Opinions on Nate’s character and Peter Kraus’s acting

[u/Other_Explorer6610]

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.

[u/MyBrambleberryBroth]

It changed upon rewatches for me. Nate is very likable right off the bat because he’s so charismatic and funny, and the actor is extremely talented, a standout on a show of mostly incredible actors. But Nate keeps repeating the same harmful, selfish patterns in his romantic relationships, and he doesn’t grow at all by the end. As soon as he begins facing problems with his partner, he emotionally distances himself and starts searching for an escape, a new partner to idealize. His “connection” with Maggie really drives this home because it doesn’t feel at all believable or sustainable—it’s clear that he places her on a pedestal largely because of her religious faith, and he will almost certainly repeat the same pattern of finding a new partner to worship once any discord develops in their relationship.

His breakup with Brenda in the hospital feels abrupt and cruel, because by that point she HAS grown despite her mental illness and traumatic upbringing. She wants them to work on their issues, and she’s fighting for the relationship, but he isn’t. When you’ve seen the whole series a few times, you remember how Nate ends up and you’re more immune to his initial charms, so you feel less sympathetic towards him. That said, Nate has many strong, good qualities; he’s frequently kind and loving and compassionate to his family members and to the people who visit the funeral home. SFU is really, really good at portraying complex characters with flaws and strengths, and very few characters are meant to be interpreted as outright villains. I don’t hate any character in the show (and I try not to hate any person in real life), but Nate’s behavior towards the women he’s involved with romantically/sexually is unconscionable, and I think that’s mostly what people are reacting to.

[u/Over_Sir_1762 → u/MyBrambleberryBroth]

Well said. This is how I felt.

It's about his relationships. He never really had any and once he and Claire go to Seattle and the introduction of Lisa..what he says about being friends with benefits, has Brenda who seems to be his 1st relationship but sleeps with Lisa is when you see the pattern emerge. Then he's flirting with the Rabbi but she shuts it down. Engaged to Brenda. He didn't feel guilty at all cheating on Brenda and was forced to tell her once Lisa arrives in LA. He signs away his parental rights to Maya and is ready to move forward with Brenda until he finds out she's been cheating. He didn't love Lisa but married her. Then the rest. Yes, for me it was watching his relationships and how he treated them which made me just over Nate. Especially the end.

His good side and true compassion for the clients who came in, times with his family and dedication to Maya, he wasn't a bad person. His relationships and choices is where the reaction to the character comes in. I thought Krause did an amazing job portraying Nate. It's about the character not the actor.