Paul Spector (The Fall) Character Analysis
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- čas přidán 14. 09. 2020
- In this video Darren Magee discusses fictional Belfast serial killer Paul Spector from the BBC TV series 'The Fall'. Played by actor Jamie Dornan, Spector is by day a bereavement counsellor with a history of loss and abuse. He is pursued by and enters into a battle of wits with Chief Superintendent Stella Gibson, played by Gillian Anderson. Is he psychopath or sociopath? What drives Paul? What's going on with him?
Splitting
Unable to accept both good and bad aspects of himself
Undoing
Trying to alter something he has done in retrospect
Compartmentalising
Trying to separate caring father from cold killer
Working through his own issues with his clients in therapy
Counter-phobia
Chasing the very things that terrify and repulse him
Introjection
Taking on his mothers pain/beliefs as his own
Impulsiveness
When the mask slips and the rage is unleashed, when acting on instinct in the moment
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The videos I make are topics suggested by you the viewer. Feel free to suggest any mental health or psychology subjects you'd like me to cover in future videos. Just a reminder though, these videos are not a substitute for support from a mental health professional.
This was truly fascinating to listen to. I just wish it was even longer! The Fall was such an incredible, thought-provoking series and I don't know if you'll ever consider it but I'd absolutely love you to analyse some more of the characters from it. Stella Gibson, Katie Benedetto, Sally Ann Spector... they're all fascinating and intriguing characters to analyse and consider. Even more videos about Paul himself would be greatly appreciated as there's so much to unearth and discuss about him. I found his relationship with Katie and the way he groomed her particularly interesting as well. Really hope to hear more from you soon!
Thank you for your suggestions for future topics 👍
Wonderful analysis. And I chuckled at the 50 Shades reference 🙂
Thak you sir! Please DO consider sharing your thoughts on Stella Gibson. I would enjoy that.
I cant fully imagine the back story that would create such a powerful and multi-layered personality.
I just finished this show and was very impressed by the realistic and multi dimensional portrayal of this type of serial killer. You've certainly added a few new layers to it with this analysis and pointed out some things I hadn't noticed/thought of. I'd be very interested to see your analysis of Stella Gibson as well, I had a look through your videos but it doesn't seem like you've made one. Regardless, excellent video!
Excelente serie y el excelente actor. Soy de Argentina.
Great analysis! Thank you!
Loved this!!!! Thank you
That was a great show and he is one very creepy dude for sure
Good description I'll have to watch that
I’d recommend it, it’s a great series
Great analysis of a great character
Thank you I'm glad you liked it
I loved this series. Gillian Anderson was excellent, as were all the main characters. There was a scene where Gillian Anderson is having a totally impersonal sexual encounter in a hotel room at the exact same time that Jamie Dornan was murdering a young woman. Very, very creepy scene.
I thought it was clever how in some scenes they mirrored each other
I reckon he was heavily based on BTK. At the end I couldn't help but feel sorry for his character.
Yes I agree there were moments I pitied him
Yes, indeed there are similarities
There was Dennis Rader a lot in Spector, his "projects", the binding, the plastic bags, the sick pictures and journals. There is also Ted Bundy, who worked for a suicide helpline.
Hello Professor Magee,
Thank you for this run-down on the series. There is a rather curious idea which Gibson expresses in her conversation with her superior after Spector's wife attempted suicide, namely that women react differently to threat or danger as compared to men, and that their response predominantly comes down to hurting themselves and their children. Convincing though the notion may be, I can't seem to be able to find any evidence to substantiate it. Is there any research behind this view? What would be your professional take on that? Thank you.
I think it was only for dramatic effect, to try to show Gibsons experience or insight. I’m not sure of any research showing that (not to say there isn’t any though, I’m just not aware of it). I think it’s fairer to say ‘people’ react differently to threats for different reasons like experience, environment etc
Consists spoilers Very nice analysis i agree he is a really complicated guy, you can't put him into one category like psychopath, sociopath, sadistic, narcissist . He is like mixture of all these and like any other serial killer who are mostly control freak, lack of guilt, manipulative but according to many researchs in many cases they become like that because of mental and physical trauma they have suffered in past which includes losing mom and dad, experiencing sexual , verbal abuse etc.
In paul's case it's brutal this guy suffered his mom's suicide, step father abandoned him, real father died, brutally sexually abused for 1 year how did he survive all of this is crazy to me. I feel so bad for him he turned out like that. And i also feel that he realates with stella to some extent but stella didn't experience what he's been through and she can't empathize with him till the last scene that's when she felt sorry for him . He does inhumane things because he suffered inhumane things and lost the ability to feel for others. But he was really close to one person that's his daughter he'd do anything for her, expecting nothing from her and that's what true love is. He is good in many aspects and even I'd say more good than normal people like he saved that women who used to come for therapy and told her to report his husband for physical abuse and put a stop to it, this coming from him i was shocked because his company people were taking actions against him because of this and he was also shocked how he did one selfless and good thing for once and got scolded for it😅 i also felt he has some values he stick to it no matter what like not harming(killing) kids even kattie for example he never physically assaulted her and he also hates rapists you can see that in season 3 last episode how he killed that guy for raping his 12 year old sister. I feel he would turn out to be good human even more than stella if his past life wasn't this bad but now for him to come out of that trauma and become normal is close to impossible so i accepted the ending as it is.
I just watched the show and it was really good. However some things made me confused with the character, he says he’s crimes are sexually motivated, but he seems very sexually cold, like we never see him really having any sexual interactions with his wife, or anyone unless it’s to get what he wants and to manipulate others. In fact we see far more of Stella’s overt sexuality in the series. Also he contradicts himself by saying it’s not about sex but the power he feels seeing people suffer and die. So the contradictory of the characters motives and the fact he seems sexually cold does confuse me.
Another thing that confused me is when he loses his memory, which they kinda left open for you to decide if he was lying or not. But if the character was that good at acting to manipulate others, then why not when he’s in custody and being questioned by the police?, instead he’s just not talking which suggests he’s not that smart enough to come up with a good act to put on, so he stays quiet.
1- paul spector did say to anderson that fantasy is better than the actual thing in reference to sexual act.
2- he was feigning the memory loss & this was confirmed when ct & mri scans showed no damage to the brain.
Nothing insightful