Happy Friday! As we do every Friday, I focus on someone I love and admire. Most of the time it's real-life people, but once in a while I'll write about a fictional character I absolutely adore. Today is one of those days!
Nick Jonas as Nate Kulina, Kingdom (2014-2017)
Let's talk about fictional MMA fighter, Nate Kulina. Nate is portrayed by Nick Jonas in the show, Kingdom. I'll be honest, Kingdom is not a show I would have watched in a million years had I not gone through Nick's filmography, but I did end up enjoying the show. Mostly for his performance. Please keep in mind I have not watched the show in over a year so I may get details wrong or forget to mention a plot or two.
WARNING: Mentions of drug use, overdose, drugging, sexual assault, violence
Kingdom SPOILER AHEAD!!!
Jay (Jonathan Tucker), Nate, and Alvey (Frank Grillo) Kulina
Nate is introduced as the second son of Alvey Kulina who owns Navy St. gym where a handful of local MMA fighters train. Alvey is Nate's trainer. Nate is a fighter and a pretty good one at that. I believe he wins a big fight in the first episode before getting jumped by a gang for something Alvey had done at the start of the episode. Nate is brutally beaten, needing stitches in his head and is out of commission from fighting for a few weeks if not months. During this time, we see his very sweet relationship with his older brother, Jay, and his complicated relationship with his mother, Christina who is a recovering addict and prostitute.
We also get to see Nate's relationship with his dad's girlfriend, Lisa - played by the incredibly talented Kiele Sanchez. Nate and Lisa's friendship is my FAVORITE thing about the show. All of their scenes together are my favorite. Nate lets himself be vulnerable and soft with Lisa. He clearly cares about her a lot and their friendship is one of the strongest on the show - second only to Nate and Jay's relationship. There is a scene where Nate is helping Lisa pack her car before going on maternity leave. Neither of them has to say the words "I love you" because it comes out in the way they speak to each other and the way they care for one another. It's in the hug they share. It's in the mouth guard he gifts her that says "MAMA". It's in the way Nate promises to water her plants and the way she tells him he better call and bother her. Nate and Lisa clearly love each other in a platonic or even a familial way.
I really do hope Nick and Kiele get to work together again in the future because I really loved the way they played off each other with their characters. I have much more to say about their characters' relationship later in the post.
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| Christina (Joanna Going) and Nate Kulina |
Nate's relationships with both of his parents are rocky. He clearly loves and cares about them, but it is SO complicated. Nick's performance both in how he delivered his lines and his body language very much captured the complexities within these relationships. Nate is closer to Alvey both because that his trainer and Alvey was a single dad to Jay and Nate for quite a long time. Christina had abandoned them when Nate was young. When Jay brings Christina back into their lives, Nate is extremely hesitant to welcome her with open arms. She's practically a stranger to him at that point and she also came with a long list of problems. His walls are up for a very good reason and who could blame him.
One night, after Jay wins a fight, the brothers come home to find Christina having overdosed on heroin. Fortunately, they are able to bring her back from the brink of death, but not without Nate giving her a very real and honest speech. He tells her that he's "not gonna lose [my] brother over [her]." It's one of Nate's most vulnerable moments because he clearly is hurt, but he continues to be cautious with her, and he is just honest. He does eventually make up with Christina and the two mend their relationship.
Nate is the glue that keeps the Kulina family together. He is the middleman between Alvey and Jay for a large part of season one. He tries to mend their relationship and eventually does. Nate and Jay need each other in such a strong perhaps even co-dependent way.
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| Jay and Nate Kulina |
Nate is raised in a hyper-masculine world and that goes on to play into his main storyline of being a closeted gay man. He struggles with his sexuality in the beginning of the show and is almost outed by a girl he is sleeping with. Yes, there are quite a few sex scenes in the show. You're welcome, Nick girls.
Despite Nate being the most endearing character with the best intentions, he has his fair share of back luck in the show. I'd even argue that some of the worst things happen to him. He is what I'd like to call the writers' punching bag. He ends up becoming a fitness trainer and begins training an older gentleman. Said older gentleman invites Nate to a party. Nate ends up being drugged and sexually assaulted. I do not care for any other interpretations of that scene because no matter how much you try to explain it away, it IS a rape scene. He was too drugged up to understand what was going on. The next morning, Nate is woken up by the older gentleman's assistant, Will, and Nate gives his most vulnerable monologue of the show and ends up threatening the older gentleman before leaving the house more of a broken man than when he entered the night before.
Unfortunately, the writers made Nate fall in love with Will. I strongly believe it was a poor decision of a love interest, but I got into the show a decade too late. Nate doesn't come out until much later in the show. He comes out to Jay in a very sweet scene. He asks Jay if he's upset that Nate didn't tell him sooner and Jay's response is apologizing for Nate not feeling safe enough to tell him. The scene captures their relationship as brothers so perfectly.
Nick Jonas as Nate Kulina
In the penultimate episode, Nate finally comes out to Alvey who takes it about as bad as you can imagine. Alvey almost immediately calls his son the f-slur leading to the two getting into a fight outside a bar. The fight culminates in the bar's bouncer shooting and killing Nate. I was obviously devastated because if there is anyone on this show who doesn't deserve to die - especially like that - it's Nate. Not only did the show kill such a decently written, well-performed character, but it also killed everything he stood for. Nate was hope not just for the Kulina family, but for all the characters.
After his death, Lisa gives a speech before a big fight about Nate, and it is very sweet and makes me cry every time I watch it. In said speech she said, "there were days where his smile saved my life".
Nick performed Nate with such vulnerability and sometimes a softness. I do think it's his best performance on his filmography so far. I do recommend giving Kingdom a watch. If you've already seen the show, let me know who's your favorite character!
Bonus Nate Clips:
- Nate telling Lisa she deserves better than his dad
- Nate telling Jay to come home
- "To bitches and money"
- Nate getting defensive over Jay
- Nate and Jay being menaces - pt. 1
- Nate and Jay being menaces - pt. 2
- Nate and Christina dancing
- Nate being angry
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| My favorite photo of Nate |
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