Character Arc
Nate Jacobs is the golden boy of East Highland — star athlete, conventionally handsome, from a wealthy family — and one of the most terrifying antagonists in recent television. Beneath his polished surface lies a volatile young man warped by toxic masculinity, repressed sexuality, and the traumatic discovery of his father Cal's secret sexual encounters, which Nate stumbled upon as a child.
Nate's need for control manifests in every relationship he enters. His on-again, off-again relationship with Maddy Perez is marked by jealousy and emotional abuse. His catfishing of Jules Vaughn reveals a conflicted inner life he refuses to acknowledge. His interactions with Cassie Howard in Season 2 demonstrate how he weaponizes affection as another form of manipulation.
What makes Nate compelling rather than merely villainous is the show's willingness to explore the root causes of his behavior. The fantasized sequences revealing his internal life — his obsession with masculinity, his confusion about his own sexuality, his relationship with his father — suggest a person who might have been different under different circumstances.
Nevertheless, Nate consistently chooses cruelty. His decision to turn his own father in to the police in the Season 2 finale is framed not as justice but as the ultimate power move — Nate removing the one person who had power over him, regardless of the collateral damage.
