Jacob Elordi on Nate's Shocking Death in Euphoria Season 3 Finale; Creator Sam Levinson Breaks Down the Moral Reckoning

As Euphoria season three barrels toward its finale, episode 7 delivered one of the show's most devastating moments: the death of Nate Jacobs.

The character's downfall has been building all season. Nate found himself in debt to loan sharks following a failed business venture, enduring increasingly brutal consequences. He lost a toe on his wedding night, had it reattached only to lose it again, and suffered the amputation of a finger as his debt mounted. In episode 7, the loan sharks buried him in a shallow grave with only a small air vent, giving his wife Cassie three days to raise the money needed to free him.

Maddy joins Cassie in a desperate rescue mission, but they arrive too late. A rattlesnake has slithered through the vent and fatally bitten Nate, leaving him dead from the venom.

Elordi Reflects on the Grim Sendoff

In behind-the-scenes commentary for HBO, Elordi opened up about the unusual death scene and what it meant for his character's arc. "Tucked in this box with dust falling on me and a snake coming down the pipe. That's a cool way to go," he reflected. "Nate was someone who has made so many mistakes and made so many dark choices. It's cool to see it all come to what it's come to."

The actor expressed deep gratitude for his time on the series. "This show is a massive part of, not just my career, but my life. It's been amazing, and I'm so proud, being a part of this."

Elordi praised the actual snake used in filming, which was a boa constrictor fitted with a fake rattle. "They had a boa constrictor that they put a fake rattler on the end of, and Sam was like, 'We're just gonna drop a snake on you.' The snakes were rattling, which is really alarming when you're locked in a box," he explained. Despite the unsettling premise, Elordi found the reptile surprisingly docile. "He was real cuddly, so he just saddled up next to me and it was nice. But he was real sleepy. I had to kind of nudge him to get him to come up."

Levinson on Karma and Audience Complicity

Series creator Sam Levinson sat down with Esquire to discuss the philosophical underpinnings of Nate's demise. He framed the death as an exploration of audience expectations around justice and consequences.

"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 said.

He elaborated on the moral ambiguity he aimed to create. "It's like, 'Oh, you wanted him to get his comeuppance…? Okay.' That feeling of complicity with the audience is always an interesting note to play inside of this sort of larger structure. You end up going, 'Oh God, I don't know. Should he have had it better? Did he deserve it?' Those kinds of questions are always exciting to pose to the audience."

The finale airs next week, bringing Euphoria's turbulent third season to a close.