emotional survival
• [09:23] – Nicholson on Sinatra’s vulnerability and change
• [10:41] – On motherhood’s impact on Sinatra
• [11:51] – Doherty on seeing other characters as villains
• [13:02] – Spoiler alert issued
• [14:38] – Time and identity mysteries with Link/Dylan
• [16:14] – Sinatra believes Link is her son
• [17:31] – Philosophizing about faith and quantum mechanics
• [18:49] – Cast on wild fan theories
• [23:25] – On performing believable sci-fi
• [24:05] – Nosebleeds and mysterious plot puzzle
• [25:25] – Nicholson reflects on doing comedy
• [26:18] – Doherty credits Nicholson for Little Shop of Horrors decision
• [27:41] – Nicholson’s advice: “It’s a long game. Do different stuff. Explore.”

Tone and Language

The interview is light, warm, and candid, with playful banter between Stewart and both guests. Both Nicholson and Doherty are reflective and generous, speaking in an accessible, conversational style laced with humor and actorly humility. Spoilers are approached with care, while hints and philosophical musings on storytelling provide texture. The segment ends with appreciation for curiosity, risks, and the unpredictable nature of both survival in Paradise and careers in the arts.

Summary

If you’re a “Paradise” fan racing toward the finale or just curious about modern prestige sci-fi TV, this conversation pulls you behind the curtain. Alison Stewart expertly teases out the creative process, character psychology, and showrunners’ trickery with stars Julianne Nicholson and Thomas Doherty. The discussion covers the show’s obsessive attention to detail, the moral greys of leadership, how trauma and loss shape survival, and the wild mysteries—time travel? AI overlords?—fueling speculation.

The episode doesn’t spoil the finale, but offers unique insight into how uncertainty (both for viewer and actor) is at the heart of Paradise’s appeal. Throughout, the guests embrace the complexity, humor, and thrill of storytelling that’s both grand in scope and intimately human.

(Finale airs Monday—answers (and more mysteries) await.)