It was pretty quick. Was Jamie’s father in rehab or a hospital because he’s sick?
I’m thinking rehab because next to the tv is a big poster that’s cut off a bit but looks like it says something like “Progress not perfection.” And no one there looks outwardly sick, fwiw. Plus, his dad looks better there than he did the last we saw him, or at least cleaner
His buddies definitely used the past tense to describe him, but since they were drinking maybe they meant the old version of him, the drinking one.
Maybe she’s not really from Poland? She seems to be the girlfriend from Canada. 
I didn’t catch that at all. Heck, took me the longest time to figure out who the woman was he was visiting.
I thought maybe he hadn’t told his drinking buddies, and they thought him dead. Or they just weren’t aware he could watch football in rehab.
This comment is quite strange because after the end of the 2nd season many people were pointing out all the signs of Nate being a prick were there from the beginning, early on in S1, and therefore his heel turn was not a surprise. Lots of takes were shared that he was the ‘nice guy’ who as soon as he got any power was a dick.
It appears to me that there is a really a Schrodinger’s Nate and whatever he is up to now is who he always has been 
.
As noted though, the Richmond players don’t know anything about his interactions with Rupert. All they know is that he left them in the lurch and then he ripped up the sign - which caused them to get so mad that they lost their minds. Some of them may know that he apologized to Will. But to get unanimous approval? I’d imagine that at least half would have a had a Beard like reaction.
I don’t think that’s actually good storytelling, to say that oh it’s been months in the show, so they don’t have to show what’s changed with the players. I’d imagine a year after being betrayed, I’d still be pissed at someone.
I can accept that a character can change more than once. He was an awkward guy with no power, who had dickish tendancies, and was frequently put upon by dicks with more power. He got more power, became a bigger dick, and then realized that he’d become like the people who’d previously picked on him. When he tried to stop being a dick the awkward side came out, so now he was an embarrassed fool everybody paid attention to, instead of the embarrassed fool people ignored. He’s also having regular sex for (probably) the first time in his life.
Anyway, I thought the show has done a reasonable job of showing Nate move through his development, and it makes sense to me. However, I agree it’s done a very bad job of showing why the players would want him back. Of course Ted would give him a second chance, it’s shown why Beard forgives him, and Rebecca will hire him if Ted asks, but last we saw the players were furious with him.
Someplace, perhaps immediately after ditching Rupert at the club, there should have been a scene where Nate breaks down to one of the Richmond players. I think it’s fine the players want him back, but yes, there needs to be an explanation of why it’s unanimous. One of the players being his advocate would accomplish that, even if that part still happens offscreen.
I do wish there was more fleshing out of that. We saw him being a dick to his players - It would have been good to see some negative consequence to that and then Nate realizing, oh shit I’m becoming who I’ve always hated. And I don’t think Rupurt trying to get him to cheat on Jade really did that. The way it was presented was more like a seesaw effect.
Or even Nate doing or saying something nice for either Ted or a Richmond player. In interviews and after their first match against each other, Nate just shits on Ted and Richmond in public. If someone was to say something later negative and Nate was to defend Ted as a coach or the Richmond team, I could see a better thawing.
At first when the players showed up I was thinking the team wanted him back as assistant kit man, so then everybody could dump on him. Of course that wouldn’t happen on this show, but it makes more sense from where we last saw the players’ regards for Nate.
On a different topic. Several times in this thread there have been things on the show that are just for comedy, such as the genital strings, which some people don’t like because they find the bit too silly and unrealistic (or just not funny). Dani’s aggression towards Van Damme seems silly, and was portrayed as comically over the top. Van Damme now represents the viewers who don’t like the silly parts, and think they detract from the show. Dani has just moved on, it was a silly thing done for the viewers’ laughs, and is of no additional consequence to him. (Blah, blah, shifting loyalties and allegiance, the cut throat nature of pro sports, whatever.)
My take on Nate is that he was severely damaged by his father, who was overbearing, didn’t have nice things to say about his accomplishments, and kept cutting him down in a mistaken belief that this is what would drive him to excellence.
Instead, Nate became unsure of himself, took a job as a kit man even though he was brilliant, etc. When he was finally given some power and respect, he tried to act like his Dad, cutting people down and minimizing their accomplishments. He then picked Rupert as a role model, leading to further bad behaviours.
The change in Nate came when he finally got the courage to ask out Jade, and she accepted. Then he confronted his Dad, and they reached an epiphane’ about Dad’s behaviour. Then he discovered the truth about Rupert and stopped caring what Rupert thought.
Now Nate can accept that he behaved like an ass before, and that Ted is a much better role model than Dad, and he wants to make amends and reset his life. Jade is a very good influence on him.
Absolutely Nate’s issues are related to his father, as are many of Ted’s and Jamie’s. I saw an interview with James Lance, who plays Trent Crimm. He described a conversation he had with Jason Sudeikis after appearing in the first episode, and being told that the show was very much about “bad dads.”
Well, I don’t know if I was one of those people. If there is one thing I think we all know from TV and movie threads it’s that everyone has their own ideas about every last thing. I know I’ve been wrong about my guesses in the past. Allegedly.
I get the joke, but I don’t see it that way. I think it’s just evidence that Nate is complex character. He is a nice awkward guy who has budding tendencies to be a prick, is given the chance to go full prick, but for a variety of reasons realizes he just isn’t that full prick. He might still have have the prick tendencies, though, I can get behind that. But he definitely isn’t Spitting Nate either. Maybe he’s sort of the Darth Vader of this story; starts off a good but vulnerable guy who broke bad, then redeemed himself. Still one episode left for him to throw Rupert down the shaft.
I think it’s the apology to Will that is the impetus for the team asking Nate to come back. Granted, it’s understated as a reason, insofar as we don’t even see him tell anyone, but this has turned into an exceptionally accepting team. None of them believed in Ted, now they love him. Everyone hated Jamie, now they love him. If we’re judging from a real world standpoint, I think it would be extremely unlikely (unfortunately) that an entire professional football club would be ok having a gay man on their team and in their locker room, but they all love Colin.
Come to think of it, the most likely answer is that he entered the Witness Protection Program for Man City supporters who switched their allegiance to Richmond. That wasn’t rehab, that was a safe house.
Well, almost time for the finale. Here’s hoping it’s a good one.
Thanks everyone for this discussion thread. I started it in July 2020, and in the first 10 months there were 8 posts, 4 of which were mine. Things picked up a bit after that. 
A couple more things. 1. Nike posted a little video:
- Brendan Hunt posted in a tweet that the episode will be released at 9:00 pm Pacific time. If you’re like me and have gotten used to the episodes releasing a few hours early, make note that won’t be happening tonight.
Just got finished watching the finale. Nothing too terribly earth-shaking; everybody gets a happy ending (except Rupert, of course).
Did anybody else like the Cheers Easter egg with Mae adjusting the picture of Geronimo next to her bar?
To the folks who thought Nate was a prick from the get go, can you expound? I was not aware that’s a popular opinion and was very surprised when my sister, who got me to watch it in the first place - thanks sis! - told me she hates Nate and knew he was a dick from the beginning. I never saw it. I even rewatched the first season specifically looking for it and I just don’t get it.
They sure tie up their bows tight in West London. Except one. Is the Ghanaian billionaire no longer holding a grudge? How did Sam get on the Nigerian national team.
There are a few moments here and there in season 1. When Nate roasts the team, it’s mostly played for laughs, but he does seem to revel in belittling some of the players, Colin in particular. Even the very first time Nate meets Ted, he starts by yelling at him about the grass before realizing he’s talking to the new coach. For me, it feels like a retcon people make after watching season 2, but there are a few things there.
I’ve seen a few people comment that that whole final montage is Ted’s dream on the plane. I don’t think that really holds up, but it maybe explains things like how Sam got on the team, or why Ted’s not at Beard’s wedding.
“If we see each other in our dreams, let’s goof around a little bit, pretend like we don’t know each other.”
I hadn’t thought of that but my wife and I both commented about how that sure was a long plane ride.