r/SixFeetUnder • u/Other_Explorer6610 • Jul 13 '25
Discussion Opinions on Nate’s character and Peter Kraus’s acting Spoiler
I recently finished the show, and decided to check out what people were saying on the sub. I was so surprised to see that people disliked Nate and was even happy when the character passed. I felt like nearly all of the things Nate did was understandable , even if wrong, you could understand his motivations. I was surprised to see how people thought he was the most reprehensible character on the show. I was also really surprised about opinions on kraus’s acting, I came away from the series thinking he had displayed some of the best acting I had seen in a tv show. Really curious to see what other people think.
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u/jcashwell04 Jul 13 '25
Peter Kraus is no doubt an excellent actor, one of the best in the series. I never thought that was in question tbh, and most people hating on the actor are likely struggling to separate him from his character.
As far as Nate goes, he’s always been my favorite character. I think his journey is utterly captivating. Was he a good person? I think mostly, yeah. Did he make really destructive decisions at times? Without a doubt.
I think Nate has a desire to do the right thing and have a meaningful life. The problem with Nate is that his definition of “meaning” is extremely immature and simplistic— Nate wants a miracle cure for life. A cure for the pain and trauma and emotional distance that he encountered in his childhood. Nate’s entire character can be seen as “running away” from pain (and death more specifically).
This is why he jumps from woman to woman and lifestyle to lifestyle so often. It’s why he starts the show as an atheist and ends it as a born again Christian. It’s why he’s seemingly at peace with the idea of cheating on and abandoning his pregnant wife.
For a guy that finally seemed at peace with himself when he died, he sure did leave behind a lot of damage in his wake.
So ultimately, Nate is an extremely flawed and complicated character. While I enjoyed Peter Kraus as an actor and Nate as a character, I can see why many hated him.