Nathan was a man claiming to be a passenger of Oceanic Flight 815. He became a member of the tail section group of survivors.
After a series of kidnappings, his suspicious behavior led Ana Lucia to believe he was not on the plane. This assumption then led her to believe he was one of the Others infiltrating the camp, providing a list for the abductors to take them. Libby and Cindy sided with Ana on this belief against Bernard and the actual infiltrator (or solely known infiltrator), Goodwin.
He was killed when his neck was broken by Goodwin, who later justified this by stating he wasn't on the list, and therefore, he wasn't a good person. ("The Other 48 Days") Because Goodwin mentioned the list in relation to passengers on the plane and Libby blamed her for his death citing her poor judgement, Ana Lucia then started to believe he had been a passenger all along and that she was wrong. ("Collision") ("The Whole Truth")
His body was relocated and never seen again. It is left ambiguous whether he really was a crash survivor or not, as there is no evidence he was at Sydney Airport or on the plane.
Before the crash
Nathan claimed he was in the tail section of the airplane at the time of the crash and was in the bathroom for most of the flight. Little is known about his life before boarding the plane, except that he stated he was on a company retreat in Australia and stayed behind to 'sight-see', and claimed to be from Canada, like Ethan. ("The Other 48 Days")
On the Island
Day 1
Nathan was first seen on The Island immediately after the crash in a brief, hidden cameo (Day 1) after Ana Lucia told Emma that they weren't in Los Angeles just yet.
Later that night, he slept with the other camp survivors. But they were awoken by strange noises and commotion of what was the first raid on the tail-section survivors.
When Ana Lucia was startled by this, Nathan looked over in the direction of Libby and Goodwin with intensive eyes.
He appeared to have some sort of familiarity with Goodwin's status as an Other. But his failure to mention anything about this is unexplained.
It is also possible he may have colluded with The Others. In this case, his ominous expression was not suspicion, but simply following plans and ensuring this is what was happening when his eyes met Goodwin's.
Later that same night, he was present when Eko presented his bloody hands after smashing the heads of 2 members of The Others.
Day 2
Nathan identified the disappearance of 3 people in the camp: the blonde guy, the curly haired one, and the German who was helping with the injured.
Flight attendant Cindy vouched for Nathan and Goodwin's desires to remain on the beach to get a signal fire started for rescue. He believed it was safer than venturing into the jungle. She also mentioned flying for 2 hours in the wrong direction, so the rescue team didn't know where to look.
Day 5
Nathan buried Donald, alongside Goodwin. ("The Other 48 Days") Later, Libby would take credit for having buried him instead. ("Dave")
Day 11
According to Ana Lucia on the night of the second raid, he was gone for 2 hours on this day. ("The Other 48 Days")
Day 12
Nathan was missing again for an unknown, extended timeframe. This furthered Ana Lucia's frustrations. When Ana Lucia asked where he was, he gave a smug grin, then answered that he simply had to go to the bathroom. She reminded him of their system, where they go in pairs to venture off into the jungle. After he apologized, Ana Lucia glared at him momentarily.
After the second kidnapping raid that night, Nathan looked unfazed by Jennifer the Other's corpse. He sat directly ahead of it when aiding in trying to produce a fire to ignite a signal.
He hovers behind Libby when Ana Lucia is in distress over the second raid. When she mentions a list found in Jennifer's pocket, Libby quickly looked back at him. Then Libby asked "A list of what?", to which Ana Lucia explained, "Nine. Of us."
Ana Lucia suddenly drilled Nathan about being gone the day before. Once more, he stated he was going to the bathroom. Libby demands that no matter who they are, they know where they are, so they need to leave the beach once and for all. Ana queries Goodwin about keeping the signal fire burning. To which Goodwin says, "I think it's time we put it out". Ana Lucia looks back at Nathan sternly.
Day 13—14
Nathan's ear had been bleeding for unknown reasons by Day 15 during the 3 day trek from their original camp to their travels in the jungle. As it was not bleeding on the night of Day 12, it possible he received this injury as early as Day 13.
Day 15
Nathan washed the blood off from his ear in the river. He chose not to follow Ana's orders to stop for 5 minutes and instead stated he would stay and set camp where they had stationed temporarily. Ana reluctantly agrees to do so. Libby gives her an ominous glare for agreeing to his request.
Day 17
Ana Lucia had already begun digging up her Tiger Pit because she believed at least one of the people in her camp was one of them (The Others).
During this process, Libby approached her to incriminate Nathan whom she herself had grown suspicious of. She also stated that Nathan creeped her out.
Day 19
On this day, Nathan had been showing Bernard Nadler his ability to catch a rabbit. Ana Lucia's suspicion that Nathan was "one of them" led her to march up to him, kick him in the face, then throw him into the pit. It is left unknown what happened to compel her certainty about this. It is possible an unexplained event on Day 18 provoked her actions.
During Ana's case against him, Cindy supported Ana and Libby's claims, stating she did not recall him on the plane and she is good with faces of the passengers.
After this, Nathan spent 4 days in the pit and continued to maintain his innocence, though never communicated this as such when Ana Lucia questioned him.
Day 21
Juliet mentioned to Ben during the dinner party that everyone on the list from the tail-section had been recruited. ("The Other Woman")
Day 23
While in the pit, Nathan survived due to someone giving him food. When Ana Lucia questions Eko, she seems to infer it is likely him. Due to his frustrated grunt and storming off after the accusation.
But due to his vow of silence, it's left ambiguous whether this is a moral dispute based on how far they are willing to go into being inhumane, or a character dispute, due to Eko having killed two of the Others. Which means, he may have actually felt that it should not be questioned he would take care of the enemy who hurt their friends and the young children.
Goodwin sends Nathan off with fruit the next day, suggesting it may have been him. And Libby, who is seen generous in offering food in the episode to an isolated Eko is another candidate for having fed Nathan.
- In a deleted scene, Libby also supplied Sawyer water in the pit before she was certain he was on Flight 815. Which may imply it was intended to be her.
After Ana Lucia promised to begin cutting Nathan's fingers off the next day, Goodwin freed Nathan, then killed him by breaking his neck. ("The Other 48 Days")
Post-death
Day 24
Nathan's body was moved. It is unknown what happened to it, if Goodwin was responsible for moving it himself, or if someone else did it. He seems genuinely concerned upon seeing the body's relocation. ("The Other 48 Days")
Day 27
Goodwin later defended his actions by claiming Nathan was "not a good person", which is why he was not on the list. He also suggested that, if Ana Lucia tortured Nathan and he still didn't confess, she might finally start to believe he was telling the truth and look for other suspects, putting Goodwin at risk of being discovered.
Day 48
When Ana Lucia shot Shannon and Libby wanted to leave and join the fuselage survivor camp, Libby reminded her of Nathan. She stated that his fate was proof Ana Lucia was not the best judge of character, and blamed her for his death (despite Libby's own role to play in making a case against him several times). ("Collision")
Day 60
Ana Lucia told a Henry Gale impersonator that she never makes the same mistake twice. She told him about digging up a hole and throwing a man in it who she was 100% convinced wasn't on the plane. Who is now dead. At this point, Ana somehow changed her mind, now believing she had it wrong and instead now believed Nathan was on the plane.
When "Henry" heard Ana made a mistake and the person (Nathan) was now dead, he appeared shocked and uncomfortable. ("The Whole Truth")
Day 63
In the role of "Henry Gale", Ben told Ana Lucia that she killed two good people who were leaving her alone as he choked and tried to kill her. ("Two for the Road") The first is Jennifer though the second is questionable given the uncertainty of Goodwin's status as an Other.
It may be Nathan (if he was an Other); Ben would blame Ana Lucia for setting up the events for what caused his death. And because Goodwin was put on a suicide mission intended to discard him for his extramarital affair with Juliet, Goodwin may have already or later been disqualified or banished as one of The Others. ("A Tale of Two Cities") ("The Other Woman") Especially with his body being left to rot for over a week, and not being picked up for burial in The Others' way, like Colleen's funeral. Whereas Nathan's body immediately went missing the very next day.
If he was an off-Island Other like Jill and Eloise, then perhaps Goodwin was not so familiar with him. So calling him a bad person by his name's omission from the list may have been unintentional instead of a mind-game, and ironic.
Or it may simply be Goodwin himself that Ben is referring to, despite Ben's own responsibility for his death. (By puppet-stringing his circumstances to be killed in contradiction). This would be considered a mind-game of his. In which case, Nathan was not indirectly mentioned here. ("Two for the Road") ("The Other Woman")
Trivia
- Of the main characters, the only characters Nathan is known to have met are Ana Lucia, Eko, Libby and Bernard.
- He identifies as Canadian, though has an American accent.
- Witnesses of death: Goodwin Stanhope
- Last words: "Which way's the beach?"
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
|---|
|
- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Nathan/Theories
- Why was Nathan so secretive; why didn't he defend himself?
- Why was he "not a good person" (as Goodwin said)?
- Apart from going to the bathroom, why else was Nathan out in the jungle for two hours?
- What caused his ear to bleed?
- Why was he snarky to Ana Lucia about a basic question asking where he went to?
| ||||||||||||||||
