{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdont-encourage-us.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fparadise-2023-netflix-k9tQ_6m4","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Paradise (2023): Zero Science, and Everyone Wins Except the Innocent","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/ed574ad1-a2e9-4817-b068-309fba6885cb/ecc504ea-b855-4e14-b453-85b00169f8fa/the_dont_encourage_us_show_youtube_thumbnail_2560_x_1440_px.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/37687b7e-0af0-4b75-b2ce-24940fdac525\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"Paradise (2023): Zero Science, and Everyone Wins Except the Innocent\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"Paradise lets you sell decades of your life for cash. The technology is never explained — not vaguely, not with buzzwords, not at all. It's a fantasy film wearing science fiction's clothes, and we make the case for why that distinction matters. The villain wants to live forever but has no backstory that earns it. The rebel group exists because the plot needs one. And the ending is quietly a win for every major character except one innocent bystander, which undercuts whatever moral point the film thinks it's making. We break down what's missing, what a sequel or limited series could fix, and why this should have been a 30-minute short film. Plus: Ballerina (2023), a Korean revenge thriller worth your time, and the ongoing question of where science fiction ends and fantasy begins."}