One million dollars. That debt precipitates Nate Jacobs's brutal exit from Euphoria in the penultimate episode, aired on 24 May. Jacob Elordi's character is kidnapped and buried alive with only a small vent pipe and a 72-hour deadline for his wife Cassie to raise the cash. A rattlesnake crawls down the pipe and kills him before help arrives, a turn that has split viewers even as cast and production explain how the sequence was achieved and why it points to the 31 May finale.

If you have been following Euphoria this week you were likely waiting for the twist the series has teased for months. Episode 7 delivered one, and it rewrites the show’s final chapter for Season 3.

What happens on screen

The plot point is simple and savage. Nate Jacobs is taken by a criminal group over what the story presents as a $1 million debt. The kidnappers bury him in a shallow grave, leaving only a small pipe that vents to the surface. His wife Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, is told she has 72 hours to produce the money to secure his release.

Rescue attempts arrive too late. A rattlesnake crawls down the pipe and bites Nate inside the burial chamber. Alamo, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, later tracks the gang leader Naz and shoots him, but by the time excavators reach the grave they find Nate already dead.

The sequence and the $1 million figure were set out in coverage of the 24 May episode and in the episode’s post-broadcast materials. On screen the scene functions as an abrupt end to a character who has been defined across the series by toxic behaviour and dark choices. For long-time viewers the moment was intended as a turning point: it closes one arc and forces the rest of the cast toward the season finale.

Look, behind the camera, production and the actor who plays Nate have been candid about how the scenes were shot.

Jacob Elordi described performing inside a coffin for the burial shots, saying his shoulders were pressed against the sides and that when the lid was drilled on "it would get dark." He called the character’s exit "a cool way to go" and described leaving the show as "bittersweet," adding that Euphoria had been a "massive part" of his life.

Mastheads

Safety was foregrounded. Stunt and safety teams emphasised measures taken to keep Elordi supplied with oxygen during the coffin sequences. For the snake work, production used a live rattlesnake for the shots in the vent where the animal appears to enter the pipe, and a boa constrictor fitted with a fake rattle for the close-up coffin inserts. The creator, Sam Levinson, pushed for realism in those sequences, and crew members reported that the rattles could be heard on set.

The creative choice explains why the episode includes a relatively graphic and unusual cause of death. That choice hasn't met with unanimous approval.

Viewer response was immediate and often negative among long-term fans. Social threads and reaction pieces noted that many viewers found the death extreme and, in their view, undercut by how it played out on screen.

At the same time critics and members of the cast have pointed to the dramatic work that builds to the moment. Commentators singled out Elordi’s performance, arguing that the role’s arc headed toward a conclusive, if ugly, closure. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Alamo is the instrument of retribution in the immediate aftermath, a plot choice that tightens the narrative for the finale.

Season 3 itself arrived after a long gap. The new run followed about four years since Season 2 and carried storylines that push the characters into adult life.

The third season encountered several delays during production, including creator commitments and industry strikes. Industry coverage and the show’s own social posts framed the penultimate episode’s twist as a deliberate turning point for the final instalment.

For viewers who want the production perspective, a behind-the-scenes segment featuring Elordi and comments from production ran after the 24 May broadcast and is available through HBO’s post-episode content. That material includes the actor’s account of filming in confined spaces and the teams’ explanation of the safety steps taken for the snake scenes.

Reactions on social media have been swift and mixed. Long-time fans have expressed disappointment with the manner of Nate’s exit, describing it as extreme and, in some threads, as an unsatisfying way to resolve a character whose presence has dominated earlier seasons. Others, including several critics and cast members, defended the narrative logic and the performances that lead to the moment.

Whatever the verdict, the episode clears the table for the season’s closing chapter. The narrative choice is unambiguous: a central figure is gone, and the consequences will be the engine of the finale.

Related Articles

The season finale is scheduled to stream on HBO Max on 31 May 2026, one week after the episode that aired on 24 May. For those seeking the full context, the post-broadcast behind-the-scenes segment that followed the 24 May episode collects the creator and cast comments about how the burial and snake sequences were achieved. Originally reported by mirror.co.uk.

This article was created with AI assistance.