Originally Posted by
Perdita
"Someone's definitely got it in for Paul!"
Stefan Dennis tells us why Paul's suspect number one for causing an explosion...
Where is Paul when the fire breaks out at Lassiters?
That's the big mystery! He's in a very incriminating positon because he's seen going tinto the hotel's boiler room, which is where the explosion happens.
Then some blueprints for the boiler room turn up in his briefcase, don't they?
Yes, all the evidence starts pointing towards Paul being the culprit. He doesn't know where they've come from but they're in his possession so everyone starts to question his innocence. He swears he's being framed but he looks guilty. In typical Paul fashion, every time he tries to cover something up and look less guilty, he's actually digging himself a deeper hole!
Is he worried?
Yes, at first he's incredulous when people accuse him but then he realise that the finger is pointing to him more. He's definitely being framed...
For once he's totally innocent!
Yes! That's the thing - of all the crimes that Paul has got away with, this one he didn't actually do but because of his past, it's making him the obvious choice to point the finger at. Everyone knows he set fire to Lassiters last time. It's not looking good...
There's even one stage when he questions if he might indirectly be responsible, isn't there?
Yes, he actually paid someone called Cecelia Saint to go and disrupt the Citizen of the Year event at the hotel because of the big rivalry between Julie Quill and Paul, who are arch-enemies. So after asking Cecelia to sabotage the event he thinks at one point that she's gone too far and that there is a chance he's indirectly responsible. He's worried about that for quite a long time - and eventually Cecelia turns out to be a nasty piece of work as well!
Who does he think is trying to frame him? Any clear suspects?
For a while he thinks it might be Mark Brennan but he's grasping at straws - he draws up this CSI-style board of all the people who he's crossed, like Victor Cleary's family because of what happened with Kate's death. Then there's Ezra Hanley, the guy who he got sacked by Quill and of course Dimato. He's got them on a list and he's ticking them off one by one but they've all got alibis!
Even Terese and Daniel think he's guilty - that can't be nice!
Yes, these two people who mean the most to him in the world don't believe him. So he isn't trying to just prove his innocence to save himself - he's also out to prove his innocence to Terese and Daniel.
How does he feel about Terese?
He's realised that he's in love with her and it breaks his heart that she doesn't trust him and thinks he is a murderer. He's also feeling awful because the explosion has big ramifications on Terese's life...
Where does Paul see his relationship with Terese going?
They're a great couple but a romance is not on the cards yet. After everything that's happened lately, it's going to take a long time for them to move forward.
Does anyone think he's innocent?
Yes, his unlikely saviour in all of this is Steph. A few months ago, you would have thought she would be the last person to help Paul out - but a lot has happened and she believes he didn't do it.
Are you enjoying this storyline?
Yes! There's been a huge cloud of secrecy around who caused the explosion. In fact, a lot of the cast didn't know who it was!
Just good friends!
While we might love the budding romance between Paul and Terese, Stefan admits he's not a massive fan of their flirting! "The audience seem to like Paul and Terese as a couple," he reveals. "Rebekah (Elmaloglou, aka Terese) and I don't really want Paul and Terese together. Instead of their problems being about business and getting one up on each other, they'd be about marriage and kids! Those two would throw each other off a cliff some days, but they really respect each other, which we love!"
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