Others have explained it very well, but I'll add that what Nick (and by some extension, Honey) was seeing what their future would be if they continued to conduct their marriage based on lies: his marrying Honey for money and the preggers thing, and her lying about her actual real pregnancies and not wanting children. In a way, Richard was sacrificing his "child" so that the young couple might be able to have one.
Both Nick and Honey have lied in their fairly new relationship; Martha and Richard's is completely held up by lies at that point. In his bitter, jaded, but also altruistic way, Richard was attempting to save them. And maybe himself and Martha, too.
So again, when Nick says he's beginning to understand, he really means he sees himself and Honey as Richard and Martha; Honey is heading straight to Martha's booze-town, and Nick is already showing signs of being a pompous ass ready to bang the Headmaster's daughter for advancement. As long as Honey and Nick avoid talking about their marriage and future with or without children, they will end up living a life based on lies upon lies, and will ultimately self-destruct.
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Degree7
11 years ago
That was a great post and explanation, Parsley, thank you.
Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to its awesomeness.
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spifflog
10 years ago
I don't see anything in Richard's character to suggest that he would take any altruistic action toward Nick and Honey.
I think in many way's that Richard has finally had it - with this career (or lack there of) and with his marriage (or lack thereof). So because of his immediate anger at her for sleeping with Nick, and with his exhausted belief in anything else, he's willing to finally let his relationship die.
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tgemberl
10 years ago
spifflog,
I think you miss the fact that they're holding hands at the end. Their relationship isn't ending. He has a wife with a severe mental illness, and disclosing the "death" of their "son" is the way he thinks the relationship can go forward.
I also thought the previous poster's analysis of how this affects Nick and Honey is fascinating and probably insightful. Maybe what he does isn't exactly "altruistic." After all, he seems to take pleasure in tormenting all of them. But he is trying to help in his own way.
"Extremism in the pursuit of moderation is no vice."
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hka-3
10 years ago
Their relationship isn't ending. He has a wife with a severe mental illness, and disclosing the "death" of their "son" is the way he thinks the relationship can go forward.
I just watched it for the first time and was thinking the same thing. George realized the truth might help end at least some of the insanity. He may have thought of it before, but wasn't as inspired to follow through with it.
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EgaBog
10 years ago
You may have a point. I thought of the child as a representative of the marriage itself. After Martha goes to far, Richard finally comes to himself and decides to kill the child. In other words, end the marriage. Him holding hands could be mere solace to his wife's bad reception of the breakup. It's not uncommon at all to see couples hugging or holding hand right after they breakup.
Either way, when Blondie finally understands it, he realises that if he keeps basing his relationship on lies, he'll eventually become like George and Martha. Him saying that they never could have a child simbolizes that even though they tried they couldn't have a nice relationship.
Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died.
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