Episode 7 of “Euphoria” Shakes Things Up

Warning: Spoilers ahead. Do not proceed if you have not watched the seventh episode of Season 3 of “Euphoria.”

Audiences were given a shocking moment in “Euphoria” this past Sunday when Nate Jacobs, portrayed by Jacob Elordi, met a gruesome end. In a particularly intense scene, Levinson delivered what many fans had been anticipating: a sense of “justice” in a rather horrifying way.

After the recent episode aired, the show’s creators discussed the considerable pressure they felt from viewers to, well, provide that sense of karma they were craving. “Esquire” had a conversation with Levinson about this expectation. It seems he pondered whether giving the audience what they wanted could be so disturbing that, by the time it unfolded, they were left questioning their own desires. He laughed as he recalled his own conflicted feelings about the moment.

In the episode, Nate’s demise is particularly brutal—he’s buried alive and ultimately bitten by a rattlesnake. It’s intense, to say the least.

Levinson expressed a desire to introduce a range of “provocative” questions. He hopes viewers will leave the episode wondering things like, “Did he deserve this?” and “Could we have done better?” After all, he initially envisioned Nate’s death happening differently, inspired by a scene from the film “Candy Snatchers.” He had a vivid picture of a rattlesnake slithering towards a pipe used for air, which added a unique layer to the scenario.

The filmmaker aimed to create a scenario where Nate was frantically swatting at the snake, which was picking up on movement. Reflecting on the process, Levinson recounted a moment driving in Los Angeles, listening to Otis Redding, realizing that not all dark stories stem from a dark mindset — an interesting contradiction, really.

Following the episode, Elordi shared his thoughts on the death scene. He found it to be a “cool way to do it,” and I suppose there’s something to be said for how these things unfold on screen. His character, he noted, had made numerous poor choices, and it was intriguing to see the narrative come full circle in such a dramatic fashion.

Filming the scene was surprisingly “peaceful,” according to Elordi, who described the boa constrictor in the scene as a “cute” and “huggable” companion. It’s interesting how these contrasting elements can exist side by side.

Mark your calendars: the Season 3 finale of “Euphoria” is set to premiere on March 31 at 9 PM ET on HBO.