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The May 24 episode of Euphoria delivered one of the series’ most brutal turns: a longtime central character dies in a sequence that shifts the show’s moral center and raises fresh questions about accountability and consequence as the season heads into its finale. For viewers and the cast alike, the scene marks a decisive moment in the show’s trajectory.
Spoiler alert: the paragraphs below discuss events in Season 3, Episode 7.
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Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs is written out of the present-day timeline in a scene that mixes claustrophobia and sudden violence. After weeks of mounting tensions over money and promises, Nate is buried alive by Naz and his associate Artur; a small breathing shaft becomes the scene’s grim pivot when a snake finds its way into the coffin, fatally attacking him.
The sequence aired in the penultimate episode and stunned many viewers with its visceral detail. It also closed the book on a character whose on-screen behavior has been a catalyst for several of the show’s darkest plotlines.
What happened on set
Elordi described the physical reality of filming that moment as intense but unexpectedly calm. He said being inside the coffin was tight enough that he couldn’t move his arms while the lid was secured, and that the crew controlled light and sound to sell the sense of confinement. For safety, the production used a boa constrictor fitted with a fake rattler rather than a wild rattlesnake.
Rather than a purely performative stunt, Elordi said the presence of the live animal and the cramped set produced an authenticity he found useful for the scene’s emotional register; he called the experience strange but not terrifying and reflected that the moment felt like a fitting, if grim, end for Nate.
Creative intent and reaction
Showrunner Sam Levinson has framed Nate’s exit as provocatively ambiguous — intended to make the audience question whether they wanted this outcome and what justice looks like in a story populated by morally compromised figures. Levinson told interviewers he aimed to complicate viewer satisfaction by presenting a punishment that is both horrific and narratively resonant.
That framing has already sparked debate online and in critical circles about culpability, retribution and storytelling responsibility — conversations the creators appear to have anticipated.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Character | Nate Jacobs |
| Actor | Jacob Elordi |
| Episode | Season 3, Episode 7 — aired May 24 |
| Cause of death (on-screen) | Buried alive; killed after a snake enters the coffin |
| Production note | Boa constrictor used for safety; prop rattler attached |
What this means for the show
Nate’s removal changes the power dynamics among the remaining characters and narrows several storylines that have been central since Season 1. It also places questions about accountability and the consequences of abuse and manipulation at the heart of the season’s final installment.
- Expect increased focus on Cassie and others directly affected by Nate’s actions.
- Public reaction may split between relief and discomfort over the manner of his exit.
- The finale will likely address the fallout and attempt to resolve lingering moral ambiguities.
Elordi said he’s proud of his work on the series, calling Euphoria a defining project in his career. The Season 3 finale is scheduled for Sunday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, where viewers will see how the show handles the aftermath of this pivotal death.
