» If Sharks Could Fly, They'd Be: Nathan Petrelli Options

[Slingblade]

You know what's prepostrous about this twist? It seems like TPTB's way of having their cake and eating it too. They can proudly puff their chest and go, "HA! You see! Nathan's really dead, for once we had a death on the show that STUCK!" (assuming real Nathan isn't coming back at some point, of course - we never saw what happened to the body, and I wouldn't be surprised if negative reactions to Sythan will cause them to change their minds). However, they've kept The Pasdar around, and in a way Nathan, because he lives on, sorta kinda, in Sythan - so Pasdar/Nathan fans may keep watching. So they killed Nathan, but... no. As TWoP's recappers often say - oh, show. Clever, clever show. Not.

I think they should have gone one of two ways. Nathan could have died for real, in a way that was actually a sacrifice necessary to defeat Sylar - as opposed to it actually being the reason Sylar's still alive (if Nathan wasn't dead, there'd be no reason to keep Sylar around to turn him into Sythan). And everyone would get to mourn him, and The Pasdar would regretfully be sent on his way, not because he doesn't kick ass but because his character's gone beyond redemption.
Or, they could have kept Nathan alive, but dealt with the consequences of what he's done rather than gloss it over - he would have acknowledged the enormity of his sins and spent a very long time atoning for them, without too much sympathy from Peter and Claire. But alas, they chose this Nathan Is Dead But Not Really route.

[Shangrila72]

I love both Nathan and Sylar and don't want either of them to leave the show. However if they are going to kill either of them off...I wish they would just KILL THEM OFF. I applaude them for wanting to pay fan service, but there comes a point where it is just ludicris.

I think they are trying to set up a scenario as with Niki/Jessica to see which personality is stronger and who will win.

So here is my prolem with that...there is no Nathan! He is dead! His soul is not there!

Maybe they will surprise me and this is not the storyline they are portraying. But quite frankly I think they have written themselves into a box!

[Temis the Vorta]

I am upset that Nathan has been killed off. Of course I am; he is one of my favorites. I just do not like the fact that he lives on in Sylar. It is not real and I hate it.

Yes, it is definitely grotesque, and even my ameoba idea wouldn't "solve" that. It's unsolvable. But I'm still interested in seeing where they take what is now a new character, distinct from either Nathan or Sylar.

[RadioGirl27]

I think they are trying to set up a scenario as with Niki/Jessica to see which personality is stronger and who will win.

So here is my prolem with that...there is no Nathan! He is dead! His soul is not there!

This interview with Adrian Pasdar seems to indicate that's what they are going to do.

But I have the same problem as you have Shangrila72. Nathan is dead, he is gone, he is not fighting with Sylar. If they had somehow implanted Nathan inside of Sylar it would be acceptable, but not this way, it's just ridiculous.

[Camera One]

Once Sylar regains his memories, maybe Nathan has a triplet brother Tracy who will appear. Then the male Tracy and the female Tracy can team up.

[Temis the Vorta]

The battle will actually be two sides of Sylar, fighting for dominance. It's just that the "good" side bears a striking physical and behavioral resemblance to Nathan

[MissDaffodil]

I still think Nathan...the REAL Nathan...will be back somehow.

[Shangrila72]

They have said Nathan's death is permanent. This was reiterated in the interview RadioGirl27 posted above by The Pasdar.

If they renig and bring him back it would kill any shot at regaining credibility they have left.

[MissDaffodil]

Again, I don't know how, but I do think we are going to end up with a Nathan AND a Sylar next season.

And here's another interview...interesting what they are joking about:

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheyd...923.html#cutid1

[pretorian]

Nathan is dead right now. But I think he'll be back. I don't know how but I'm sure the writers will think of something so we'll end up with 1 Nathan and 1 Sylar again.

I hope not. The only way this plot could have some resonance is if he's actually dead.

[Temis the Vorta]

If they renig and bring him back it would kill any shot at regaining credibility they have left.

Same here. I loved Nathan, but if he doesn't stay dead, he kills the show.

Again, I don't know how, but I do think we are going to end up with a Nathan AND a Sylar next season.

A Nathan and a Sylar. Probably a Nathan and the Sylar (I don't think his identity is being challenged), but not the Nathan who existed before the finale.

They could do the ameoba-splitting thing, Sylar-Nathan just needs to run across someone with that power.

This post has been edited by Temis the Vorta: May 3, 2009 @ 5:24 pm.

[RaptorEM]

As much as Peter loves to take Nathans ability to fly, I cant see him sticking with the shape shifting he took from Sylar. So whats gonna happen when he touches Nathan to get his ability back, and is like...WTF? I can totally see him touching Nathan and figuring it out, then it hits the fan! I bet Nathan figures out too and sacrifices himself to get Sylar killed for good too.

[MissDaffodil]

Raptor, I was thinking that too!! He LOVES to fly (or thinks its a pretty good power to have), and I keep picturing him touching Nathan, and not being able to fly. Maybe they'll think Sylar did irreparable harm or something to Nathan, or maybe Peter will figure out its not Nathan at that moment.

Regarding how Nathan is going to be Nathan again, I'm not sure...maybe the amoeba splitting thing, maybe a Nathan from 2005 will come into the future, maybe Sylar will give birth to Nathan, lol who knows?

[SophieBangs]

That was just depressing. I think I've rarely seen a character given a shabbier exit in all my years of watching tv. Having his death concealed from Peter and Claire (and indeed his sons but that's a whole new irritation) is just an insult and really just making it like they didn't lose a major character at all - and in a really miserable and graphic sad death too. And yeah, chalk up another viewer who *really* wondered what they did with Nathan's body. Somehow I'm thinking probably not given the Last Rites or anything, though even after them making a big deal of him and Angela being Catholic this season.

Just awful. And the notion of having whatever weird form of consciousness that is stitched together from those borrowed memories thinking it's (presumably) just somehow narrowly escaped death when all the while he's actually dead seems so disturbing. Within their world, I just feel so bad for him. For all his words about longing to make his father proud, all of his actual actions seemed geared to winning his mother's approval and love and that always seemed so qualified and ambiguously granted. And I see that continued right up to the end and beyond with Cristine really movingly conveying Angela's raw grief... then basically saying 'oh just stick his memories into this serial killer and that'll be just as good'. Somehow I think if the character could actually see all this he'd think sadly 'yeah, that seems about right, really'.

And I can just about buy Angela making this dumb decision whilst temporarily insane by grief but the notion of Matt and Noah going along with that, and then at the close of play being cool with him just going home to live Nathan's life as normal just stretches my credibility beyond breaking point.

I don't know - I'm somewhat cheered to see Adrian Pasdar is apparently genuinely happy about all this and I'm sure he will do good work. Certainly he does an endearingly rubbish job historically at faking excitement for dumb plot twists so I believe him here. I do want desperately to believe him that this isn't just totally shite and they haven't killed their show with this ridiculous plot twist.

[Temis the Vorta]

As much as Peter loves to take Nathans ability to fly, I cant see him sticking with the shape shifting he took from Sylar. So whats gonna happen when he touches Nathan to get his ability back, and is like...WTF?

I figure that Sylar stole Nathan's flying power (he doesn't actually need to cut open skulls anymore to take powers). Otherwise, what happens when Nathan himself tries to fly?

And Peter needs to will himself to take a specific power. If he only wills himself to take the flying power, would he be aware of all that other stuff in there? Would he sense it at some intuitive level and start to worry? If he suspects the truth, he'd have a quick way of confirming his fears unless Nathan stays at arm's length but that alone would be odd behavior from Nathan...

Angela could whomp up some explanation that Nathan's powers were artificial to begin with, and they're "wearing off," which could explain the lack of flying power if needed. But I suspect that there will be a different path to the ultimate revelation of the truth.