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Euphoria’s Shocking Season 3 Finale: Nate Jacobs’ Brutal End in a Horror-Tinged Thriller

A Descent into Darkness

Euphoria’s third season has evolved from a raw teen drama into a gripping, hard-edged thriller—one that culminates in a chilling, cinematic death. In episode seven, “Rain or Shine,” the series delivers a brutal reckoning for Nate Jacobs, a character whose descent into violence has defined his arc. Buried alive in a wooden coffin as punishment for an unpaid debt to a mob-like businessman named Naz, Nate’s fate hinges on his wife, Cassie Howard, raising one million dollars in just three days—or facing his slow, agonizing death by dehydration.

The horror escalates when a rattlesnake slithers through the coffin’s airhole. By the time Cassie digs him out, Nate’s lifeless body is grotesquely swollen, suffused with a sickly purple hue, and encircled by the serpent’s coils. The scene is a masterclass in tension, blurring the line between high school drama and full-blown horror.

From Villain to Victim: The Redemption—or Punishment—of Nate Jacobs

Nate’s journey began in season one as a monstrous force—violent, manipulative, and untouchable. He strangled a girlfriend, blackmailed peers, and orchestrated the imprisonment of an innocent man, all while evading consequences. But five years later, Euphoria’s time jump forces maturity upon its characters, and Nate finally meets justice. Showrunner Sam Levinson deliberately crafted an ending designed to unsettle, asking audiences to grapple with whether Nate’s fate was earned—or whether the world of Euphoria has simply traded one form of brutality for another.

Levinson doesn’t shy away from extremes. The coffin scene relies on practical effects, even using real snakes (though, for safety, a boa with a fabricated rattler stood in for the venomous predators). The actors didn’t just perform the scene—they endured it. Jacob Elordi, who portrayed Nate, has since risen to fame with roles in Saltburn and Wuthering Heights, but he credits Euphoria with allowing him to explore the darkest corners of his craft. In an industry that often rewards charisma over complexity, Nate Jacobs became a turning point in his career.

A Tinderbox of Consequences: What Comes Next?

The season’s finale, airing May 31, doesn’t offer closure—it delivers a warning. Crime lords, drug dealers, and unseen powers now loom over the characters, their fates hanging in the balance. Levinson draws a stark parallel to the Wild West: a lawless frontier where ambition is met with bloodshed, and survival demands equal parts cunning and cruelty.

Euphoria has always thrived on discomfort, but Season 3 pushes further, transforming a story about troubled teens into a brutal examination of power, consequence, and the inescapable weight of one’s actions. Nate’s death isn’t just a plot twist—it’s a statement. And if the finale is any indication, the chaos is far from over.