Paradise is a murder mystery wrapped in a political thriller. The dystopian story takes place inside a mountain after the end of the world. 25,000 survivors, each hand-picked, live here in a seeming "paradise." But when President Cal Bradford (played by James Marsden) is found murdered, the seams of the ostensibly perfect society begin to unravel.

Paradise already had a huge twist in episode 1, so it seems likely that Cal's killer will be someone highly unexpected. For that reason, any and everyone could be the culprit—from those we don't suspect to those we really suspect (and therefore, don't really suspect, because that would be too obvious). As you can see, this is all kinds of complicated, but that's what makes it all the more fun to speculate on. So, here are all the potential suspects in President Cal's murder, ranked from least to most likely.

10 Background Characters

Before we dive into our main list of suspects, it should be noted that nearly all the characters in Paradise could technically have committed Cal's murder. This is because the cameras were off when the murder was taking place, and security that night was pretty subpar. While we think it's incredibly unlikely that Xavier's kids, Sinatra's husband, or the bartender were responsible, we're not ruling any of them out entirely (...largely so we can say, "Hey, we got it right!" if one of them winds up being the culprit).

The Most Likely of the Unlikely

The list of background characters is extensive, from the scientist who predicted the end of the world to the city's architect and Mike, the security cam operator. While it seems next to impossible that any of these characters were responsible, there's one character right under our noses who could feasibly have played a role in Cal's death: Cal himself.

Right before Xavier left his shift, he and Cal had an uncomfortable conversation, with Xavier telling Cal he'd only forgive him for his wife's (apparent) death when Cal was dead. That same night, Cal was stood up by his son, drank heavily, and all-in-all was not in a good mental state. Although Cal couldn't have hit himself over the head with a weapon and stolen his own tablet, it's possible he hired someone else to do the job. After all, the man had a lot of secrets and grief to cope with, and while this explanation is tragic, complicated, and again, unlikely, it's not outside the realm of possibility.

9 William "Billy" Pace

Billy Pace was a complicated man with a dark and violent history. At the end of episode 3, viewers were led to believe that he was dangerous, largely because that's what Gabriela told Xavier, and also because Billy showed up to Xavier's house with a gun. However, as of episode 4, there's almost zero doubt that Billy (or Uncle Billy, as we like to remember him) didn't commit the crime.

Besides telling Xavier he didn't do it, he confronted Sinatra about what happened, saying he didn't want to know what she'd done to the President. Plus, audiences saw him commit an arguably worse crime—killing the four explorers—and if he was about to tell this to Xavier, why stop shy of admitting he killed Cal?

Clearing His Name

Even before episode 4's ending, there was plenty of reason to suspect Billy wasn't the killer. For one, as previously mentioned, the ending of episode 3 really wanted viewers to think he was, which was a very in-your-face red herring. For two, during the beginning of episode 4, it quickly became clear that Billy loved his life in "Paradise." He finally had a chance at normalcy—a chance that was sadly taken away from him, thus setting up another murder mystery for the characters.

8 Xavier Collins

The next suspect on our list is the main character himself, Xavier Collins, played by Sterling K. Brown. Arguably, Xavier has more motivation and means than almost any other character on the show. However, it doesn't make much sense that he'd put so much time and effort into uncovering Cal's murderer if he himself were responsible. Sure, he might be trying to cover his tracks, but based on his reaction to the body—a reaction that no one but the audience saw—he's either somehow forgotten that he was the killer, or, more likely, he just simply wasn't involved.

Less Motivation Than it Appears

As we said before, Xavier arguably had the motivation to kill Cal. However, the truth is, Xavier didn't really hate the man. Yes, he hated that Cal had caused his wife to be left behind, but ultimately, he still cared about him, as seen when he cried over Cal's body. Plus, when outright asked if he hated Cal while hooked up to the lie detector, it seemed like Xavier was going to say "No." In short, killing Cal wouldn't have accomplished anything for Xavier, and even in a show filled with big twists, this one would be hard to understand.

7 Nicole Robinson

Nicole Robinson, played by Krys Marshall, was Cal's not-so-secret lover who was also part of his security detail. Notably, her earrings were found at the murder scene, and she was witnessed on camera leaving his room not too long before the murder took place. However, Robinson is low on our list for many of the same reasons as Xavier. She seems determined to solve Cal's murder, and she's genuinely mourning him—why would she do that if she's the culprit?

An Accidental Death

To answer our own question, it's possible that Robinson killed Cal accidentally, and that she's now trying to conceal what happened—not just from the other security officers, but also herself. In fact, she hallucinated Cal bloody and dying as he embraced her. Was this fully in her head, or also, her memory? Again, we think Robinson is in the clear, since she apparently has an alibi and truly seemed to care about Cal. However, there are enough signs pointing to her that she shouldn't be counted out just yet.

6 Cal's Family

Not much is known about Cal's family, and the parts that are known suggest they weren't involved with his murder. Sure, he had a difficult relationship with his wife, Jessica, and an estranged one with his son, Jeremy. However, Jessica had an alibi, and Jeremy not only avoided seeing his father that night but also seemed grief-stricken by his death. Cal's father, Kane, is also a suspect, but besides having dementia and an alibi, he appeared to have a more positive relationship with his son. Thus, while one of them could have been involved, the evidence is currently suggesting they weren't.

...Or Is It?

As we said before, sometimes, the least obvious suspects are the ones worth keeping an eye on. Cal said that Jessica planned to divorce him and take Jeremy away the second he was out of office. Maybe she got impatient and wanted that term to end sooner, or maybe Jeremy sensed his mom's frustration and did the deed himself.

Plus, Kane has received almost no screen time, so just like Robinson, it's possible he was (perhaps accidentally) involved in Cal's downfall. This might be hinted by the name "Kane," which is similar to Cain, who played a big, horrible role in the original "Paradise." Plus, it would juxtapose the tumultuous father-son dynamic of Xavier and his own dad.

5 Henry Baines

Henry Baines, played by Matt Malloy, is the new President following Cal's murder. Sinatra describes him as "the most neurotic president in the history of the world," and from the brief glimpses the audience has seen so far, she's not far off. He's panicked that he might be next on the assassin's list, and he's horrified that everyone is moving on from Cal's death as if nothing happened. This all makes it appear as though Henry had nothing to do with the murder, which just might be the perfect disguise.

Others Who Benefit

The successor to the President, Henry had plenty to gain through his death. So, too, did his wife, Nance, who seems to be enjoying her newfound status. Plus, the other billionaires might have had their reasons for wanting Cal gone. What we're saying is, Henry himself was almost certainly not the assassin, but he might have played a role in orchestrating the killing.

4 Jane Driscoll

Jane, portrayed by Nicole Brydon Bloom, first appears in Cal's home shortly before he's discovered dead. Like Billy, she had been there the night before, ostensibly playing video games. While it seems likely that this really happened, it's also possible she briefly stepped away in order to carry out the assassination. After all, Billy told Sinatra to send her "biggest m*therfucker" out to get him, and Jane's cold-blooded killing of Billy shows she'd have no issues taking out Cal.

Too Obvious

Right now, the series is trying really hard to make viewers think that Jane was responsible for Cal's death, and that's good reason to assume she wasn't. There's also the fact that the bushes outside were broken, suggesting that the killer jumped out the window, as opposed to Jane, who stayed inside. Plus, even if Jane were the one who gave the killing blow, it's almost certain that someone else ordered it. So, while we're not crossing her off our lists as the killer, we don't suspect she's the mastermind.

3 Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond

Speaking of masterminds, Sinatra, played by Julianne Nicholson, never expected to be in charge of Paradise. But after selling her company and making a fortune, she quickly gained social standing, and after a worrying climate seminar, she became the brains behind the community. Based on her discussion with Billy, she seems determined to protect it at all costs. Could that also mean taking out Cal, their drunken, depressed leader? Absolutely, except for one issue.

Where's the Tablet?

While we don't know exactly what's on the tablet, we do know that Sinatra doesn't want it falling into the wrong hands. If she ordered the hit on Cal (or carried it out herself), we very much doubt she'd have allowed the tablet to disappear. Of course, she could have taken it with her and simply lied about it missing, but that leads to the question of why she would have taken it at all, as opposed to leaving it in the safe and allowing Cal's successor, Henry, to have it.

2 Dr. Gabriela Torabi

Gabriela, played by Sarah Shahi, nearly tops our list. Everything about this woman is fishy, from her telling Xavier to say "Yes" when asked if he hated Cal to informing him that Cal warned her about Billy. Unlike with many of the other characters, we don't see a flashback confirming Cal's statement, which suggests Gabriela might have made it up. Plus, she seems unconcerned about what will happen between her and Xavier, which implies she was simply using sex to gain his trust (or rather, his distrust in Billy).

Other Weird Decisions

Gabriela was responsible for choosing the 25,000 people in the community, as well as who would head Cal's security. Ideally, she'd have all the details possible before making her picks. However, she refers to Xavier as her "wild card" and reveals that she didn't know what happened between him and his father. Given the illegality and tension behind this situation, it seems an important detail to miss.

Some of Gabriela's other community choices are even stranger, such as Billy, who was a trained killer with a long rap sheet. His inclusion implies that Gabriela is either lying (again) about her role in the choices or that she was instructed to pick people who could potentially cause harm to the community. In the latter case, this would make the already horrible decisions about who would live and die even worse. That has to be weighing on Gabriela's conscience, and maybe killing Cal was the only way to clear it.

1 Someone on the Outside

Shockingly, episode 4 revealed that the uninhabitable world outside was actually fairly habitable. Yes, resources were likely scarce, and the conditions were far from ideal, but a healthy looking deer walked by, and Billy and the four explorers were all able to breathe unencumbered. This opens up the suspect list to anyone still alive on the outside, which could include some random person, one of the four explorers (having survived Billy's shot), or even Xavier's wife herself.

So Many Twists Remain

The people on the surface have plenty of reason to hate Cal and want his tablet. Of course, the logistics regarding how they could have broken into the bunker and made it all the way to his residence remain unknown. However, it wouldn't surprise us if one of the survivors somehow came below the surface wanting revenge. Regardless, with four more mystery-packed episodes left, we should be finding out the answer very soon.