The penultimate episode of Euphoria Season 3 delivered a twist that left us all on the edge of our seats, permanently altering the DNA of HBO’s flagship drama. In a gruesome turn of events, loan sharks killed East Highland’s resident antagonist Nate Jacobs—played by The Kissing Booth star Jacob Elordi—after he racked up a massive $1 million debt.
Left buried alive in a makeshift coffin under his very own construction site. All by business mogul Naz, whom he was also borrowing money from. Nate met his end through a lethal rattlesnake bite. Thus, sending shockwaves through the fandom just a week before the highly anticipated season finale on May 31.
Fans flooded social media to process the sheer horror of the scene. But a burning question lingers on the timeline. How does Euphoria even function without the man who’s involved in almost every unresolved conflict in the series? From his relationship with ‘his’ Maddy, the unanswered tension with Jules, and his marriage to his ex-girlfriend’s now ex-best friend Cassie.
Nate’s death hasn’t just shaken Euphoria fans to its core. By cutting his story short, Levinson effectively pulled the plug on the show’s core conflicts. Forcing a sudden, tragic collapse of the narrative structure just as the series took its final bow.
The Domino Effect on Cassie, Maddy, and Jules.
For years, Nate Jacobs has posed as the center of gravity for Euphoria’s most intense relationships. His sudden death after a 4 year long awaited return to the show, leaves a massive complicated void. Especially, where things stood before his demise.
This season, viewers watched Nate marry Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney). A chaotic betrayal union that sparked one of the season’s most viral moments. The reunion and long overdue apology from Cassie to her former best friend, Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), who was also Nate’s former girlfriend. It was a scene that completely took over. Fans dissecting every inch of dialogue from the conversation and with the infamous narration of Rue (Zendaya).
Maddy’s presence at the wedding added another layer of unresolved tension to the cake. Despite being there, she and Nate never actually crossed paths or spoke. Instead, the final glimpse of their history came during a private conversation. A shared cigarette between Nate and Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) at the reception. Jules tells him she came to the wedding with Rue and Maddy and they both left. She also says, “Rue had a work thing. I think Maddy got a little more emotional than she anticipated,”
An article published by Paste Magazine states, “Given Maddy’s volatile past, it might be a little disappointing that she doesn’t engage in a public confrontation. However, the surprise is Euphoria choosing restraint, and it is welcome amid the sea of chaos,” Although many users on X wished for Maddy’s same confrontational behavior that left a lasting impact during prior seasons.
The ultimate homerun? During the conversation, Nate locks eyes with Jules and says, “You love who you love,” The ripple effect lands heavily onto Jules. The unanswered, electric tension between her and Nate has been a pivotal driving force since Season 1. We see Nate torment Jules and then save her in the end by giving her a recording of her and his father, Cal Jacobs. While both engaged in sexual activity. Cal secretly recorded an underage Jules without her consent or knowledge. They both meet up during a rainy night, alone in his car, and he apologizes.
Prior to saving her, Nate tricks Jules on a dating app by creating a fake person under the name, Tyler. The two exchange illicit photos. Nate reveals his hand and blackmails her into staying quiet about the relationship with his father. Otherwise, he’ll have her arrested on child pornography charges. He also kisses her during this.
His death permanently cuts short any explanation for their complex attraction. Now leaving his new wife, Cassie, to figure out life as a Hollywood star turned grieving widow.
Sam Levinson’s the Vision Behind the Coffin
While fans are still grieving all over social media, the creative force behind the show, Sam Levinson said in an interview with Esquire, “There’s this kind of funny thing where I know what the audience wants in terms of justice or karma and with that in mind, I always think, ‘Well, how can I give it to them? How can I give them what they want, but make it so horrific and anxiety-inducing that by the time it happens, the audience isn’t so sure they wanted it?”
Levinson also revealed that a real venomous rattlesnake was brought in for the shot. Thus, maximizing the terror of the scene. Also that from the beginning, he knew Nate Jacobs was going to be finished.
Elordi recapped in an HBO postshow released to Youtube that being killed by a snake was in fact, “A cool way to go.”
The shocking double-loss of both Nate and Zendaya’s Rue Bennett left the Euphoria universe in total freefall. Now that the curtain has officially closed on the May 31 series finale on HBO Max, fans are left to sit with grief over two major plot defining characters.
