A four-year wait, where HBO’s most popular teen-to-adult drama series was off the air, and then it came back. It had been four years after a grueling hiatus, and HBO’s flagship teen-to-adult drama was back. But Sam Levinson’s controversial choice of the show’s most shocking villain has sparked a massive social media war. The show’s much-anticipated third season has caught viewers off guard with the radical story arc that has been thrust upon the character of its protagonist, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), and the reactions have been a polarizing one across Reddit, X, and TikTok.
The five-year flash-forward takes the viewer’s characters to a harsh adult world that’s worlds away from East Highland High. It’s the unexpected, jarring metamorphosis — and eventual downfall — of the show’s main antagonist that has split the Euphoria fandom in half.
The Off-Screen Transformation: A “Lobotomized” Villain?
Nate Jacobs terrorized the series for two seasons. He was an unpredictable and controlling alpha male who ruled his life by physical force and blackmail. However, when Season 3 aired, the fans were greeted with a very different man.
From Terrifying Jock to Powerless Debtor
Unfortunately, in the adult world, Nate’s high school armor has completely worn away. His youthful self-assuredness is taken away, and he is presented as a needy con man who is in deep debt to ruthless loan sharks. Instead of showing off, a beaten-down Nate was the first half of the season, with his new wife, Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney), keeping him afloat.
On online communities like the Official Euphoria Reddit Subreddit, this sudden shift sparked immediate outrage. Many viewers complained that Sam Levinson’s controversial choice to strip Nate of his malice felt unearned, with some arguing the character had essentially undergone an off-screen “lobotomy” during the time jump.
The Ultimate Karma: Inside Nate’s Gruesome Fate
The split between the fans of Euphoria came to a head during the episode “Rain or Shine” on May 24, 2026. It was a vicious circle of real-life consequences, with Nate ending up in a terrible, final way.
Buried Alive
Nate was kidnapped for failing to pay some of his debts and was buried, alive, in a shallow grave in a wooden casket with only a small breathing hole. A runaway rattlesnake made its way through the air vent while a panicked Cassie and Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) tried to get him out of the criminal network. When help finally came, Nate had already been bitten by a number of poisonous snakes.
Sam Levinson Explains the Shocking Ending
Immediately after the episode, Levinson, the show creator, defended his creative trajectory in an interview. He made it clear that the terrifying situation was straight out of the classic horror film The Candy Snatchers. Levinson clearly wanted to push the limits of the audience’s moral acceptability of poetic justice:
“I know what the audience wants in terms of justice or karma. 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?”
Why the Audience is Divided
The aftermath of this narrative conclusion has divided the audience into two distinct philosophical camps.
Camp A: The Real-World Reality Check
The supporters of the arc believe that Nate’s arc is the most likely of a high school narcissus. On the streets, his hot-headedness as a high school king is soon to turn him into a rat in the corner when he’s facing real organized criminals. They see his gentler nature at home with Cassie as a pathetic and unchanging reflection of his father, Cal Jacobs. They see his gentler nature at home with Cassie as a tragic, repeating reflection of his own father, Cal Jacobs.
Camp B: The Hollow Redemption
But critics say the show’s primary source of tension was removed in such a far removed, exterior way that it was a complete letdown. The salacious debauchery of Nathan and his involvement with loan sharks and rattlesnakes is a cheap tack, since the viewer never really sees him get punished for his treatment of Maddy or Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) in any substantial way.
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Conclusion
Some call it an audacious inversion of the dangerous male stereotype, while others consider it a frustratingly empty writing decision; it’s clear that Sam Levinson’s bold move has changed the face of the series. The show pushed the Euphoria fandom to the dark side, turning Nate’s malice into anxiety and claustrophobia into an explosive tailspin. The ghost of Nate Jacobs drops a legacy as polarizing as the show itself as the series moves towards its much-anticipated conclusion.
FAQs
Did Nate Jacobs actually die in Euphoria Season 3?
Yes. In Season 3, Episode 7, Nate Jacobs definitively dies after being buried alive by loan sharks and repeatedly bitten by a rattlesnake that entered his breathing pipe.
Why did Sam Levinson change Nate’s personality in Season 3?
Levinson designed the five-year time jump to act as a harsh reality check. He wanted to showcase “the end of hubris,” showing how a high school bully becomes entirely powerless when facing adult consequences and major financial ruin.
How did Jacob Elordi react to his character’s death?
Elordi called his character’s sudden exit “bittersweet” but “cool,” noting that it made sense for someone who had consistently made such dark and destructive choices throughout his life.
