It's looks pretty certain that Paul leaves next week.
However - Why has Paul been such a failure as a character?
However - Why has Paul been such a failure as a character?
EE- Why has Paul failed?
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He spent months doing that creepy gurn across the room and not much else, just lurking around with his beady eyes peaking out from the depths underneath all that hair. Completely devoid of any personality whatsoever.
An unhealthy and perverse obsession with old people. He does that creepy smile whenever he is talking about old people's love lives.
The actor can't act for toffee and has hilarious facial expressions.
An unhealthy and perverse obsession with old people. He does that creepy smile whenever he is talking about old people's love lives.
The actor can't act for toffee and has hilarious facial expressions.
because they never invested in the character. His main traits are: he's gay, he can cut hair, he loves his grandparents.
I don't know much about his personality, he seems nice enough but that's it. There's never been any development, he's pretty much a blank canvas. We don't even know his morality (other than he thinks cheating is bad if its your grandad, but will happily be a bit of a side)
I don't know much about his personality, he seems nice enough but that's it. There's never been any development, he's pretty much a blank canvas. We don't even know his morality (other than he thinks cheating is bad if its your grandad, but will happily be a bit of a side)
Originally Posted by J-B:
“He spent months doing that creepy gurn across the room and not much else, just lurking around with his beady eyes peaking out from the depths underneath all that hair. Completely devoid of any personality whatsoever.
An unhealthy and perverse obsession with old people. He does that creepy smile whenever he is talking about old people's love lives.
The actor can't act for toffee and has hilarious facial expressions.”
“He spent months doing that creepy gurn across the room and not much else, just lurking around with his beady eyes peaking out from the depths underneath all that hair. Completely devoid of any personality whatsoever.
An unhealthy and perverse obsession with old people. He does that creepy smile whenever he is talking about old people's love lives.
The actor can't act for toffee and has hilarious facial expressions.”
The hair has not helped.
Because he was brought in to replace Johnny in Ben's storyline.
but the creative team decided not to give him a haircut, a personality or any interesting stories/words of his own.
what we got instead was some creepy pile of hair hanging round waiting for ben (read that as almost stalking)
but the creative team decided not to give him a haircut, a personality or any interesting stories/words of his own.
what we got instead was some creepy pile of hair hanging round waiting for ben (read that as almost stalking)
Originally Posted by vaslav37:
“Johnny has done nothing of note since his return- a huge waste of a return.”
“Johnny has done nothing of note since his return- a huge waste of a return.”
not really, they have to give him time to bed in again. plus its an ensemble not everyone can be the star of the show all the time
Two reasons:
1. They didn't even try to disguise the fact that he was a Johnny replacement in the Ben storyline. He was brought in just after Johnny left and it was then announced he was leaving just after Johnny came back. This made the character feel tokenistic and plot-devicey rather than someone fleshed out and complete.
2. The writing for him. Recently it's been loads better so it's possible to forget just how hollow he was during the Ben/Abi saga. A good-looking, confident young man who was perfectly fine with Ben blowing hot and cold and picking him up or dropping him whenever the plot called for it. He was a completely passive character and as a result him and Ben had no chemistry.
Recently they've done the character justice and it's a shame they couldn't have taken that approach from the start. But for me, it's tainted by the fact that we know he's leaving. It actually makes me feel quite annoyed that they didn't invest in him from the start, and wasted a talented actor in Jonny Labey.
1. They didn't even try to disguise the fact that he was a Johnny replacement in the Ben storyline. He was brought in just after Johnny left and it was then announced he was leaving just after Johnny came back. This made the character feel tokenistic and plot-devicey rather than someone fleshed out and complete.
2. The writing for him. Recently it's been loads better so it's possible to forget just how hollow he was during the Ben/Abi saga. A good-looking, confident young man who was perfectly fine with Ben blowing hot and cold and picking him up or dropping him whenever the plot called for it. He was a completely passive character and as a result him and Ben had no chemistry.
Recently they've done the character justice and it's a shame they couldn't have taken that approach from the start. But for me, it's tainted by the fact that we know he's leaving. It actually makes me feel quite annoyed that they didn't invest in him from the start, and wasted a talented actor in Jonny Labey.
Just because Paul hasn't had the same level of scripts as Sharon Watts or Johnny Allen, does not make him a failure. A couple of bland nice guys like him or Gus help tether the community together and make the whole thing more realistic. I'll be sad to see him go.
Originally Posted by vaslav37:
“Johnny has done nothing of note since his return- a huge waste of a return.”
“Johnny has done nothing of note since his return- a huge waste of a return.”
DTC probably wanted to leave one final impression before he left. Hence a poor recast of an initially good character. Johnny has literally had no reason to be there. With Nancy leaving they could've brought back Zsa Zsa who was a decent character and would've given Tina something to do.
I don't think he has, I really like Paul it's just a shame that he wasn't invested in more. Much like Charlie Cotton and others.
Originally Posted by starry_rune:
“Just because Paul hasn't had the same level of scripts as Sharon Watts or Johnny Allen, does not make him a failure. A couple of bland nice guys like him or Gus help tether the community together and make the whole thing more realistic. I'll be sad to see him go.”
“Just because Paul hasn't had the same level of scripts as Sharon Watts or Johnny Allen, does not make him a failure. A couple of bland nice guys like him or Gus help tether the community together and make the whole thing more realistic. I'll be sad to see him go.”
Oh yes Johnny Allen what a character!
Originally Posted by VGKid:
“because they never invested in the character. His main traits are: he's gay, he can cut hair, he loves his grandparents.
I don't know much about his personality, he seems nice enough but that's it. There's never been any development, he's pretty much a blank canvas. We don't even know his morality (other than he thinks cheating is bad if its your grandad, but will happily be a bit of a side)”
“because they never invested in the character. His main traits are: he's gay, he can cut hair, he loves his grandparents.
I don't know much about his personality, he seems nice enough but that's it. There's never been any development, he's pretty much a blank canvas. We don't even know his morality (other than he thinks cheating is bad if its your grandad, but will happily be a bit of a side)”
I agree with this it's a shame as I like Ben and Paul and think there could have been a long term pairing there but the scriptwriters wasted the opportunity.
Lack of build up the fact that Storyblocking didn't help. He finally got intersting tonight. Too late
Originally Posted by bumpandgrind:
“As per usual, they've started to flesh him out just before he leaves.”
“As per usual, they've started to flesh him out just before he leaves.”
This and they literally only focused on the fact he was gay [that it was shoehorned into every scene he was in] for the longest time.
It's only recent months, and moreover weeks, that I've even begun to see Paul as a person separate from his sexuality.
That said, the turnaround on him adamantly not wanting to take over the family funeral business is still not very believable.
I blame that ridiculous hairband. Plus he seems to have worn the same clothes since day one. A sign he was never going to be permanent, as he wasn't supplied with a new wardrobe? 
Pity he is off, I quite liked the idea of him and Ben managing the funeral parlour. I think it would have helped develop Ben too by moving him away from being just another Mitchell.
Pity he is off, I quite liked the idea of him and Ben managing the funeral parlour. I think it would have helped develop Ben too by moving him away from being just another Mitchell.
Originally Posted by VGKid:
“because they never invested in the character. His main traits are: he's gay, he can cut hair, he loves his grandparents.
I don't know much about his personality, he seems nice enough but that's it. There's never been any development, he's pretty much a blank canvas. We don't even know his morality (other than he thinks cheating is bad if its your grandad, but will happily be a bit of a side)”
“because they never invested in the character. His main traits are: he's gay, he can cut hair, he loves his grandparents.
I don't know much about his personality, he seems nice enough but that's it. There's never been any development, he's pretty much a blank canvas. We don't even know his morality (other than he thinks cheating is bad if its your grandad, but will happily be a bit of a side)”
This
In my opinion, Paul Coker was never developed enough to be a "proper" character.
He was given a few personality traits/bits of background (as noted by other FMs) - gay, loves his grandparents, been working abroad, diabetic, confident - but never really explored. I mean why did a young man who is so devoted to his grandparents choose t live and work abroad?
To use the Harry Potter series as an analogy, Paul was as developed as Dean Thomas as a character but then shoved into Ginny Weasley's stories.
He was given a few personality traits/bits of background (as noted by other FMs) - gay, loves his grandparents, been working abroad, diabetic, confident - but never really explored. I mean why did a young man who is so devoted to his grandparents choose t live and work abroad?
To use the Harry Potter series as an analogy, Paul was as developed as Dean Thomas as a character but then shoved into Ginny Weasley's stories.
I think criticising him for his hair or hairband (and to an extent, grin) is a bit petty. He could've been a great character (and he's shown great potential recently) but at the end of the day it is all down to the writers and they were lazy with him. I think using him as solely a Johnny replacement was a ridiculous move - especially seeing that the new Johnny isn't doing wonders so far (the actor hasn't been a hit like Sam Strike but I guess time will tell). If they put in this much effort with the writing of Paul from the start, he'd be a really solid character by now but for some reason they've just brought him in as a device which is pathetic.
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