Paul Carter[1] was the second husband of Ellen Ripley. He was step-father to Amanda Ripley-McClaren.
Biography[]
Paul Carter was the estranged step-father of Amanda Ripley. At some point following Ripley's original husband Alex abandoning the family, Ellen married Paul. The relationship was largely one-sided and completely loveless, with Ellen providing whilst Paul was struggling to hold a single job. Soon, Paul began burdening Ellen and Amanda with late night drinking, being fired from his jobs, racking up debts, getting into trouble with the police and constant arguments with his wife, with the latter saddening Amanda to no ends.[2]
Although he attempted to form something of a meager relationship with his step-daughter, with a young Amanda originally taking a liking to him, his constant alcoholism and self-destructive behavior resulted in Amanda remaining distant to him and longing to see her mother whenever she could.
After Ellen had acquired a new job as warrant-officer on board the Nostromo upon Captain Dallas' request, Ellen would be forced to leave Amanda with Paul on her two-year voyage out into space. Paul met up with Ellen and Amanda at Tereshkova Terminal before Ellen took her leave; he also met Captain Dallas, and took an immediate disliking towards him, with Paul personally accusing Ellen of sleeping with him.[3] As Ellen and Dallas left for the Nostromo, Paul took Amanda to the south exit as opposed to the north one, with Paul citing that "we just need to make a stop", Amanda knowing that Paul was actually taking her to a bar for one of his late-night drinks.[4]
Around a month before Amanda's eleventh birthday Weyland-Yutani representative Yoshiko Tanaka visited Paul's apartment and informed him that they had lost all contact with the Nostromo, a distraught Amanda listening in on the conversation. Paul drunkenly dismissed the news, citing that the "stupid bitch" was never a part of their lives anyway due to her constant off-world voyages.[5]
Amanda was at one point sent to the police station for loitering at Tereshkova Terminal, devastated by her mother not coming back for her birthday. Paul arrived to retrieve Amanda and was forced to calm her down, telling her that it wasn't her mother's fault for not being here, that something happened to the Nostromo and reassuring her that eventually, her mother would reunite with her.[5]
Following Amanda's teen years, Paul injured his back in a cargo loading accident, rendering him even less capable of labour.[6] At a hearing into the incident, his claims that the loader being faulty was responsible for his injury were countered by an accusation that he was intoxicated at the time, and as such he was denied any compensation.[7] During this time, Amanda had stolen money from her step-father in order to pay for leaked info from the Nostromo, though this turned out to be a con.[8]
Amanda soon began fighting with her stepfather, causing her to run away from home, apparently multiple times.[9] On Amanda's 18th birthday, she was informed that Paul had been arrested by city police for getting into a bar fight with RCMP officers.[10] As Amanda was now legally an adult, she moved out of Paul's apartment and out of his custody. Paul subsequently tried to call her multiple times but she refused any contact with him. During her venture into Sevastopol Station, Amanda went on to tell lawyer Nina Taylor that the two had not spoken in years.[11]
Trivia[]
- Paul Carter's name was seemingly inspired by the character of Carter Burke and his actor Paul Reiser.
Appearances[]
- Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series (mentioned only)
- Alien: Isolation (novel)
References[]
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 48 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 47 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 66 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 67 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 71 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 134 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 153 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 150 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series episode 2
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 191 (2019), Titan Books.
- ↑ Keith R. A. DeCandido. Alien: Isolation, p. 55 (2019), Titan Books.