LogFAQs > #950693700

#37. Nikki Fernandez & Paulo
<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/NikkiPaulo.jpg">

The first of only two sets of characters who will be ranked in pairs, for obvious reasons. Nikki and Paulo are the same story--both in terms of their Island arc, their flashbacks, and the interesting background of their real-life creation.

Nikki and Paulo were created in response to fan criticism that the show doesn't focus on enough of the other survivors--a very bizarre decision considering what we learn about the main characters in the later seasons. I don't know if it's because of the rushed, last-minute pressure on the writers, but it's hard to imagine more of an airball than these two.

Nikki and Paulo appear almost randomly, accompanying the characters we actually like on their mission, and it's really jarring. And not jarring in the uncanny way Ethan's presence was, or even jarringly amusing in a meta way like Arzt and Frogurt. The arbitrary addition of these two in those scenes kind of takes you out of the whole narrative, reminding you that this was a hit TV show on a Disney-owned station, and appeared to be the exact shoehorned response to these fan complaints that we suspected.

But then we get to Expos, perhaps one of the most pointless episodes in a season that was already dragging week after week. Their flashback is silly, uncompelling, and ultimately useless (other than a cute scene with Miles in season 6)--serving only to kill off these characters who were barely introduced. Truly one of the strangest decisions in a series of strange decisions, but thankfully it is limited to a select few episodes.

And now the most obvious bottom of the list is complete!