Rivers role as a guiding figure, in turn deconstructing years of emotional repression and violent tendencies, is a more challenging role than fulfilling the typical role of 'father figure'. Instead, Rivers must steer a fine line between nurture and dominance, opening his patients up to vulnerabilities which they have never dealt with before. Prior understands this, accepts that for him to regenerate, he cannot keep fuelling these hyper masculine ideals which a father figure would promote.