Was it just me or did Nathan actually able to get the painting for Peter and then went to Peter's apartment and told him that he wasn't able to?

He thanks linderman like crazy and it sounded like he got the painting for peter.. but why did he tell him no? Nathan seems shady.

comments? or did i just hear wrong?

No, it certainly seemed that way to me as well. One of the last things Nathan said to him on the phone was "to the gallery," so I assumed he had secured the painting. I found it very odd that he then told Peter that he didn't, I'm sure it'll be explained soon enough.

Nathan echoed the location of the picture back to Linderman. It sounds like Nathan knows where the painting is.

Nathan is trying to keep the upper hand with Peter.

All we need is to have Peter spill the beans to Nathan's wife about Niki.

What's the real use of Nathan keeping the picture from Peter some might ask? Maybe we'll know exact answer next week. I still think that Nathan hasn't fully come to grips with what is going on yet. He needs to get a into a serious one on one with Peter so Peter can explain to him what's REALLY going on.

I think that perhaps Nathan want's to see it first, in case it might mix him in. Maybe part of him is hoping it'll distract Peter for a while.

Then again, maybe he's trying to squash Peter's dream of "Saving the world" for his own needs. Hard to get ellected for Congress if your brothers running around chasing a cheerleader from a painting of the future.

Yeah, that didn't make sense to me. All Peter has to do is tell Nathan's wife that he wasn't helping Peter out in Las Vegas, and Nathan would be in a hell hole. So way who Nathan tell Linderman where to send the painting and then tell Peter that Linderman wouldn't give it up.

I am still unsure where Nathan's real alliance lies right now. I don't really think he'll end up being a bad guy, but more of a hindrance in the development of Peter's abilities.

And after all... he is a Politician, he's gotta be crooked somehow.

It's a long shot but do you think Nathan's wife can walk? She said that one day she would be able to walk if she has hope. The way she acted during the brunch, she is very perceptive and it looks like someone who could put on a very good act.

Like she will be involved in blackmailing Nathan when she finds out about the affair and Nathan's ability.

Maybe Nathan wants to hold it over Peter's head until he wins the election. Kinda to make sure he doesn't act up.

At the moment, the only one Nathan cares about is himself, so he is gonna try and keep Peter in check by securing for himself what Peter wants. Hopefully soon Nathan's character will change for the better, but right now, he is a poopoo head.

I think Nathan may want it for himself to try and make sense of things. And by not telling Peter he's acquired the ability to keep Peter on a leash.

Nathan wants to win.

Nathan feels guilty about driving the car that put his wife in a wheelchair. He told Peter that the only reason he was with Niki is to be with a woman without feeling guilty.

He didnt tell his wife because she needs hope, its that simple. After she told him that, what is he going to say.. uh yeah I slept with another woman and you dont have any hope now.

I believe that Nathan is overall good, but he is a politician and he wants to win the election, and so far looks as though he will do anything to do that.

He also doesnt think that his flying is anything special as he told Peter. "Its not like I can fly in and do anything, I dont use a gun, I dont know martial arts or anything, what am I going to do go around saving cats out of trees?"

So he has a tough time dealing with it right now.

yeah i thought that was weird. nathan has to be trained, and pretty damn well i would hope. in his capaign commercial it says that he served in 3 conflicts. he has to have gun training, as well as hand to hand combat. they just kind of forgot about nathan's war accolaids.

Maybe Nathan wanted to keep the painting to check what was so important with it before handing it over to his brother. I think the last thing Nathan wants to do is feed his brothers desire to "save the world".

I think the last thing Nathan wants, is to be embarrased. He's to into himself. I do like the fact that his brother is a bigger man and has his back.
His wife doesn't look like anybodies fool also. It's going to get interesting

Whatever ... the whole thing is a huge continuity error. Every gallery I've ever dealt with in the past 10+ years has photos of everything they buy and sell. The specialized insurance companies that deal with galleries demand it. There's four or five pieces of software for art galleries that has this as a feature.

In real life if Simone had taken the piece she'd have fully catalogued it ... including a very good (high resolution) photo. All Peter needs is to ask her for her record of it and he'd have it.

Sigh. Real life just gets so much in the way, huh?

I gotta agree with some of the others whereas...we all need to remember that these are people who are incredibly new to their powers (although we're uncertain how long Nathan has really known). Nathan is inherently a politician and does not want to draw any negative attention to himself. Also remember this is not the first time Nathan has lied; he deliberately lied about Peter's mental health to the media in order to save his own hide...he's not looking out for anyone but himself, and he's gonna do anything he has to, to ensure that this painting will not in someway incriminate him. I think we'll see it pop up in the next episode or two.

I think Nathan is just trying to prevent Peter from drawing attention to the family in negative ways, like traipsing around trying to save the world and getting into trouble.

Nathan views Peter as a loose cannon, so he has to treat him gently, but at the same time, not give him what he wants. Like you would do with an unstable person. [note the frequent references to Peter's mental health].

I think in the end...he will have a huge battle with the lines of good vs evil. He's going down a slippery slope of deception and if he doesnt get a hold of who he wants to be morally he may be lost for awhile. I think he'll continue to be selfish and have shady dealings with shady people until something forces him to be honest and except his responsibilities to be a hero. Possibly his brother/mother/wife/niki will get into some trouble and he'll have to save them. The act of doing something good will let him see how much power he has.

I don't think Peter ever told him that the painting would help him save the world. He only told Simone.

I actually think that Nathan is scared of a LOT more than just not conforming or having his political career wrecked, and that this episode was a big hint that he's not just shallow and selfish. Yes, he's doing a lot of dishonest things. But they revealed that Nathan himself is in some way responsible for his wife's crippling injury -- in other words, he has already deeply hurt one of the people who mattered to him most, so he's wildly overcompensating now. I think he honestly believes that if his abilities and Peter's are revealed, they will end up in a psych ward at best, locked up in some government laboratory at worst. Therefore, Nathan is doing whatever he has to do (paint Peter as a suicidal depressive, hide the painting that his brother has fixated on) in order to keep the world, and for that matter Peter, from learning anything else. It's not right -- he's definitely being dishonest and negative -- but I think they demonstrated in this episode where that's coming from for Nathan. He'll hide the painting to keep Peter from going off on his wild crusade, if he can.

I also thought Nathan made a very good point about flying alone not being all that useful. (And how does his war record change that? What, flying wildly through the air with a gun but no idea of what's going on -- that's supposed to be helpful?) And I think that line linked in with what Hiro said when he had to save D.L., that superstrength would be nice. The thing is, none of our Heroes have anything like Superman's ability to change things and do good. Only when you put several of them together can they replicate that kind of ability -- cooperation between them is going to be the key. Maybe putting together different teams is sort of like assembling a different superhero for each task, you know?

I think he wants to see the painting before Peter does, and this way he can see if there is something to what Peter is saying.

For once I actually think he didn't lie. He didn't get the painting. The dialogue is rather ambiguous, but what I got from it was that Linderman sent it directly to his(?) gallery and that's why Peter couldn't get it (And really, if I was Linderman, and Nathan had just smarmed me out of 4 million? I wouldn't give him as much as a toothpick, not to mention a painting.). And that Nathan appreciated that Linderman had given up some of his precious time to look what happened to the painting, not that he thanked him for handing it over.

Nathan did tell him about the failed kidnapping attempt, though. I don't think Nathan is going against peter. I think he wants to make since out of it just as much as Peter does. He was at least talking to him about it. Usually he totally dismisses it and walks away. I don't know if he wants it for a good reason, but I do think he wants to see the painting just as bad.

Well said! That's largely what I had been thinking...and now I don't have to type it! Thanks!

As far as Nathan goes, he is certainly one of the more complex characters on the show, IMO, and it will be very interesting to see if he ever takes a side. As a politician, he has to straddle the fence because he owes so many people. That will make his journey a difficult one.

If Nathan is lying about the painting, my guess is it's to protect his brother. His last words to his brother before leaving his apartment were to be careful. (Hence, the story about HRG and MBG.) Nathan knows that Peter is prone to doing things without thinking it through. Nathan wants to protect Peter (and that protection is two-fold: One, because they're brother. Two, there's an election.), and by keeping the painting from him, at least a little while longer, will allow Nathan to keep Peter from doing anything too rash.

I don't think Nathan is evil. He's just a politician.

I really don't think that Nathan's wife believed him. She sure didn't look like she believed him. I think that Nathan wants to see the painting first and try to figure out what is so important. he was trying to warn his brother about the guys that tried to kidnap him... they could also try to kidnap Peter...

I think Nathan will get the painting and he lied to Peter. To protect him and to protect himself/his election. But first and foremost, to stop Peter at his attempt to save the world and probably kill himself in the process or get captured. Keep in mind it happened to Nathan and he has a point. He knows that some know and try to get to them. He has every reason to believe that Peter is on a path to great danger.

I couldn't agree more...

Also if you are a big brother you are more likely to understand Nathan... there is no way he's going to risk Peter's life at the hands of HRG and "creepy Euro dude"

I think this actually shows a lot more depth to Nathan.

Something I haven't heard mentioned in this thread...

Remember when Nathan showed up at Peter's door. Peter answers the door, and the first thing he says is something like "You have to tell her the truth about Vegas".

Nathan could have been ready to tell Peter about where the painting is (or is going to be), in that gallery. But Peter's first comment put him on the defensive, and a typical sibling argument started.

This episode also shows:

He does care about his wife.

At first, she blamed him for her injuries.
He still blames himself for her injuries.

He has know about flight for a while, and is comfortable with the fact that he can.

He doesn't view himself as heroic (probably because of guilt over his wife as well). Whoopie, he can fly..and how does that help? So far the only thing it's been good for is to run away. Muc h better to try to help by being what he is..a politician.

He cares about Peter, and wants him to stay out of trouble. As a big brother, he still goes too far to protect him.

And finally, maybe Peter's power had a little to do with the lie. We know he can do things when around other heroes. He was drawn into nursing. Maybe he's more of an Empath, and caused Nathan to feed off of his mood. As an Empath he would know the right thing to say to comfort a patient (or his daughter...), but also the wrong thing to say if he was looking for a fight.