Been meaning to talk about this for a while but haven't had time to till now: Paul.
I love him so much. Like literallyđbut onto the serious stuff: I was so surprised to see that a lot of people don't actually like Paul or his involvement with the Graysons?!?!? Though I've observed that most of those that oppose it are usually on youtube , and I found it was a common sentiment when it came to Paul.
Some did hold valid reasons as to why they didn't like the addition of Paul, like having Debbie's identity tied to another man after everything she went through with Nolan. Mostly going into territory of her needing other women to surround her as friends rather than get into another relationship. I did love her interactions and dynamic with Olga, and others wanted more of it to substitute for her socialization rather than be with a man which I get.
However, I feel like Paul is just such a good guy, and he's just a much better choice for her overall with everything that's happened. He has no other commitments holding him down (being a superhero or alien) or keeping him from fully being able to have time together with her. He's fully down for whatever may be thrown his way when it comes to handling Mark and Oliver as super-powered children, and he loves Debbie as she is. He knows that she's had it tough being the wife of an ex hero and having to deal with the fallout of his betrayal.
He acknowledges that Mark and Oliver aren't his but is willing to be there for them as another parent or trusted adult in their lives, even if he can't help much due to their being super-powered. He knows that with Mark and Oliver being involved in super hero "business" he's also partially risking his safety by being involved with Debbie (even though it hasn't been outright mentioned).
He knows he'll never be able to live up to Nolan/Omni-Man or truly be viewed as a father to her kids (as far as he can tell), but he sticks around anyway. I feel like that says a lot about his character and personality despite looking like a loser to most people. I also love that he has such a bland look and feeling to him. It balances out the chaos in the Grayson household and compliments Debbie's bold personality.
I additionally think him being a normal boring guy is better for Debbie in regards to actually living a calmer life. She's now able to experience the mundane things a relationship has to offer in contrast to the outlandish ways Nolan was with her [taking her to other countries just to dine or bringing her gifts hours away]. I would like to add that just because something is mundane doesn't mean it's bad.
I like to bet Debbie has thought, at least once, what it would be like to be like any other couple enjoying a date out or getting to pick things out in a store together(much like Olga and Rush's relationship was showcased to be a bit rocky because Olga was sometimes unsatisfied with the way things were for them since he always had something going on even if they were on a date). She probably never really had those experiences with Nolan as he was always busy with hero work or just did extravagant things for her.
With Paul, she gets to be in love and on the same page as him. No arguments about having to spend more family time together or about being careful in his work.
With Paul, she can focus her worry on Oliver and Mark, more so Olvier since she's acknowledged Mark can hold his own and can make his own decisions, and be happy with him rather than always having to worry about her husband (and now sons) coming home or if she'll even get to see him that day.
In simpler terms, she gets to be "just a girl," or in this case, just a woman in love and with her family whole again.
Additionally, Paul has been shown to be really good when it comes to handling/interacting with Mark and Oliver. The dinner table scene comes to mind. He knows his experiences are not comparable to theirs, but he shares them thinking they'll be helpful at the moment. Debbie later reassures him it's nice to have someone around that can ground them and remind them what it's all for when he expresses embarassment. I loved that that scene included Eve as well, but I'll get into the specifics about her in another post with this dynamic in mind.
Paul helps the family have a sense of normalcy for a bit, even if it's just for dinner before things get chaotic again and they have to go out to save the world. It's the little moments.
Olver already seems to take a liking to him as implied with the car flying scene on their way to the memorial by listening to Paul's request to stay in the car, which is another one of my favorite scenes even though it's a small tidbit. I feel that perhaps Paul wanted Oliver in the car despite having powers because he's still a child but who knows, thats just my headcannon.
Idk, but I think that actions like that helps Oliver experience things a different way and helps him stay a kid rather than being forced to grow up fast and having to navigate being a super like Mark did. Debbie is also shown to act this way towards Oliver, wanting him to stay a kid but eventually accepting that she can't always be there for him or protect him the way she wants to but trusting that he will do the right thing.
Paul being around the boys provides them with a male figure that isn't hypermasculine and the opportunity for positive reinforcement, something Mark wasn't shown to get much of from Nolan. Nolan was implied to have been very affectionate with Oliver, which I feel helps him get along with Paul and possibly project Nolan onto him, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.
This aspect really is just something I see helping Mark out more than Oliver since Mark is still young and doesn't have Nolan around to really help him figure himself out. I'd love it if we got a scene exclusively with Mark and Paul at some point in the series but I'm not so sure since I've seen spoilers about the comics (I don't read them so this has just been my knowledge on Paul through the show).
All in all I love Paul and his loser fashion and him and Debbie are just so good together. They have reached peak Loverboy/Lovergirl and I love that for them. I just hope the show will do him justice later on with how the comics seemed to play outđ.
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