Understanding Nathan’s Psychology in Canon: Ep. 3's Diner Scene
I strongly believe this conversation is one of the most illuminating into Nathan's psyche, because it's our only long-form, one-on-one discussion we have with Nathan canonically. So let’s dive in!
Let's start off with the heavy-hitter:
Such a quick line, yet it reveals so much about his mind at that moment in time. Nathan immediately mistakes Max for Rachel Amber — someone he (knowingly) participated in the murder of. What is particularly odd about this moment is how he reacts with initial pleasant surprise, followed by intense aggression and denial when he realizes that the person standing before him is not who he thought she was. It calls into question: would he really be immediately pleased to see someone who should be dead walking around in broad daylight?
What is particularly striking about this moment is how this reveals how much Rachel occupied space in his mind. He was hypervigilant to spot Rachel in forms that looked vaguely like her. (Her shirt, buffalo plaid, is one of the most common styles of plaid, especially in rural America, so it doesn't necessarily scream association with a certain person — nor does Rachel look that similar to Max.) His rapid visual association could also hint at how close Rachel was with Nathan (or, how much he thought they were).
But going back to his reaction of pleasant surprise followed by intense rage: according to common interrogation techniques used by the law in the United States, murderers react in one of few ways to being accused of murder: denial, deception, or aggression. And while Nathan is not being accused in this very moment, his reaction can easily be read into as all three. (We'll circle back to this later.)
This brings me to the possibilities regarding what happened to Nathan the night Rachel died:
Nathan does not remember with full lucidity what happened that night, and is actually pleased to see Rachel — because part of him genuinely believed that there was a possibility she was still alive.
Nathan does remember what happened, but is in denial or feeling guilt about it, hence why he is initially pleased to think he sees Rachel — because it removes his own guilt and fear that he killed Rachel — only to become irate when he realizes that it is not, in fact, Rachel, back from the dead, and his guilt remains.
Nathan is fully psychopathic and does not care that Rachel died.
Let's break them down in further detail:
#1: Nathan does not remember what happened the night Rachel died
I see this option as a potential possibility, given how Nathan was known to abuse his prescription and recreational drugs:
Another option is if Jefferson drugged Nathan during the photoshoot with Rachel. Though this appears somewhat implied by the odd pose that Nathan is in in the photo, if this were more directly confirmed, it would make this a strong contender to support the theory that Nathan could not remember the night with Rachel in full clarity. Enough to remember moments and flashes, sure — maybe Rachel's screams, literal flashes of the photoshoot, and her limp body on the Dark Room floor — but not enough to know with certainty that Rachel died. This is especially made compelling by the psychiatrists' notes that Nathan was known to be "disconnected from reality" — and why did Jefferson have a copy of this email printed out in the Dark Room, anyway? To leverage this knowledge against Nathan? Would it be to keep him in the dark or to hold as leverage over him?
The letter from Nathan to Jefferson which remains in the game files is evidence to suggest the contrary, but since it is not included in the game canonically, option #1 cannot be written off merely due to the existence of this asset. Perhaps the developers wanted to leave Nathan's willingness to participate more ambiguous for this exact reason.
The strongest evidence against Nathan not remembering this night (which approaches interpretation territory) is suggested by Nathan's very own behavior following his slip: his pattern of aggression and deception fit perfectly into the patterns of behavior expected of someone aware of their own criminality. This is not decisive evidence, but it leans us in the direction of Nathan being aware of his own complicity.
Another piece of evidence that leans into interpretation is Jefferson's personality and relationship with Nathan. Knowing how much control Jefferson liked to exert over any given situation, particularly his illegal activities, I personally cast doubt on how likely it is that Jefferson would "allow" Nathan to forget the murder he helped participate in.
This would be an excellent way to keep Nathan under his control: remind him that they are in this crime together, and therefore tell Nathan there is no hope for him to turn on Jefferson and report to the authorities. However, this is never confirmed by Jefferson.
#2: Nathan does remember what happened, but remains in denial/feels guilt
I see this option as a likely possibility.
Knowing that you participated in the murder of someone you were at least acquaintances with can be very distressing, especially if you see reminders of them all around a place you are required to be daily.
And seeing how antsy and practically panicked Nathan appears the moment anything slips out of his control — suggests that he knows he has something to hide:
Nathan is also incredibly quick to weaponize the seeming allegiance of the law to his family name against Max. Why is his instinct to always prove the law is on his side?
Unless, of course, just like how his reaction to seeing Max reveals how much Rachel occupies his headspace — his obsession with the law and how it can protect him also exposes his own feelings of guilt, and therefore what cards he has (the police, his 'personal lawyer') — so they are constantly on his mind, too.
#3: Nathan is psychopathic and does not care about Rachel's death
I believe this to be the least likely case of all the other options. First, looking at his immediate behavior: his reaction is to deflect ("Oh look, 'Max Amber'"), distract with a juvenile insult about Max's appearance ("Nice outfit", "Looks like ass on you"), and to turn to rage on a dime ("Oh yeah? You shouldn't have bitch-snitched on me to that fucked up principal", or "No worries. 'Cause you're the one trying to fake it till you make it").
All these reactions suggest a desire to quickly (and messily) shift the conversation away from Rachel. This points to how likely it was a verbal slip on his part to bring her up — suggesting he was operating on emotion, not cold rationality.
If Nathan were fully callous and emotionally detached, he likely would have possessed more levelheadedness here: he would not have gotten so emotional so quickly or tried to cover his verbal tracks so messily. I'm not sure I even need to delve again into how the voicemail he left Max disproves his lack of conscience (or at the very least, his psychopathy).
And looking more at his behavior past this one moment, Nathan is known to have “erratic outbursts” followed by “remorse and repentance”.
We also have Nathan's "Rachel in the Dark Room" scrawls — which, if following the pattern of recklessness and guilt afterwards, could be read as a manifestation of his guilt — and his awareness of his complicity.
Though none of this can be known with absolute certainty, what we can say is that the developers left this intentionally ambiguous. For the purposes of deliberately confusing the player in the mystery of the plot, yes, but also to leave the character of Nathan Prescott up to personal interpretation for the player.
I personally believe that it was most likely that the developers intended for #2 to be canon: for Nathan to know that he participated in Rachel’s murder that night, but for him to feel intense guilt and fear of repercussions (from the law and Jefferson). However, I personally find option #1 very compelling, too, because I like exploring the depths of Nathan’s mental instability, his drug abuse, Jefferson’s coercive tactics — and Nathan not knowing what truly happened and this haunting him lends itself too a deeper, more complex character. (The emotionally tortured gremlin within steeples my fingers at this idea, okay?)
That's all I have in me for tonight. I'll break down his reactions to Max's actions in the Principal's office, as well as her direct questioning next. Coming soon!🫶
