Paul Matthews

Paul Matthews is a character in the Hatchetfield Universe. He the main love interest of Emma Perkins. He features in The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals, Black Friday, Honey Queen, Hey, Melissa! and Nerdy Prudes Must Die as well as being mentioned in Watcher World, Forever and Always and Jane's A Car and is played by Jon Matteson.

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals[]

Paul is first shown at work in the CCRP office. He is rapidly typing on his computer when he is interrupted by his friend Bill who asks if he had accidentally sent a document to Paul's printer which he had. Paul is then interrupted by his boss Mr Davidson reminding him to have his reports on his desk by the end of day. Finally he is interrupted by Melissa asking Paul if he wants to sign up for the company softball league which he declines. A few minutes later Paul reminds his co-worker Charlotte that smoking isn't allowed in the office after she gets off a bad phone call to her husband. Following this Paul decides to visit Beanies the local coffee shop, to visit his crush, Emma Perkins. He offers to take Bill with him but the man declines opting instead to keep refreshing the webpage in his attempt to get tickets for he and his daughter. Paul is offered a ticket but he declines. On his way out of the office Paul is intercepted by his friend Ted who teases him about his crush on Emma and asks him to get a Chai Iced Tea for him.

At Beanies, Paul and Emma exchange a few words, with the conversation exhibiting their rather amusing awkwardness and chemistry. When Emma is forced to attend to an obnoxious teen, Paul walks out of Beanie's only for him cross paths with Greenpeace Girl. Amid their heated discussion, a storm appears, revealing unusual changes in the weather and the two watch a meteor fall to the ground.

The next morning as Paul makes his way to work, he notices people dancing in the street. He passes by the same Greenpeace Girl who bursts out in a song along with other town members of Hatchetfield much to his horror. The man eventually arrives at work confused, paranoid, and extremely uncomfortable. He gets called to his boss's office, of which starts singing, questioning his most profound hopes and desires again to his horror.

Paul flees to Beanies to get some coffee. Emma dismisses his fears that the world is becoming a musical as she runs to sing a tip song with her co-workers. However, both Paul and Emma are taken aback to discover Emma's co-workers acting in a trance-like state and finds they have poisoned their customers' coffee with some sort of "goo", Immediately, everyone at Beanies begins to dance and sing in harmony, aside from Paul and Emma who run out of the café in fear.

Paul and Emma escape to an alleyway, where coincidentally Paul's co-workers Bill, Charlotte and Ted have taken shelter too in the trash bins. Charlotte phoned her husband Sam, a cop, to save them. However, when he and two other cops arrive, they also seem to be in a trance-like state, singing and chasing Paul and his frightened friends around the stage. After managing to defeat the infected policemen the group decide to head to Emma's biology professor: Henry Hidgens' safe house.

At Hidgens' safe house, the professor investigates the blue goo that leaks out of Sam's head as the others get a drink from the professor's pantry. Paul is forced to intervene in an argument between Bill and Ted but eventually sits down to talk to Emma. Emma and Paul talk about their past including how Paul saw Emma in Brigadoon in 2003, which is the cause of his dislike for musicals and Emma tells Paul about her sister Jane who died. However the moment is ruined by the appearance of an infected Charlotte and Sam who attempt to kill Paul and friends. Hidgens tells the group how he learned the aliens are using people's skin to fool them implying that any of the group could be one. To test that they're not the Professor has them sing the opening to the film Moana which is sung so poorly it is clear the group isn't infected. It as this moment that it is revealed Bill's daughter Alice is stuck at Hatchetfield High. Paul agrees to go with Bill to help get his daughter back.

When Paul and Bill arrive at Hatchetfield High, Bill laments over his failed relationship with his wife, and his fight with Alice over her girlfriend, Deb. Paul reassures him that everything will be okay, only to find that Alice, Deb and many other students in the school have also been infected. As a result, Bill tries to kill himself, but is stopped by Paul... only for Bill to be murdered by his infected daughter. The aliens then turn to Paul, when the army infiltrates the school scaring them away. They then knock Paul out, unsure if he's one of the infected.

Paul wakes up and meets General John McNamara, a member of the United States Military special unit PEIP. He tells Paul that his mission is "to make a clean sweep of what was once your town. No loose ends. No survivors." Instead, he decides to let Paul go, telling him of a helicopter that is set to pick up the squad in an hour. He also gives Paul his gun, and agrees to meet with him and Emma in an hour. Paul then returns to the safe house and saves Emma and Ted from the aliens that Hidgens voluntarily let infiltrate the house.

As Paul, Ted and Emma make their escape, Paul gets captured by one of the aliens, and Emma runs after him managing to save him. When Paul and Emma get to the park, they find Ted and the army singing and dancing as infected zombies. They manage to fight through the crowd of infected people, and escape to the helicopter. However, mid-flight, Zoey - Emma's infected manager - reveals herself as the pilot, and pulls a gun on them. Paul kicks the gun away, only for Zoey to shoot the rotor blades, which causes them to crash. Parts of the broken helicopter stab Emma's leg, and she tells Paul to destroy the meteor and kill the aliens. The two almost share a kiss before Paul leaves but this is stopped by Emma coughing blood onto Paul's face.

Paul finally arrives at the Starlight Theater to blow up the meteor but as he grabs a grenade, the infected reveal themselves, and bids Paul to join them. Paul's proximity to the meteor, along with the high concentration of infectious spores in the air, compels Paul to sing. Nevertheless, he succeeds in pulling the grenade's pin, destroying the meteor, the infected, and himself.

Two weeks pass by and Paul appears to a now recovered Emma supposedly to take her to her new life in Colorado. However, as Emma and Paul embrace, he begins to sing, revealing that Paul has been infected. The rest of the cast join him as they dance their final number, a medley of all the songs in the musical. Once the cast has taken their final bow, they drag Emma off backstage to kill her.

Black Friday[]

Paul first appear alongside Emma driving. The Wiggly Jingle theme is playing, and an annoyed Paul switches the music off. Irritated by the jingle, he goes on a rant about how much he doesn't like the "advertising firms with their catchy jingles that worm their way into your brain". Soon after, Paul and Emma arrive at Tom Houston Emma's brother in law's house. Emma and Paul are let inside the Houston house and greet Tim Houston. Paul introduces himself to Tim, suggesting that he and Emma are dating (though she claims that they haven't put a label on it yet), but noting that they are intimate. It is then revealed that Emma and Paul are acting as babysitters for Tim while Tom goes on purchases Tim's Christmas present. Paul and Emma clearly pity Tom and his lack of planning as he underestimated the dolls popularity. They tell Tom that he should have been in line last night if he wanted a chance at getting Tim the doll at all but the man leaves anyway.

Paul and Emma later reunite with Tom as well as Becky, Lex and Hannah after they manage to escape Lakeside Mall. Paul tells the others about the bombing of Moscow and says that the news went out as they were talking about it becoming WWIII. Emma suggests that the group go hide at Hidgens' house but before they leave Tom notes that it's almost midnight, meaning Black Friday's almost over, believing that if they can survive today, they can survive anything. The group then huddles together to await the end of Black Friday. As Paul and the group count down the final seconds, a whooshing noise is head overhead as the whole cast looks up and the stage fades to black.

Watcher World[]

Paul is mentioned by Bill in Watcher World when he remarks that Paul told him someone died on the Tear Jerker, a ride at Watcher World the theme park.

Forever and Always[]

In Forever and Always it is revealed that what had initially thought to have been Paul was killed and replaced by his clone double Paul Perkins.

Jane's A Car[]

Paul is mentioned by Tim as 'Uncle Paul' in Jane's A Car when he tells his dad that he taught the boy the word intimate. In response to this Tom calls Paul a geek and says he needs to shut his mouth.

Honey Queen[]

Paul first appears as a patron of Beanie's, as he's entering the cafe he's approached by Linda Monroe who hands him a twenty dollar bill and instructs him to tip Zoey Chambers, buy himself a coffee and keep five dollars for himself. Paul agrees. Later, Paul is in the audience of the 75th Annual Honey Queen pageant and actively supports Zoey when she voices her supposed love of Hatchetfield.

Hey, Melissa![]

Paul first appears when he's approached by Melissa, the girl makes conversation with Paul but he appears uninterested. After Melissa leaves, Bill reprimands him for his disinterested responses to Melissa's conversation. Bill talks about how he likes Melissa and how she reminds him of his daughter. The group are then approached by Ted who encourages Paul to make a move on Melissa before he does. Paul explains that he doesn't like Melissa because she likes cats too much.

The next day, Melissa approaches Paul and invites him to come see Workin' Boys at the Starlight Theater with her but he declines. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Emma with the office's order from Beanie's. Emma invites Paul to hate-watch Workin' Boys with her and he accepts upsetting Melissa. She is then approached by Freddie who says that he knows what Melissa wants with Paul and she tells him to leave her alone.

That evening, Paul is working late at CCRP when he's seemingly attacked by Freddie but is saved by Melissa knocking him out. As they go to try and find something to tie Freddie up with, Freddie awakens and tackles Melissa. The two run into CCRPs basement where Paul chokes Freddie until he's unconscious.

Paul takes Melissa back to her home where Melissa talks to Paul about how she believes he's a good person. Paul disagrees and tells her about how he caused the death of his dog Spot. Melissa is disgusted and leaves tell Paul to feed the dog as she does. Paul goes into Melissa's bedroom and thinks he hears the dog making noise inside the closet. However, when he opens the door he finds Ted in a cage. Ted reveals Melissa has forced him to act like a dog and that she cut off his fingers. Melissa then appears and tases Paul.

Paul wakes up tied to Melissa's coffee table. Melissa tells Paul that she believes he's a dog in a skin suit and that he has stolen his fingers. She then attempts to cut them off with piano wire but is stopped by Paul pretending to be a cat. Melissa is horrified at the thought of her almost declawing a cat. She then decides she's going to keep Paul as her pet.

That evening, Melissa has friends over and it's revealed that the three other girls also keep men as their pets and regularly kill them. Paul has the option to escape but is stopped by Ted barking, alerting his escape to the women. Paul is tased and locked in the cage. He is then forced to watch as the women kill Ted as they believe him to be 'rabid'. However, their 'girls night' is interrupted by Bill's arriving to speak to Melissa. As the Mina goes to attack Bill, Paul knocks her out with a the cage and then goes on to also knock out Aubrey and Krissy. Bill is horrified and tries to reprimand Paul but is tased by Melissa. Paul then throws the cage at Melissa and runs out into the street where he's hit by a car.

When Paul wakes up in hospital, he is met by Freddie who tells him how he's been investigating Melissa and the Kitty-Cat Club for some time and that Paul helped him catch them. He then reveals that Melissa will be going to jail. Later, Paul helps Melissa to escape from the police and now houses her at his home. When she wakes up, Paul tells Melissa that he'll go to work everyday but when he comes home he'll be Melissa's cat. He says he hopes he can be a good cat to her and she says he is.

Nerdy Prudes Must Die[]

Paul initially appears alongside Emma Perkins at the Beanie's counter. Paul remarks on the number of cop cars outside and informs Emma that he's on the neighborhood watch. He then gives her his number and the two continue to talk until they're interrupted by Pete Spankoffski.

Later, Paul approached Officer Bailey offering to help him with his hunt for Grace Chasity. However, Bailey interprets this as a threat and pins Paul to the floor.

Personality and Traits[]

On the surface, Paul appears as a very ordinary man who doesn't care much for anything except for a blooming romance with Emma Perkins and a distaste for musicals. Generally, Paul is very unambitious and is very content in his life as a normal office worker. He likes the town of Hatchetfield and feels content at the idea of living there his entire life. Paul is a very blunt person to the point of appearing rude sometimes though underneath he genuinely cares and is very loyal to his friends but is also very clear in his boundaries and is unwilling to do something he doesn't want to. Paul can be prone to anxiety in social situations, causing him to appear awkward, however, at his heart Paul is a very selfless person and is willing to be a pillar of support for those that he cares about and even willing to risk his life if it means keeping those he loves safe.

Skills[]

• Throwing- Paul is particularly skilled at throwing, something which aided him in his destruction of the meteor.
• Town knowledge- Paul has an exceptional knowledge of the town of Hatchetfield in comparison to other people.

Relationships[]

Emma Perkins[]

Emma Perkins is Paul's main romantic interest. Paul has had a crush on Emma for a long time and often goes to Beanie's to see her despite not actively liking the coffee there^[1]. Before meeting Emma, Paul didn't really have a purpose or want in life but his love for her changed him. While Emma still suffers from her commitment issues, it's clear that she cares for Paul just as much as he cares for her. Emma is also the reason Paul doesn't like musicals.

In The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals the two start out as acquaintances in their interactions as Beanie's. However, over time they become closer, opening up to each other and eventually almost kissing. It's clear Emma trusts Paul and this is able to be manipulated by the Hive resulting in her eventual death.

In Black Friday, Paul and Emma have been dating for approximately two months^[2] after one asked the other out^[3]. Despite refusing to put a label on their relationship, it's clear Emma cares deeply for Paul as she brings him to what she believes to be her family's thanksgiving.

Bill Woodward[]

Paul is Bill's best friend and colleague. They met when Paul started working at CCRP in approximately 2011^[4]. The two have an immense amount of respect and trust for one another. They often refer to each other as their "buddy". When he was younger Paul used to babysit Bill's daughter Alice.

In The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals, Paul is willing to venture outside of Hidgens' Manor alongside Bill to help get his daughter back, he then goes on to stop Bill killing himself though Bill is ultimately killed anyway.

Charlotte Sweetly[]

Charlotte is Paul's co-worker. The two share a friendly relationship with Paul being able to calm Charlotte down when she's upset.

Ted Spankoffski[]

Ted Spankoffski is Paul's colleague. Paul is easily irritated by Ted and generally dislikes him. Despite this, Ted believes himself to be Paul's best friend and enjoys talking to him.

General John MacNamara[]

General John MacNamara is an associate of Paul's. Despite their limited interaction, MacNamara appears to have some trust for the man as he authorises him to use his firearm. Paul has a lot of respect for MacNamara (despite also fearing him) describing him as " a good man".

Melissa[]

Melissa is Paul's former colleague and adoptive owner. Initially, Melissa had a crush on Paul as she saw him as a truly good person and saw him as an actual human man. However, Paul didn't like Melissa as he believed her to like cats too much. After learning Paul wasn't as good a person as she thought, Melissa forced Paul to become her pet cat, something he was horrified by. However, after escaping Paul returned to Melissa and was happy to continue to act as her pet.

Alice Woodward[]

Paul used to babysit for Alice Woodward when she was younger. According to Bill she thinks he's cool though this is likely untrue^[5].

Gallery

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Trivia[]

• The name 'Paul' is of Latin origin, meaning 'small' or 'humble', and the patronymic surname 'Matthews' means 'gift of Jehovah'. As a result, the name Paul Matthews could be interpreted as 'small gift of Jehovah', or 'humble gift of Jehovah'.
• The surname 'Matthews' is a reference to Matthew, the protagonist of the 1956 movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, TGWDLM's primary inspiration.
• Paul's journey during TGWDLM actually somewhat mirrors that of the Christian saint of the same name. Paul the Apostle initially assisted in persecuting the Christians, until his revolutionary conversion to the group he had previously despised, before dying a martyr; Paul Matthews initially despised the Hive and all they stood for, even sacrificing himself in the hope that he would rid the planet of the pathogen, before joining the very thing he swore to destroy.
• Paul likes 90's alternative, what he grew up with.^[6]
• In Jon's original audition for Paul, it can be seen that Paul was originally going to be a film critic, as he is reviewing the Hamilton live action movie.
• Jon stated in one of his twitch streams that Paul might be autistic along with the fact that he believes Paul is autistic coded.^[7]
• Paul likes video games.^[8]
• According to Jon Matteson, the reason Paul knows the layout of Hatchetfield so well is because he delivered pizzas at some point. ^[9]

References[]