'Euphoria' shocks fans with horrifying death of this major character

Jacob Elordi details how his character Nate Jacobs meets a gruesome end in the penultimate episode of Euphoria’s third season, describing the coffin and snake shoot, while creator Sam Levinson says the death is meant to spark debate over justice and karma.

Spoiler alert! We're discussing what happened in Season 3, Episode 7 of "Euphoria," which aired on May 24.Beware if you haven't seen it yet.

Jacob Elordi went out in dramatic fashion during the penultimate episode of "Euphoria" Season 3.

The actor, who has portrayed Nate Jacobs on the HBO series since Season 1, was killed off on the May 24 episode in one of TV's most gruesome deaths to date.

Indeed, Nate's financial troubles finally caught up to him after evading Naz (Jack Topalian) all season with promises that he'll get him his money. In the end, Naz and his partner Artur (Matthew Willig) buried Nate alive inside a coffin. Nate's only hope was a small hole that led up to the surface for air. Despite his efforts in yelling for help, that hole ended up being the very thing that killed him as a rattlesnake slithered into the coffin and fatally attacked him.

It was a scene that likely made viewers' skin crawl. However, Elordi, 28, said he found filming to be rather enjoyable.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

"I had to go into this coffin. My shoulders were touching the side, and I couldn't move my arms, and then they would drill the lid on, and it would get dark," he said during a featurette segment that aired on HBO after the episode. "It was really nice, actually. It was quite peaceful in there."

Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's TV and movie recommendations right in your inbox

Elordi wasn't fazed by the real snake that was involved. (Creator Sam Levinson and his production team ultimately used a boa constrictor instead of a rattlesnake for safety reasons.)

"They had a boa constrictor that they put a fake rattler on the end of, and Sam was like, 'We're just going to drop a snake on you,' " Elordi recalled. "The snakes were rattling, which is really alarming when you're locked in a box."

Calling the snake "super-cute," Elordi added, "He was, like, real cuddly, so he just saddled up next to me, and it was nice. But he was real sleepy. I had to kind of nudge him to get him to come up."

In the end, Elordi found the nightmarish scene to be "bittersweet" and a "cool way to go."

1A large body of salt water

1

Start Playing Now

"Nate is someone who's made so many mistakes and made so many dark choices," he said. "It's cool to see it all come to what it's come to."

'Euphoria' cliffhanger: Show reveals fate of major character

As for Levinson, he told Esquire that he hopes Nate's death inspires more conversations about "justice or karma," and whether his character − who was often abusive and controlling of wife Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) − got what he deserved.

“How can I give [fans] 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?" he said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, you wanted him to get his comeuppance … ? OK. That feeling of complicity with the audience is always an interesting note to play inside of this sort of larger structure.”

"You end up going, ‘Oh, God, I don't know. Should he have had it better? Did he deserve it?’ " Levinson added. "Those kinds of questions are always exciting to pose to the audience.”

With this being the final time that viewers will see Nate onscreen in the present day, Elordi had nothing but good things to say about his character and the show he's been part of since 2019.

"This show is a massive part of, not just my career, but my life," he said in the post-show featurette. "It's been amazing, and I'm so proud being a part of this."The Season 3 finale of "Euphoria" will air Sunday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.