With the penultimate episode of Euphoria season three now out, fans have taken to social media to respond to a major character’s shock death.

• READ MORE: Euphoria season two review: still the best teen drama on TV

Sam Levinson’s teen drama had been away for four years, but the opening episode of the new season landed on HBO Max on April 12, with last night’s (May 24) episode marking one of the final instalments of the season.

In the lead-up to it airing, speculation had been rife that a major death was on the way, sparking an unfounded rumour that Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie would have a leg amputated. Others thought Alexa Demie’s Maddy might be in the firing line, but it actually turned out to be Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs who suffered a gruesome fate in the latest episode, having been buried alive in a coffin by a gangster to whom he owed a million dollars.

While he was able to breathe through a pipe to the surface as his wife Cassie scrambled to get the money together, a rattlesnake slithered down the pipe and fatally bit him.

Jacob Elordi said the shocking death of his controversial character was a “cool way to go”, but it was “bittersweet” to leave the series.

Speaking in a HBO video going behind the scenes of the episodes, he described Nate as somebody “who’s made so many mistakes and so many dark choices, [so] it’s cool to see it all come to what it’s come to.”

Some fans, however, felt differently, saying “none of his punishments felt satisfying”. While some appreciated the shock value, others decried the “Looney Tunes” level violence he had been subjected to in place of any real character development.

For many weeks I’ve been talking about how much Rue has been suffering in Euphoria, but honestly I’d say Nate suffered even worse physically this season.

First he gets his pinky toe cut, then it literally gets ripped off, and in that same hour they’re cutting his finger too.… https://t.co/ri3E2qaWV1

— Queen ✰ (@QUEENP0P) May 25, 2026

fr it was such a cop out ending and the easiest way out for him, none of his punishments felt satisfying

— sam ✶ (@cinephailure) May 25, 2026

Pensando que o Nate poderia estar vivo se tivesse assistido Kill Bill #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/Xja1HBHgVm

— Babi (@babi) May 25, 2026

“omg he was tortured all season what more do you want” him having looney tunes violence happening to him for a total of 20 minutes all season with no mention of his previous behavior or scenes with anyone else is not the same you guys do anything to excuse lazy writing

— erinspresso (@riverindaIe) May 25, 2026

spoilers // if they were going to kill nate off it should have been in a way that felt earned after all the torture he caused to these girls in the first two seasons. him being bitten by a rattlesnake after having ten minutes of screentime was so lame #euphoria

— erinspresso (@riverindaIe) May 25, 2026

I really wasn’t expecting that ending for Nate, I’m in shock🙂 #euphoriapic.twitter.com/Sb5uhaYIly

— 𝗦💌 (@raggedwingss) May 25, 2026

Me julguem, mas acho que o Nate Jacobs não merecia esse final! A realidade é que ele buscou redenção e ser alguém melhor, mas o desenvolvimento disso não foi bem trabalhado e executado. Mas enfim, ele precisa receber um karma, né?! #euphoria pic.twitter.com/O4aUlfkYhS

— RAFA (@rafaelxzjj) May 25, 2026

Jacob Elordi clearly had very limited availability, that really limited what they could do with the character this season. He hasn’t even been able to be in the same scene as Sweeney since their wedding.

— Tony (@RidleyAM1) May 25, 2026

E pensar que o maior carma do Nate foi por denunciar o pai dele pra poder herdar a sua construtora só pra ele.

A ganancia levou ele para a cidade dos anjos, para ser morto pela serpente… #euphoria pic.twitter.com/y18XWuUvha

— Nerd em Cartaz (@nerdemcartaz) May 25, 2026

i’m like irritated ngl lmfao just threw out his potential as a character. i wanted evil ass nate to create other issues as some sort of antagonist, but all they had jacob do was scream and cry and groan and die like—💀

— lexi ⚘ (@tbhsani) May 25, 2026

Guy did yall a favor by coming back this season and you guys make him get beat up and shove him in a box with a snake. Great writing…

— UNA_Alum (@Dingle1799925) May 25, 2026

Finally offed the walking red flag. Took you long enough, show still mid tho

— Pushpender Shekhawat (@PushpenderSays) May 25, 2026

Several of the show’s lead actors have gone on to be major stars, but all returned for the new run – with Zendaya starring as Rue Bennett, Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn and Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard alongside Sweeney, Demie and Elordi.

Given the A-list nature of the show’s cast now, the new episodes have proved to be highly successful for HBO Max, with Variety reporting that the premiere episode was watched by 8.5million people – a 44 per cent increase from the season two premiere in 2022.

In light of the previous episode, some fans felt their collective star power had hampered the latest season. “Jacob Elordi clearly had very limited availability, that really limited what they could do with the character this season,” wrote one X user. “He hasn’t even been able to be in the same scene as Sweeney since their wedding.”

Many have speculated that the actors’ success outside of the franchise might also make it difficult for them all to return for a fourth season. In April, Zendaya appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show and was asked if she thought the third season would be the end of the show, she replied: “I think so, yeah.”

She did not elaborate beyond that statement, other than saying, “that closure is coming.”

There has been no official confirmation either way either from Levinson or HBO, but Levinson did tell Variety earlier this year that he treats “every season like it’s the last season”, and that there are “no plans” for it to return.