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Revision as of 19:56, 20 May 2007 by Slipperyweasel (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Template:Infobox Lost Character-1 Paulo (pronounced /paʊloʊ/) is a fictional character on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south Pacific. Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro plays a survivor of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
Paulo is introduced early in the third season alongside his girlfriend Nikki Fernandez. The producers of the show were often asked what the rest of the plane-crash survivors were doing because the show only focuses on approximately fifteen of the survivors, and the characters of Nikki and Paulo were created in response. Reaction to the characters was generally negative because of their abrupt introduction onto the show. Lost's show runner Damon Lindelof even acknowledged that Paulo is "universally despised" by fans.
Appearances
Template:Spoiler Originating from Brazil, Paulo is a con artist working with his girlfriend Nikki. He works as a chef for a wealthy television executive in Sydney, Australia, while Nikki guest stars on his show and seduces him, the latter of which Paulo is uncomfortable with. Paulo poisons his food, murdering him, in order for him and Nikki to steal his bag of diamonds, which are worth $8 million. Three days later, Paulo and Nikki board Oceanic Flight 815 to return to Nikki's home in Los Angeles, USA.
They lose the diamonds on the island after the plane crashes and they spend their time searching for them. Paulo suspects that they are the only reason for their relationship, and thus does not tell Nikki when he finds them on their thirty-third day after the crash. One day while looking in the jungle, they come across the DHARMA Initiative's The Pearl, a scientific research station built over twenty years ago. Nikki is uninterested, but Paulo later returns by himself on his forty-ninth day on the island, hiding the diamonds in the toilet. While in the washroom, Paulo overhears two of the mysterious and dangerous island inhabitants known as the Others speak of capturing some of Paulo's fellow survivors, however he keeps this information to himself.
On their seventy-second day on the island, Nikki and Paulo join Locke when he ventures back to the Pearl Station, hoping to communicate with the Others. Paulo returns to the toilet to retrieve the diamonds, storing them in his underwear after that. As they leave, the group witnesses Mr. Eko's death and burial not far from The Pearl.
Eighty-one days after the crash, Nikki finds out about Paulo hiding the diamonds from her, and in anger releases a venomous spider on him that causes Paulo to be paralysed for the next eight hours. As he is entering the state of paralysis, Paulo admits that he only kept the diamonds from her because he thought that she would leave him after she got them. Nikki then gets bitten and is also temporarily paralysed. The pair is mistaken for dead after being discovered by the survivors. Paulo and Nikki are then accidentally buried alive by James "Sawyer" Ford and Hugo "Hurley" Reyes.
Characteristics
Paulo was written to be unlikable, with the hope that he would redeem himself when his backstory was revealed in his final episode. Paulo either resents or is indifferent toward the often heroic actions of some of the survivors, spending much of his time golfing. He complains to Nikki about not being included, however he does little to help out around the camp and does not try to improve his status in the survivors' hierarchy. When he does get chances to participate in treks, for example, when Hurley finds a car, Paulo is uninterested and discourages Nikki from joining Hurley on his adventure. Nikki volunteers to go with Locke to the Pearl station, much to the surprise of Paulo, who accompanies her, and he exhibits a constant sarcastic behaviour in the Pearl.
After the crash, Paulo becomes suspicious that Nikki is just using him to get the diamonds. The first thing that she asks him after the crash is the whereabouts of the diamonds, and avoids answering Paulo when he asks if they would still be together if she did not need him to help find the diamonds. Paulo does what Nikki tells him to because of his fear of losing her.
Creation
At the end of the first season, the writers had the idea that one of the background survivors would emerge and receive an on-island flashback episode to help answer the question, "What the hell is going on with the other 35 people who nothing ever happens to?" At the end of the first season, Leslie Arzt was introduced, with the thought of giving background characters speaking roles, only for him to explode a few episodes later. It was originally conceived that only a woman would be introduced into the main storyline, however the idea later changed to include her boyfriend, as well. Nikki and Paulo were also originally set "to have anchored a winking arc of stories," however the writers instead decided to tell their story in one episode and quickly remove the characters, due to complaints about the characters and the third season's decline in viewership.
Casting
Rodrigo Santoro, who has been called "the Brazilian Tom Cruise" and "the Brazilian Russell Crowe," was cast in his first major American television role as Paulo on Lost. Appearing in a total of seven episodes, Santoro was reportedly paid "between $2634 and $6427 a week." Lindelof called Santoro "talented" and "perfect for Lost because he's a face that the American audience is not familiar with," but he is an award-winning actor in his home country of Brazil. A similar reason was given for casting actress Yunjin Kim, "the Korean Julia Roberts," in the role of Sun Kwon. Part of the reason that Santoro was cast over other actors was because of his attractive physique, however the writers said that they were not interested in writing for his character with that in mind, nor did he want them to.
Reception
Reaction to the character was more negative than for other Lost characters. One journalist gave Paulo the nickname, "Paulo Poops-a-Lot," referencing a gag scene in the 2006 episode, "The Cost of Living." The writing for the character was also criticized, and the character was called "boring," "flat," "unwanted" and a "walking collateral damage." Paulo was also called "too darn perfect-looking to be believable as ." When rumours circulated the Internet and were mentioned in ABC commercials that characters were going to die, some viewers hoped for a "double murder" of Paulo and Nikki and rejoiced when their wish was granted. Over three months before the episode aired on television, Santoro stated in an interview that his character would die in the middle of the third season. This caused viewers to wonder why they should invest time in a character who would depart from the show only a handful of episodes after he was introduced.
References
- Fordis, Jeff, (January 22, 2007) "ABC Television Studio Lost Show Description Lead Press Release Page," ABC Medianet. Retrieved on April 8, 2007.
- Fordis, Jeff, (February 16, 2007) "ABC Television Studio Lost March 7, 2007 Episode "Enter 77" Entertainment Press Release," ABC Medianet. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- "Further Instructions." Lost, ABC. October 18, 2006. Episode 3, season 3.
- White, Cindy, (January 22, 2007) "Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse Promise That They Have Found the Plot Twists That Will Bring Lost's Viewers Back," Sci Fi. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- Catlin, Roger, (January 30, 2007) "Nikki and Paulo Rising," Hartfort Courant. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- ^ Jensen, Jeff & Snierson, Dan, (February 8, 2007) "'Lost' and Found," Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on April 3, 2007.
- ^ "Exposé." Lost, ABC. March 28, 2007. Episode 14, season 3.
- ^ "The Cost of Living." Lost, ABC. November 1, 2006. Episode 5, season 3.
- "I Do." Lost, ABC. November 8, 2006. Episode 6, season 3.
- Goldman, Eric, (January 16, 2007), "How Will Lost End?," IGN. Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
- "Every Man for Himself." Lost, ABC. October 25, 2006. Episode 4, season 3.
- "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead." Lost, ABC. February 28, 2007. Episode 10, season 3.
- Star magazine, (March 26, 2007) "The Hunk," DarkUFO. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
- "Exodus (Part 2)." Lost, ABC. May 24, 2005. Episode 24, season 1.
- Cuse, Carlton & Kitsis, Eddie & Horowitz, Adam, (March 30, 2007, "Official LOST Podcast 03.30.07," ABC. Retrieved on April 4, 2007.
- Jensen, Jeff & Armstong, Jennifer, (April 13, 2007) "'Lost' in Transition," Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
- Nielsen Media Research & ABC Medianet, (April 13, 2007) "ABC's LOST Ratings at a Glance," Yet Another Useless Website. Retrieved on April 13, 2007.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael, (July 25, 2006), "Lost Snags "Brazilian Tom Cruise"," TV Guide. Retrieved on April 3, 2007.
- IMDb contributors, (2007) "Rodrigo Santoro Filmography by TV series," IMDb. Retrieved on May 13, 2007.
- Boscov, Isabela, (March 28, 2007), "He's Almost There," Vega magazine. Retrieved on April 3, 2007.
- Malcolm, Shawna, (April 2, 2007) "Lost Fans Dramatically Divided Over a Double Death," TV Guide. Retrieved on May 11, 2007.
- IMDb contributors, (2007) "Awards for Rodrigo Santoro," Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on April 3, 2007.
- Maxim magazine, (Spring, 2007) “Yoon-jin Kim Picture Pages,” SuperiorPics. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- Before They Were Lost (Documentary). Lost: The Complete First Season: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
- Jensen, Doc, (March 27, 2007) "A "Lost" Cause?," Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on April 1, 2007
- Carreau, Isabelle, (March 22, 2007) "Rodrigo Santoro: In the Limelight," AOL TV Squad. Retrieved on April 2, 2007.
- Duarte, Dylan, (March 31, 2007) "Nikki and Paulo, We Hardly Knew Ye," HubPages. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- Bates, Lulu, (March 13, 2007) "Locke and Load Recap," Television Without Pity. Retrieved on April 8, 2007.
- Weiss, Sabrina Rojas, (March 29, 2007) "Razzle-Dazzle!," TV Guide. Retrieved on May 11, 2007.
- Ausiello, Michael, (March 14, 2007) "Ask Ausiello," TV Guide. Retrieved on April 2, 2007.
- Van De Kamp, Justin, (March 26, 2007) "LOST Spoilers #314: 'Expose': Die, Nikki and Paulo, Die!," Televisionista. Retrieved on April 3, 2007.
- Rolling Stone magazine, Brazilian edition, (January 10, 2007) "Santoro Says That His Character Dies in the 3 Season of 'Lost'," Folha. Retrieved on April 2, 2007.
External links
- Biography at the Official Lost Wiki
- Article at the Lost Wiki
- ABC Medianet press release text at ComingSoon
- Seasonal promotional photographs at Lost-Media
