I have not hesitated to express my disagreements with Peacock’s Paul T. Goldman. It’s not that the show is of poor quality. It is just great. The longer I’ve followed the story, though, the more unsettling I’ve found Paul T. Goldman’s plunge into darkness. The fumbling lover from Episode 1 had transformed into a spiteful bully who was using filmmaker Jason Woliner’s production to act out his darkest revenge fantasies. After Episode 4, I considered leaving the show. I did not wish to discover how much more horrible Paul’s dreams could become.
Then, in Paul T. Goldman Episode 5, Frank Grillo arrived to physically and figuratively save the day. Paul develops “Dan Hardwick” in his fictional Paul T. Goldman Chronicles to instruct the fictional version of himself on how to be a James Bond-style badass. Grillo portrays “Dan Hardwick.” Not only does Grillo provide comic relief by being a fully upbeat, professional actor on set with Paul, but he also demonstrates how far even Paul’s idealized picture of himself is from the reality of an alpha male.
Frank Grillo appeared just in time on Paul T. Goldman, and his most hilarious scene with Paul has stayed with me for days.
Paul T. Goldman is a distorted account of the alleged life of one individual. After normal guy Paul Finkelman realizes that his second wife “Audrey” has been cheating on him and bilking him out of money, he embarks on a wild investigation that leads him to believe that his ex-wife is a member of an international criminal organization. Finkelman hacks Audrey’s email, rummages through her lover’s trash, and even consults a pet psychic to validate his absurd notions. Finkelman takes matters into his own hands after the F.B.I. refused to investigate the case. Under the pseudonym Paul T. Goldman, he pens the semi-autobiographical novel Duplicity. The book casts “Paul T. Goldman” as an unusual hero and makes the case for Audrey’s involvement in a huge sex trafficking organization.
Paul’s zeal for justice compels him to wage a lone campaign in support of Duplicity. He creates websites, begs filmmakers on Twitter to adapt his work, and even pens a sequel series under the pseudonym Ryan Sinclair. In The Paul T. Goldman Chronicles, Paul is hired by the mysterious Dan Hardwick to track down Audrey’s boyfriend Royce Rocco and rescue the victims of his sex trafficking ring.
The series follows filmmaker Jason Woliner as he attempts to adapt Paul’s works for the big screen and investigate the truth behind Paul’s claims. By the fifth episode of Paul T. Goldman, it is evident that while Audrey was a con artist, she was not a diabolical criminal genius. Despite this, Woliner agrees to film action-packed The Paul T. Goldman Chronicles scenes. Frank Grillo, a real-life badass and professional action star, is tasked with teaching Paul the ropes off-screen and on.
Despite the fact that Paul has the male equivalent of a girl crush on Grillo, their most entertaining interaction occurs when they engage in small talk about their personal lives. Paul discloses that he is still searching for love on Match.com. Grillo states, “Both of us.”
“I was previously married,” adds Grillo, “so this is the first time I’ve ever dated.”
Paul comments, “It is the worst.”
Yes, answers Grillo, before adding, “I guess I’m having a good time.”
The disparity between Paul’s ideal self and his actual self is never more apparent than when he is standing next to Grillo. While Paul fails to connect with others, primarily due to his lack of empathy, Grillo appears to be prospering. Frank Grillo is fitter than Paul T. Goldman, but he is also exceedingly courteous and engaging. This type of small conversation between Grillo and Paul demonstrates his intention to put his co-star at ease. (He is even seen cheering them on as “professionals”)
The appearance of Frank Grillo injects Paul T. Goldman with a much-needed dose of levity. There’s something amusing about him teaching Paul how to fight onscreen and then befriending him “offscreen.” Essentially, I was grateful that Grillo existed to serve as a model for self-assured manhood that did not involve revenge. I was relieved to see a real man in a show about an extremely tormented attempt at manhood.
»Frank Grillo is the Hero that ‘Paul T. Goldman’ Required«