‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Episode 7 Ending Explained: The Shocking Fate of Nate Jacobs

‘Euphoria‘ has always been a show unafraid to confront harsh realities, and Season 3 has been leading up to a significant reckoning. After a challenging four-year hiatus, the HBO drama returned amidst both professional upheaval and personal tragedies, including the losses of cast members Angus Cloud and Eric Dane. With its eight episodes designed as an escalating spiral into chaos, the season has pushed every main character to a critical juncture.

Episode 7, titled “Rain or Shine,” serves as a pivotal moment, detonating the tension that has been building throughout the season. It delivers one of ‘Euphoria’s most shocking episodes in years, just a week ahead of the finale. Zendaya’s Rue finds herself in grave danger after a betrayal during a robbery, while Cassie’s storyline takes a darker turn. The episode is chaotic and outrageous, perfectly aligning with Sam Levinson’s bold creative vision.

The turning point comes through Nate Jacobs. Jacob Elordi’s character had been buried in a shallow grave at a construction site, trapped due to a $1 million debt, while Cassie was given three days to secure his freedom. With help from Maddie and a figure known as Alamo, Cassie managed to reach Nate, but not before a rattlesnake entered through a vent and bit him. This left Cassie mourning over his body as the venom completed what captivity had begun.

Sam Levinson has discussed crafting this sequence as a calculated act of moral subversion. In an interview with Esquire, he expressed his desire to provide the audience with the reckoning they sought for Nate, while making the outcome so disturbing that viewers would question their satisfaction. “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?” he remarked. This approach ties into the show’s overarching themes of consequence and morality, guiding viewers through Nate’s psychological journey one last time.

Jacob Elordi reflected on Nate’s death in a behind-the-scenes video shared by Deadline, noting that Nate’s series of mistakes and dark decisions made this outcome feel appropriate. He acknowledged that the show has significantly impacted both his career and personal life, a sentiment that resonates deeply given his portrayal of one of television’s most unsettling antagonists.

Nate’s demise eliminates one of the show’s most significant sources of tension, just as the finale needs every character to grapple with his absence. This raises an intriguing question about what ‘Euphoria’ will look like without him. The Season 3 finale is set to air on May 31 on HBO and Max, with the futures of Rue, Cassie, and Maddie still uncertain.

Having spent three seasons as one of ‘Euphoria’s most dangerous and polarizing figures, Nate Jacobs’ story has come to a close with a rattlesnake’s bite. Was this the ending he deserved, or did the show manage to evoke some empathy for him even at the very end?