I'm Convinced James Marsden Dropped An Epic West Wing Reference In The Latest Episode Of Paradise

Gentle warning - there are very light spoilers ahead for Paradise. I won’t spoil anything important to the story or the plot, though. If you want to catch up to Episode 7, you can do that with a Hulu subscription or a Disney+ subscription.

Paradise is one of my favorite shows on the 2026 TV schedule, and this week, in Episode 7, I caught what must be an homage to one of my all-time favorite shows, The West Wing. It came along with yet another little Easter egg line, delivered by James Marsden as President Cal Bradford in the same scene. In addition to endless twists and turns, Paradise makes a lot of pop culture references, especially when it comes to the soundtrack. However, this is the first time a TV show reference has stood out to me, and I love it.

President Jeb Barlett Had A Reoccurring Line That Bradford Used

Fans of The West Wing (which you can watch with an HBO Max subscription) will know that one of the most common things President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) would use with his staff was “What’s next?” It meant he had all the information he needed on a topic and was ready to move on to the next important bit of business. It goes all the way back to the very first episode; in fact, it was the final line of The West Wing’s pilot. Bartlett explained what it meant best in one of the best episodes of the whole series, “In The Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I” in Season 2.

This is the exact phrase President Bradford used as he was getting a tour of the bunker in Episode 7 of Season 2 of Paradise, called “The Final Countdown” (another pop culture reference). While on the tour, the chief architect of the bunker, Anders (Erik Svedberg-Zelman), tries to explain how everything works. Bradford asks him to dumb the explanations down to “caveman” levels, but once Bradford does get it, he simply says, “What’s next?” and is ready to move on. Like another fictional president, once Bradford understands something, he’s ready for the next thing. It’s a lovely homage, right?

It’s Not The Only Fun Line During The Tour

The second quick pop culture reference comes a little later in the tour. As Bradford is proving he’s not quite the idiot Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) thought he was by explaining how empires fall, he drops a reference to CBS’s coverage of March Madness. Bradford, a huge University of Kentucky basketball fan, explains that every dynasty and every empire falls, but before they fall, they have a “shining moment” when they believe they are unstoppable.

This wouldn’t have stood out had Bradford not referenced Kentucky, once a dynasty in college hoops, before saying the line. The line, as NCAA ball fans will know, is from the song “One Shining Moment,” written by David Barrett and usually performed by the late Luther Vandross (other versions have been used on occasion). That song is played at the end of every NCAA Basketball tournament, after the champion has been crowned. It has been a part of every tournament since 1987.

With one episode left to go and quite a few questions to be answered, the Paradise Season 2 finale is sure to be a doozy. I can’t wait to tune in, and hopefully we’ll get to have a little fun on the way, as I did with these two lines.