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A Nick Castellanos home run and Philly sports supremacy cause the end of the world on Hulu’s ‘Paradise’

The series, starring Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, and Julianne Nicholson, centers around a global event that leads to the collapse of civilization.

The Phillies released Nick Castellanos last month. But he hit one more memorable home run with the team on the Hulu series "Paradise."
The Phillies released Nick Castellanos last month. But he hit one more memorable home run with the team on the Hulu series "Paradise."Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Did a drive into deep left field by Nick Castellanos cause the collapse of civilization?

The former Phillies outfielder, who was released last month with $20 million left on his contract, has a knack for hitting home runs at the most unforgettable moments — whether that’s during an on-air apology, a somber tribute, or simply on a major world event. In the latest episode of the Hulu series Paradise, he did it one last time as a member of the Phillies … and this might be his biggest one yet.

During a flashback to the day of the show’s main event — we’ll stay vague to avoid any spoilers if you’re still catching up — an ESPN broadcast is shown. On it, Get Up! host Mike Greenberg is talking about a Castellanos walk-off home run when breaking news cuts in to discuss, well, the end of the world.

Perhaps a Philly sports reference popping up in Hulu’s hit show shouldn’t be a surprise. The show’s creator, Dan Fogelman, is a a 1997 University of Pennsylvania grad who was known to put references to the city in his previous hit show, This is Us.

As for his latest example, if you don’t believe Castellanos is to blame, that’s fair, he’s not actually to blame for any of those other, real-life events either.

But there’s also another way to read this scene, and it gives “hell has frozen over“ vibes. Look at the banner at the bottom of the screen, which reads: “Is Philadelphia America’s best sports city? Phillies: best record in NL; Eagles: preseason Super Bowl favorites.”

Is Fogelman trying to suggest that things going this well for Philly would cause the end of the world as we know it? If so, we’ve come pretty close in recent years as the Phillies and Eagles both made their respective championships at the conclusion of the 2022 season. And as recently as May 31 of last year, the Phillies were tied atop the National League and the Eagles were among the offseason Super Bowl favorites.

So maybe it’s not as far-fetched as it seems?