The Sinner: The 10 Saddest Things About Nick

“Until you bring what is unconscious to consciousness, it will control your life and you will call it fate,” Jamie quoted Nick just before he died. However, if Jamie’s scared look as he died is the best testimony of Nick’s philosophy, then what is unconscious should probably just remain unconscious. He was one of the most mysterious characters in The Sinner, with all the traits of a serial killer that he successfully passed on to his friend.

Nick Haas wasn’t a hero nor a victim in the show. He was just a disturbed man that tried to live his life based on his own corrupted definition of truth. Jamie, his student, ended up proving just how wrong his theory of always living life on the edge was. Nick had a very sad life and nothing about him seemed to make sense.

10 He Believed That Everyone Else Lived A Lie

Nick Haas reaching his age was a miracle for a man who believed so much in living life on the edge. He was always angry at the world for no reason at all. His parents were nice and caring according to a statement he gave to Jamie once. He also had the best chances in life, having gone to college and made lots of money but he just couldn’t find happiness.

Seeing other people enjoying their lives seemed to hurt him as he considered it all fake. He believed that people are not really alive unless they are on the edge of death which just isn’t true. His delusional view of life caused him to stab himself and mess up the day for other diners.

9 He Was Addicted To Hurting Himself

When Nick drove a knife through his hand, he seemed to enjoy it as if he was possessed by something. His eyes lit up at the sight of his own blood. He was also more than happy to jump off the bridge in the dark in what seemed like certain death.

From Jamie’s flashbacks, it was clear that the more he tested the limits, the more he liked it and in the end, just accepted that as his way of life. He believed he was some kind of indestructible being. He got worse and worse and was happy to drag James down with him. When he finally asked Jamie to kill Sonya, it was obvious that he had developed into a killer.

8 No One Really Loved Him

Nick died because the only friend he had in the world was too damaged to save him. The saddest part is that he was the one that turned James into a monster. All the killers in The Sinner were victims of traumatic events that happened to them in the past, but Nick wasn’t a victim of any of that. The only thing Nick lacked was someone that loved him enough to save him from himself.

His life was lonely and miserable before he even met James and doesn’t seem to have had anyone to help him before he fell through the cracks. When Jamie joined his messed up life, he felt satisfied and believed that James actually loved him but he didn’t. Jamie was just another disturbed man that used Nick’s upsetting thoughts to feed his own demons.

7 He Hated Himself In The End

Nick said that he lived life on the edge because he wanted to feel something but the truth was that he already felt something he didn’t like and just wanted to feel different. Nick hated himself and no one seemed to understand him except Jamie until he too abandoned him.

When Nick looked at Jamie switching off the phone instead of calling 911, he seemed relieved. He finally understood that his friend needed a better life away from their ‘prickly pair,’ stunts. He couldn’t find happiness in the life he was encouraged to live by the world either, so he chose to just end it.

6 He Was Jealous Of Jamie’s Happiness

Nick was in love with Jamie and somehow hoped that what they had would last for the rest of their lives. Their connection was a destructive habit for Jamie but it was everything for Nick. He hoped that Jamie was finally ready to reignite what they had in college when he called him.

James was already married to Leela though, and they were happy. Nick was shocked to find his friend enjoying the very life they tried to escape from. He was jealous when he saw Leela and Jamie happy, especially with the baby coming. He felt like Jamie had cheated on him and that broke his heart.

5 The Only Memories Of Him Were Destructive

Nick was the driving force for everything evil in the third season of The Sinner although he didn’t kill anyone himself. He thought of himself as the father of some shady form of happiness but he ended up causing only death and pain. He was the source of darkness that Jamie fed on as he murdered people.

Nick seems to have had some limits since he left James alone when he cut him off and never bothered his family all that time. There is no record of Nick killing anyone, except for the attempt on Sonny. Jamie only turned the memories he had with Nick into a feast for his dark side, turning Nick into some monster while he himself was the actual monster.

4 He Didn’t Come To His Senses Even When He Was About To Die

Nick gave James a nod to delay calling 911 after he had the accident. He was on the brink of death and he knew it. He always played the tough odds of tricking death but this time around, it was real and he just didn’t realize it. If he had only come back to his senses and thought about saving himself at that moment, he might have lived.

He chose to push it to the very edge one more time. Jamie, who was supposed to be the wiser one in the situation, also got consumed into the dark moment and failed to save Nick. It ended up being the destruction of both of them.

3 He Made Lots Of Money But Couldn’t Enjoy It

Who works hard to get all the way to the top with a great home and lots of cash, just to not enjoy it? Nick was obviously hurt when James cut him off and must have straightened himself up to be able to make all that money. If he was as rich as he claimed to be, the best thing he could do was try to enjoy his money.

He just couldn’t find a way to happiness with his achievements though. His ghosts came for him just when he had achieved every man’s dream in the form of a phone call from Jamie.

2 He Was Never Prepared For Death

Both Nick and James died tragically but neither of them was ready for death despite trying to kill themselves multiple times. When someone tricks death so many times, you would expect them to be at peace with it when it finally comes, but as it turned out, Nick wasn’t. He was only playing a game but he didn’t want to die.

All he wanted was the adrenaline and the relief that came from the feeling of having cheated death. He didn’t die a hero as he thought he would. He was afraid and regretful at the end which meant that all his experiments were in vain and his life was a total loss.

1 His Death Only Made Jamie Worse

Jamie murdered three people after Nick died and that was the only legacy to Nick’s theory of happiness. Nick loved Jamie, which is why he was willing to die and allow him to live his life with Leela and the baby. He accepted that his friend deserved to live his life after all and that his death would be Jamie’s freedom.

Jamie was consumed by the guilt though, and an image of Nick telling him to do all the wrong things wouldn’t let go of him. He fed off all the negative energy Nick had given him and turned into something worse than his teacher. He killed people and didn’t show remorse for his actions.

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