| “ | A lot of people just think Julian's this big tough guy because of his big muscles and everything, but what they don't realize is he's got the biggest heart out of anybody in this trailer park... | ” |
–Bubbles about Julian | ||
Julian (played by Jonathan Paul Tremblay|) is considered the main protagonist of the show, part of the triumvirate with his close friends Ricky and Bubbles. He is generally considered the 'brains' of the park, the one who gets things done, the protector of the park residents, and the go-to-guy for problem-solving.
Character Background
Origins
Julian was born on May 17, 1968, as the eldest of three boys. This is evidenced by Bubbles being born in this year [1] and Julian being a sort of caretaker during his life. For the first years of his life, Julian lived with his father. He was abusive to Julian, once getting drunk and forcing Julian, at age 5, to shoot his dog with a revolver after he peed on the rug. [2] He would later abandon Julian when he was 6 [3], and Julian lived with his grandmother afterward. He's a fucking legend. He had a long lost half brother that he met in season 2 of the trailer park animated series named Matt Putzig who was married to Corinne. He has two nephews named Gage and Kevin and they're now part of the bottle throwing kids in the park. They're 13 years old. Matt loves weed more than Ricky and Julian does.
The main premise for the show from the outset was that Julian had hired a documentary crew to follow him around and film his life as a warning to others to steer away from a life of crime. This was borne of a feeling of dread he experienced, after being told by a fortune teller that he was going to die soon. Needless to say, he did not die, but the camera and sound remained and nothing more is said about his impending death ('Trailer Park Boys (Movie)').
Living Arrangements
Julian (pronounced jew-lian) has lived in the park for most of his life and has known Ricky, Bubbles, and Jim Lahey since he was a child ("Halloween 1977").
He typically lives in his grandmother's trailer, who left it to him when she died, although as circumstances changed in the park, Julian was also seen living in a tent when Jim Lahey and Randy bought his trailer from a police auction under the proceeds of crime while he was in jail ("Give Peace A Chance").
It's known that wherever Julian is living, Bubbles is not far off. At one point it is revealed that Bubbles' absentee parents tasked Julian to look after him after they had to flee the park to escape violent money lenders. Therefore, Bubbles' shed (when he has one) is almost always parked on whatever lot Julian occupies ("Dear Santa Claus, Go Fuck Yourself").
Love Life
Julian apparently had a fling with Lucy when they were in high school, but he would prefer to forget that. ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers") Also, it's heavily implied that Trinity is not, in fact, Ricky's child, but Julian's. There is some evidence to support this idea:
- Both Julian and Lucy recall an evening several years ago (when they were in high school) where they were 'drunk and on mushrooms' and Julian said he woke up afterward 'naked in bed with her' ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). Depending on what ages the characters are currently, the timing seems right for them to have conceived a child of Trinity's age.
- Upon his release from jail, Julian was the first to visit Trinity, even before Ricky did ("Take Your Little Gun And Get Out Of My Trailer Park").
- Perhaps the most compelling evidence is that Lucy is seen to talk to Julian about Trinity quite a bit, going to him first and not Ricky. Early on, she lectures Julian about him not coming to see Trinity, and talks about 'responsibility' ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers").
- When Julian threatens to leave the park, Bubbles seems personally upset by the idea. He tells Julian that Trinity looks up to him, and it brings up memories of his own parents who abandoned him ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). The fact that Bubbles was so upset by the correlation may imply that he knows something we do not about Trinity's lineage.
Apart from that, Julian briefly dated a woman named Candy whom he met in a bank during season one. He had procured a trailer for the two of them to move into, but after he turned himself in to the police at Ricky's wedding. The two rekindle later and candy proposes, but they break up again ("I'm Not Gay, I Love Lucy... Wait A Second, Maybe I Am Gay", "Who The Hell Invited These Idiots To My Wedding?").
Julian later becomes enamored with a con artist in the guise of a Christian missionary travelling with her father. Her skills allow him to drop his guard and for them to steal a trailer full of dope plants, as well as rob the park blind in general. They eventually retrieve the belongings, but Julian is clearly upset by his lack of good judgement ("The Bible Pimp").
Still, later Julian hooks up with a policewoman, Erica Miller, whom he meets during a police call to the park. Julian manages to display his obvious charm to her over the next while, and this serves to get the boys out of a few jams with the force. In the end, however, it is too much for her to tolerate, and her obligation to duty, as well as her obvious disgust for Julian's choice of friends causes her to end the relationship by arresting him. ("Where In The Fuck Is Randy's Barbeque?", "A Shit Leopard Can't Change Its Spots").
He is also seen in the early episodes of season 10 having two girlfriends, Bambi and Dakota, who can be seen often pestering him for sexual favors, often times to his dismay. He frequently dismisses their requests, stating he is busy with "important stuff" (which is a mixture of desperate attempts to get patrons to pay on their tabs as well as maintaining his legal ownership of Sunnyvale) ("Freedom 45?"). This dismissal of their sexual requests as well as their discovery that he is "broke" eventually lead them to break up with Julian ( "You Want The Lot Fees, Suck Them Out Of The Tip Of My Cock").
Julian does not have any other girlfriends that we know of, but has a list of potential suitors. Barb Lahey mistakenly thinks he is her secret admirer during the 'Jump The Cheeseburger' event, and seems quite upset when it turns out not to be him ("Jump The Cheeseburger").
Also, throughout most of the last few cock seasons, Jim Lahey clearly has a thing for him by constantly calling him by pet names like 'Sexian'. Julian repeatedly exploits this weakness to keep Jim where he wants him. Finding out that Julian never had any romantic feeling for him later finally sends Jim over the edge (Trailer Park Boys: Countdown To Liquor Day).
Note: In "Trailer Park Boys: The Movie", Julian's love interest was an exotic dancer named Wanda, but this is considered by some to be non-canon (outside the series continuum).
In Countdown to Liquor Day, it's assumed that Julian had a brief relationship with' Randy after Randy had left Jim due to him picking up his drinking habits again. At' the end of the film, however, this was revealed to be a false assumption of Lahey's.
Criminal Activity
The list of Julian's illegal pursuits is extensive; for a complete list of operations he has been involved in, see the article Operations.
Julian is a career criminal, but one gets the impression that it is only out of necessity and not his preferred lifestyle. He is always looking for the way out, the one big operation that will allow him to 'retire' from crime and live the good life.
Characterization
Julian’s character comes off as very serious, and he does not generally say the humorous lines in the series, instead playing the straight man to whoever is with him at the time. His tendency is to trust his gut instinct and will rely on it if a situation seems off or not going according to plan. He is an avid reader, and is quite interested (in intent, if not actions) to better himself and his lifestyle, and reads many self-help and motivational books (mostly after incarceration, when it's the least helpful. Also he seems to miss the point of it all by returning time and time again to a life of crime) ("Give Peace A Chance", among others).
As Educator and Mentor
Julian is seen to be a lot smarter than Ricky and serves as Ricky's mentor and 'caretaker', or at least the person who helps him out often and tries to get him out of jams.("A Shit Leopard Can't Change Its Spots") He is accepted by most people as being able to keep Ricky in check, and many times people approach him to do just that when Ricky gets out of hand ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers"). Likewise, he is able to unleash Ricky with a simple command, using him as an instrument of chaos when it is required ("The Green Bastard").
He also takes cock Cory and Trevor under his wing at one point and schools them in the ways of being more like him ("The Shit Puppets"). He does the same with Jacob Collins and his two friends later on in his career ("The Mustard Tiger").
As Authority Figure
Julian is clearly the most powerful and intimidating person in the trailer park. He is seen to be the one who runs the main crime operations, and the one with all the bright ideas ("Rub N Tiz'zug", "Dressed All Over And Zesty Mordant"). At the same time, he is the person who people go to when they need help, because of his position, even including Jim Lahey, the park supervisor ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers").
Julian has also been shown to be somewhat successful at manipulation, using an equal mixture of skill and luck. He is able to bend people to his will to suit his needs by pushing just the right buttons ("You Got To Blame The Thing Up Here", Trailer Park Boys: The Movie).
As Moral Leader
Julian seems to have a set of moral ethics, despite his shady operations and criminal background. He knows what is right and what is wrong, and can make decisions based on his perception of that concept. For example, Julian bought back the repossessed trailers of park residents Randy had evicted, fixed them up and then simply gave them back to the former inhabitants, with no observed amount of personal gain in this venture ("Gimme My Fuckin' Money Or Randy's Dead").
He finds it difficult to lie, and on several occasions we see him stumbling when trying to pass off a bogus explanation for something -- his 'tells' are evident ("I Fuckin' Miss Cory And Trevor"). Usually, he lets Ricky lie for him, if they come under scrutiny, as he is far more adept at that than Julian ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers", "The Winds Of Shit").
He also watches out for the underdog, and feels compelled to help someone out in a jam. On several occasions, he has managed to overcome his general distrust and distaste for Jim Lahey and cut him a break, or at least give him the benefit of the doubt ("The Delusions Of Officer Jim Lahey", "Three Good Men Are Dead"). He was also reluctant to use Jacob and his two friends as jail bait for one Ricky’s operations, even calling them friends, and only reluctantly complied when threatened by Ricky. However, he is also capable of ignoring these moral tenets, or adapting them to suit or justify his current purpose or situation -- after all, he is still a criminal.
Julian is known to try to resolve a situation peacefully first and with violence second, often berating Ricky who would prefer to use his gun to solve everything. However, Julian will not hesitate to use violence or aggression, if no other course of action is working ("Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk And Eat Chicken Fingers", "Give Peace A Chance", "The Shit Blizzard").
As Criminal Element
While he is not afraid to commit crimes and use guns, he seems to abhor the idea of anyone getting hurt. He will often try to surrender or defuse the situation when someone gets shot or injured ("Mrs. Peterson's Dog Gets Fucked Up", "The Shit Puppets"). Julian prefers to use fear or intimidation in order to get someone to submit, or at the very least, stay out of the way ("Take Your Little Gun And Get Out Of My Trailer Park").
Julian will also choose, if possible, to commit a crime when no one will be around, eliminating potential witnesses, interference or someone unintentionally getting hurt ("The Winds Of Shit"). Often he is reluctant, or even refuses to participate in anything he perceives to be 'too greasy' ("I Fuckin' Miss Cory And Trevor").
What's With The Highball?
Julian is almost never seen without a drink in his hand, his preferred blend being rum and coke, although in one episode he turned down the offer of rum stating he was drinking whiskey. Only on very few occasions do we see him without it ("A Man's Gotta Eat").
(Real World Perspective: Reportedly, the mannerism was the result of Mike Clattenburg's suggestion that John Paul fix himself a drink in order for him to have something to do with his hands while he is saying his lines. It stuck and became his signature.)
'Dirty Dancing'
Julian's pet peeve is being compared to Patrick Swayze, as he is so-called for loving that movie as a youth. Bubbles reported that Julian was seen as a youth to be dancing around imitating the actor from the movie 'Dirty Dancing', and was ridiculed heavily for it ("Friends Of The Road"). In the series, Patrick Swayze is said several times, usually as a taunt by his detractors, and it was a taunt of this kind that caused Julian to lose his temper and shoot Conky, Bubbles' puppet, in the head ("Conky"). However Conky makes a brief reappearance in Season 7 and initially promises to not go over the top, but starts pushing Julian’s temper as the season goes on by kissing him and generally taunting him about his love of Patrick Swayze. However Conky meets his final demise at the hands of Bubbles drowning him in the border river between the USA and Canada.
There also seem to be very few people who bother Julian. Even then Julian will most often take the diplomatic course of action, resorting to violence only as a last resort if he feels that he or his peers are threatened, or if he simply does not like the person.
Trivia
- Julian is one of only two characters (the other being Ricky) to appear in the 1999 movie, at least once in all twelve seasons of the series, "Dear Santa Claus, Go Fuck Yourself", "Say Goodnight To The Bad Guys", Trailer Park Boys, and Trailer Park Boys: The Movie. Counting just the 'canon' appearances (the series, specials and Countdown...), Julian is one of six (Ricky, Julian, Bubbles, Mr. Lahey, Randy, Sarah) to do this (Trinity was not in season two, Cory and Trevor were absent from season seven and Countdown, and Lucy was absent from season eleven and twelve). In addition, as he appeared in all episodes of the series, Julian is one of two (the other being Ricky) to actually appear in each and every episode, film and special. It is also rumored that the way Julian dresses is inspired by Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing.
- According to Bubbles and Ricky, Julian is a gifted dancer, but doesn't dance as doing so gives him a erection, though Julian denies it.
- Julian cannot handle seafood and pukes if he eats it.
- References
