Euphoria Shocker: What Happened to Nate in Season 3 Episode 7?

The seventh episode of Euphoria‘s third season concludes with the shocking demise of one of its most beloved characters, taking viewers by surprise.

**Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Euphoria Season 3 Episode 7 “Rise and Shine,” currently available on HBO Max**

In an unexpected twist, Nate (portrayed by Jacob Elordi) meets his end in this episode, not at the hands of the menacing loan shark Naz (played by Jack Topalian), but through a fatal encounter with a rattlesnake. (Yes, rattlesnakes are extremely venomous and can be deadly!)

At the start of Season 3, Nate and Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) seemed to be living an idyllic life, full of comfort and luxury. However, their lavish lifestyle was sustained by a hefty loan of a million dollars from Nate’s “partner” Naz. This arrangement was based on the promise that Naz’s coffin business would thrive due to the retirement community Nate was developing. But when an endangered flower was discovered on the construction site, the state of California brought a halt to the Sun Settlers project, leaving Nate in a precarious financial situation.

The previous episode left audiences with a chilling cliffhanger: Cassie received a gruesome package containing Nate’s severed ring finger and a note demanding her to answer her phone. This week, the plot thickens as Naz pressures Cassie for the money. Unfortunately, Cassie is at a disadvantage, having just deleted her OnlyFans account, which was a significant source of income. As Cassie fails to produce the cash, Naz, alongside his enforcer Artur (Matthew Willig), storms into her apartment, taking her hostage.

Naz tells Cassie that she has 72 hours to figure something out. When Cassie asks why 72 hours, he says that’s the amount of time it takes to die of dehydration. Horrified, Cassie believes Naz is going to deprive her of water for that amount of time. “I’m talking about Nate,” Naz says.

We then cut to the Sun Settlers site where Nate has been buried alive in a coffin under the ground with only a single drain pipe for light or water. Although he calls out, no one, including his own brother, hears him. So does Cassie get Naz his money? How does Nate die?

Euphoria Season 3 Episode 7 Ending Explained: How Does Nate Die in Euphoria?

Nate Jacobs doesn’t actually die of dehydration on Euphoria, but from a rattlesnake who slithers down the drainpipe and bites him.

Let’s back up for a minute, though. When Cassie realizes she and Nate’s lives are in danger, she turns to the one person in her life she always turns to when she’s in trouble: Maddy (Alexa Demie). Naz and Cassie call the shrewd young woman with the ultimatum that Naz gets his money or he cuts up Cassie’s beautiful face.

Maddy then decides to appeal to Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) on Cassie’s behalf. She is forced to wear a degrading swimsuit and to join the pimp in his hot tub to plead her case. Maddy’s argument is that Cassie is a money tree and that the million dollar investment is worth it. It’s also implied that Maddy performs sexual favors for Alamo, but we don’t see them. We then see Maddie, dressed in a skimpy dress with a Virgin Mary illustration, watch Alamo arm himself with a gun and prepare a bag full of cash.

When Alamo and Maddy arrive at Sun Settlers after dark, he makes Maddy take the money to Naz. “It’s your deal. Go make it,” he says. A terrified Maddy carries the bag into the harsh light of Naz’s headlights. She drops the bag and then Naz makes a still bound Cassie retrieve it. When he opens it, he just says, “Is this a fucking joke?” And then Alamo shoots Naz.

As Naz lies dying in the dirt, he pleads with Artur to help him, but the hit man switches sides. Alamo shoots Naz in the head and we learn the bag was full of packs of playing cards. Maddy is shaken by all this, while Cassie calls down through the pipe words of encouragement as Artur uses the construction equipment on site to retrieve the coffin. When the lid is open, Cassie screams and Maddy looks down in horror. Nate is already dead and a still living rattlesnake is wrapped around his body.

The camera pans up to confirm Nate is dead. His eyes are glassy, his tongue blue and bloated. RIP Nate Jacobs.

The final episode of Euphoria comes out on Sunday, May 31 at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.