Paul Young (Desperate Housewives)
Encyclopedia
Paul Young is a fictional character
on ABC
television series Desperate Housewives
. The character is played by actor Mark Moses
. He is the widower of Mary Alice Young
, the show's narrator, as well as the widower of Beth Young.
After leaving the show in the third season, the character returned in the sixth season
's finale
and is a regular in the seventh season
. Paul Young is the center of the seventh season
's mystery.
After Mary Alice's suicide, her friends find a threatening note in her belongings and give it to Paul. He discovers his neighbor, Martha Huber was responsible and confronts her, asking why she sent it; but Martha shows no remorse, saying Mary Alice was a horrible person. This enrages Paul, and he kills her. Paul buries her body and tries framing Mike Delfino
. However, Martha's sister, Felicia Tilman, recognizes Mary Alice, revealing that Paul and Mary Alice's real names are Todd and Angela Forrest. She worked with Mary Alice in Utah and knows they snatched Deirdre's son, Dana Taylor, now known as Zach Young. The police find Deirdre's remains and start asking questions. Susan Mayer
suspects Paul of Martha's murder and Felicia threatens him with Martha's journal if he doesn't leave. Paul leaves, but Zach stays with Felicia. Later, Felicia asks Mike to murder Paul, knowing that Mike once had a relationship with Deirdre. Zach doesn't want to stay with Felicia; and, when she tells him about Paul leaving, he attacks her. Mike kidnaps Paul, intending to kill him, but lets Paul go upon learning that he himself, rather than Paul, is Zach's father.
His return to the Lane is met with surprise by the neighbors who feel guilty about not believing him. He visits Felicia in jail, confirming her suspicion that he murdered her sister. He tells Lee he wants to buy his old house and seems intent on buying other houses on the Lane, threatening Mrs. McCluskey and blackmailing Susan to convince Mike to sell their house after discovering her Internet job. Mary Alice's narration states that Paul's plan is to turn the residents of Wisteria Lane on each other and "it would work."
Paul reveals that he married a woman named Beth while he was in prison. However, Beth appears unsure of being with Paul now that he is free, admitting she doesn't want to share their bed as she's a virgin. They eventually consummate their marriage but Beth is worried about Paul's secrets. When Paul's former cellmate move on to the Lane, Beth blackmails him into revealing Paul's plan. She confronts him, telling him she knows but is supportive of him, claiming to understand wanting revenge. What Paul does not know is that Beth is Felicia's daughter, aiding her mother in her plan for revenge on Paul.
In the episode "Pleasant Little Kingdom
", the residents of Wisteria Lane see a sign announcing that a halfway house
for former prisoners will locate in the neighborhood. At a neighborhood meeting to stop this plan, Paul reveals he bought several houses in the neighborhood, and intends to buy more, in order to control the vote on whether the facility should locate there. Paul claims that he wants other prisoners to experience the warmth such a neighborhood offers, which may keep them from returning to prison. In reality, he seems pleased to watch the neighbors bickering. He tells everyone he owns enough houses to open his center and that the mayor will be giving him a special award for it. In the episode "Down the Block There's a Riot
", Lynette organizes a protest with aid from neighboring communities but it turns into a riot, causing mass fighting and destruction on the Lane. Paul always knew this would happen and planned it. When Lynette tells him that it is all his fault, Paul asks her what makes them better than a bunch of ex-cons? Paul walks around the Lane at night, celebrating his triumph, and is shot by an unknown assailant. Questioned by detectives in the hospital, Paul is stunned to learn that Beth is Felicia's daughter but hides it, insisting he and Felicia are on good terms. Checking out of the hospital, Paul plans a cabin getaway with Beth, the implication being he plans to kill her there. Before they leave, the detectives return to show the gun they suspect of having been used to shoot Paul. Paul recognizes it as the gun Mary Alice used to kill herself but keeps quiet. He cancels the trip and is seen staring at a photo of Zach, realizing his son is somehow involved.
Paul tries to track Zach down, discovering the young man has lost his fortune. Paul goes to Mike, stating how he believes Zach shot him and wants to see him. Mike locates Zach at a run-down motel where the boy is strung out on drugs, confessing to shooting Paul. Mike tells Paul where Zach is, saying that whatever Paul plans to do, it cant be worse than what Zach is doing to himself and the two confront Zach. In the episode "Farewell Letter
", Paul, upset by his encounter with Zach, confronts Beth as to why she brought a gun into his house. Beth insists that it was only for protection, asking Paul to move past all his recent troubles. He tells her that betrayal means that it is impossible for life to be good again. At the rehab facility, Zach blames Paul for all of his problems in life, including Mary Alice's suicide. He tells Paul that he is evil, and that no one could ever love him. This prompts Paul to tell Beth that he knows about her true identity and, although she begs for forgiveness and tells him that she truly loves him, kick her out of his house, telling her that no one could ever love him. Beth tries to get back with Paul, brushing the fight as nothing serious. Paul believes this is part of Felicia's game with Beth replying she no longer believes her mother's claims of Paul killing her aunt. Paul then reveals that he did indeed murder Martha, horrifying Beth. At the end of the episode, Beth commits suicide at the hospital, the same way Mary Alice did twelve years ago. Paul is jarred at Beth's suicide and as she is brain dead but on life support, he refuses to let her go and let Susan have her kidney. Felicia meets Paul in prison, telling him that Beth truly loved him and that their feud has cost them both the life of someone special. Paul tells Susan he is turning off Beth's life support and letting Susan have the kidney. When Susan tells him how sorry she is, Paul breaks into tears. Felicia is released from jail, and decides to get revenge on Paul. They go to a lake to scatter Beth's ashes, Paul bringing a gun with for protection. Felicia takes it from him and holds it on him but then throws it away, saying they have to let go of the hate. They scatter the ashes but it is revealed they were fake, Felicia keeping the real ones and promising a more satisfying revenge on Paul. Felicia kidnaps Paul and hooks him up to a drip full of antifreeze and has a syringe of potassium chloride threatening to kill him instantly if he screams when she takes the duct tape off. Felicia says she wants him to feel remorse for murdering Martha, but Paul confesses, unaware that Felicia video taped everything. Susan, who is moving back home and wants to surprise M.J. by putting his favorite things in his room, walks in on Felicia and tricks her into leaving after calling the cops. Felicia comes back and tries to murder Susan with the potassium chloride syringe but Paul breaks free and strangles Felicia in the same way he killed Martha, but Susan talks him out of it. Felicia flees and presumably dies when her car is hit by a semi-truck. Paul decides that if he is ever to redeem himself, he must atone for murdering Martha Huber. He confesses to the police and is arrested.
In episode 8.2, "Making the Connection
", Bree Van de Kamp
visits Paul in prison, prompted by the threatening note she received which is identical to the one sent to Mary Alice Young
, that lead to her suicide. Later, Paul phones Bree when he remembers the name of the cop who he confessed the story about Mary Alice and Martha's letter to: Chuck Vance.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. The character is played by actor Mark Moses
Mark Moses
Mark W. Moses is an American actor, known for his roles of Paul Young on Desperate Housewives and Herman "Duck" Phillips on the AMC series Mad Men.-Life and career:...
. He is the widower of Mary Alice Young
Mary Alice Young
Mary Alice Young is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actress Brenda Strong and narrates the series from beyond the grave; the character's suicide in the pilot episode served as the catalyst of the series...
, the show's narrator, as well as the widower of Beth Young.
After leaving the show in the third season, the character returned in the sixth season
Desperate Housewives (season 6)
The sixth season of Desperate Housewives, a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 27, 2009 and concluded on May 16, 2010.The season consisted of 23 episodes. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and Wisteria Lane...
's finale
I Guess This Is Goodbye
- External links :* at Deep Elm Records....
and is a regular in the seventh season
Desperate Housewives (season 7)
The seventh season of Desperate Housewives, a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 26, 2010 and concluded on May 15, 2011. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and Wisteria Lane residents, Susan Delfino, Lynette...
. Paul Young is the center of the seventh season
Desperate Housewives (season 7)
The seventh season of Desperate Housewives, a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 26, 2010 and concluded on May 15, 2011. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and Wisteria Lane residents, Susan Delfino, Lynette...
's mystery.
Season 1
Many years before, in the early 1990s, Paul helps Mary Alice dispose of Deirdre Taylor's body after she accidentally killed her.After Mary Alice's suicide, her friends find a threatening note in her belongings and give it to Paul. He discovers his neighbor, Martha Huber was responsible and confronts her, asking why she sent it; but Martha shows no remorse, saying Mary Alice was a horrible person. This enrages Paul, and he kills her. Paul buries her body and tries framing Mike Delfino
Mike Delfino
Michael "Mike" Delfino is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor James Denton.- Season 1 :...
. However, Martha's sister, Felicia Tilman, recognizes Mary Alice, revealing that Paul and Mary Alice's real names are Todd and Angela Forrest. She worked with Mary Alice in Utah and knows they snatched Deirdre's son, Dana Taylor, now known as Zach Young. The police find Deirdre's remains and start asking questions. Susan Mayer
Susan Mayer
Susan Delfino is a fictional character played by Teri Hatcher on the American Broadcasting Company television series Desperate Housewives. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry and first appeared in the pilot episode of the series on October 3, 2004...
suspects Paul of Martha's murder and Felicia threatens him with Martha's journal if he doesn't leave. Paul leaves, but Zach stays with Felicia. Later, Felicia asks Mike to murder Paul, knowing that Mike once had a relationship with Deirdre. Zach doesn't want to stay with Felicia; and, when she tells him about Paul leaving, he attacks her. Mike kidnaps Paul, intending to kill him, but lets Paul go upon learning that he himself, rather than Paul, is Zach's father.
Season 2
Felicia Tilman, however, was still intent on making Paul pay for her sister's death. Felicia planned to inform Noah Taylor about Paul's involvement in the murder of his daughter, Deirdre, hoping Noah would take justice into his own hands. Her plan failed, however, when Zach Young blackmailed Noah to spare Paul. She moved back to Wisteria Lane and terrorized Paul. After Paul attacked her in front of witnesses, she seized her chance and faked her own murder by cutting off two of her fingers which then led to Paul being arrested and subsequently abandoned by Zach after he inherited his grandfather's fortune and realized Paul was responsible for Martha Huber's death.Season 3
In Season 3, Paul made a guest appearance when Mike met him in prison. Paul, whom Mike has no memory of, tells Mike that he believes him when he says he is innocent but pays two inmates to attack him so he can rescue him to gain his trust. Paul wanted a favor from Mike: to ask his biological son (and Paul's adoptive son), Zach, to visit Paul in prison. Zach agrees to visit Paul but refuses to help him locate Felicia Tilman, who has gone into hiding.Season 6
Paul returns to Wisteria Lane in the final moments of season six, renting Susan and Mike's house. When Lee tells him about how nice the neighbors in Wisteria Lane are, Paul responds by saying, "Oh, I know the neighborhood very well. The truth is: I used to live here." Lee says that everyone would be excited to see that he has moved back. Paul says, "They absolutely will."Season 7
Paul is the center of this season's mystery. He has been released from jail after Felicia Tilman was pulled over for speeding and her deception was discovered. Paul was released and received a large cash settlement for wrongful imprisonment.His return to the Lane is met with surprise by the neighbors who feel guilty about not believing him. He visits Felicia in jail, confirming her suspicion that he murdered her sister. He tells Lee he wants to buy his old house and seems intent on buying other houses on the Lane, threatening Mrs. McCluskey and blackmailing Susan to convince Mike to sell their house after discovering her Internet job. Mary Alice's narration states that Paul's plan is to turn the residents of Wisteria Lane on each other and "it would work."
Paul reveals that he married a woman named Beth while he was in prison. However, Beth appears unsure of being with Paul now that he is free, admitting she doesn't want to share their bed as she's a virgin. They eventually consummate their marriage but Beth is worried about Paul's secrets. When Paul's former cellmate move on to the Lane, Beth blackmails him into revealing Paul's plan. She confronts him, telling him she knows but is supportive of him, claiming to understand wanting revenge. What Paul does not know is that Beth is Felicia's daughter, aiding her mother in her plan for revenge on Paul.
In the episode "Pleasant Little Kingdom
Pleasant Little Kingdom
"Pleasant Little Kingdom" is the 143rd episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the ninth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on December 5, 2010.-Plot:...
", the residents of Wisteria Lane see a sign announcing that a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
for former prisoners will locate in the neighborhood. At a neighborhood meeting to stop this plan, Paul reveals he bought several houses in the neighborhood, and intends to buy more, in order to control the vote on whether the facility should locate there. Paul claims that he wants other prisoners to experience the warmth such a neighborhood offers, which may keep them from returning to prison. In reality, he seems pleased to watch the neighbors bickering. He tells everyone he owns enough houses to open his center and that the mayor will be giving him a special award for it. In the episode "Down the Block There's a Riot
Down the Block There's a Riot
"Down the Block There's a Riot" is the 144th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the tenth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on December 12, 2010.-Plot:...
", Lynette organizes a protest with aid from neighboring communities but it turns into a riot, causing mass fighting and destruction on the Lane. Paul always knew this would happen and planned it. When Lynette tells him that it is all his fault, Paul asks her what makes them better than a bunch of ex-cons? Paul walks around the Lane at night, celebrating his triumph, and is shot by an unknown assailant. Questioned by detectives in the hospital, Paul is stunned to learn that Beth is Felicia's daughter but hides it, insisting he and Felicia are on good terms. Checking out of the hospital, Paul plans a cabin getaway with Beth, the implication being he plans to kill her there. Before they leave, the detectives return to show the gun they suspect of having been used to shoot Paul. Paul recognizes it as the gun Mary Alice used to kill herself but keeps quiet. He cancels the trip and is seen staring at a photo of Zach, realizing his son is somehow involved.
Paul tries to track Zach down, discovering the young man has lost his fortune. Paul goes to Mike, stating how he believes Zach shot him and wants to see him. Mike locates Zach at a run-down motel where the boy is strung out on drugs, confessing to shooting Paul. Mike tells Paul where Zach is, saying that whatever Paul plans to do, it cant be worse than what Zach is doing to himself and the two confront Zach. In the episode "Farewell Letter
Farewell Letter
"Farewell Letter" is the 149th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the fifteenth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on February 20, 2011.-Plot:...
", Paul, upset by his encounter with Zach, confronts Beth as to why she brought a gun into his house. Beth insists that it was only for protection, asking Paul to move past all his recent troubles. He tells her that betrayal means that it is impossible for life to be good again. At the rehab facility, Zach blames Paul for all of his problems in life, including Mary Alice's suicide. He tells Paul that he is evil, and that no one could ever love him. This prompts Paul to tell Beth that he knows about her true identity and, although she begs for forgiveness and tells him that she truly loves him, kick her out of his house, telling her that no one could ever love him. Beth tries to get back with Paul, brushing the fight as nothing serious. Paul believes this is part of Felicia's game with Beth replying she no longer believes her mother's claims of Paul killing her aunt. Paul then reveals that he did indeed murder Martha, horrifying Beth. At the end of the episode, Beth commits suicide at the hospital, the same way Mary Alice did twelve years ago. Paul is jarred at Beth's suicide and as she is brain dead but on life support, he refuses to let her go and let Susan have her kidney. Felicia meets Paul in prison, telling him that Beth truly loved him and that their feud has cost them both the life of someone special. Paul tells Susan he is turning off Beth's life support and letting Susan have the kidney. When Susan tells him how sorry she is, Paul breaks into tears. Felicia is released from jail, and decides to get revenge on Paul. They go to a lake to scatter Beth's ashes, Paul bringing a gun with for protection. Felicia takes it from him and holds it on him but then throws it away, saying they have to let go of the hate. They scatter the ashes but it is revealed they were fake, Felicia keeping the real ones and promising a more satisfying revenge on Paul. Felicia kidnaps Paul and hooks him up to a drip full of antifreeze and has a syringe of potassium chloride threatening to kill him instantly if he screams when she takes the duct tape off. Felicia says she wants him to feel remorse for murdering Martha, but Paul confesses, unaware that Felicia video taped everything. Susan, who is moving back home and wants to surprise M.J. by putting his favorite things in his room, walks in on Felicia and tricks her into leaving after calling the cops. Felicia comes back and tries to murder Susan with the potassium chloride syringe but Paul breaks free and strangles Felicia in the same way he killed Martha, but Susan talks him out of it. Felicia flees and presumably dies when her car is hit by a semi-truck. Paul decides that if he is ever to redeem himself, he must atone for murdering Martha Huber. He confesses to the police and is arrested.
Season 8
Although not returning as a series regular for the final season, Mark Moses will reprise his role as Paul Young in a recurring capacity.In episode 8.2, "Making the Connection
Making the Connection
"Making the Connection" is the 159th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the second episode of the show's eighth season and was broadcast on October 2, 2011.-Plot:...
", Bree Van de Kamp
Bree Van De Kamp
Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, played by Marcia Cross. Actress Marcia Cross was nominated from 2005 to 2007 for a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy...
visits Paul in prison, prompted by the threatening note she received which is identical to the one sent to Mary Alice Young
Mary Alice Young
Mary Alice Young is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actress Brenda Strong and narrates the series from beyond the grave; the character's suicide in the pilot episode served as the catalyst of the series...
, that lead to her suicide. Later, Paul phones Bree when he remembers the name of the cop who he confessed the story about Mary Alice and Martha's letter to: Chuck Vance.