Euphoria boss Sam Levinson defends “horrific” and gruesome character death

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Euphoria spoilers follow.

Sam Levinson, the creator of the show Euphoria, has addressed the shocking and violent death of a character in the latest episode of season three. He’s standing by the disturbing scenes, explaining his creative choices. This season, Nate Jacobs found himself in trouble with dangerous lenders because of a $1 million debt, and things got drastically worse after his wedding to Cassie when they brutally cut off one of his toes.

Last Sunday’s episode of ‘Rain or Shine’ saw Nate’s situation worsen when he was kidnapped. Meanwhile, those he owes money to turned to his wife – who viewers know earns a good income through her OnlyFans account – to demand payment.

While Cassie and Maddy desperately searched for Nate, he was trapped in a shallow grave with a tiny opening for air.

Maddy teamed up with the dangerous crime boss Alamo and finally located Nate’s burial site, but it was already too late. The grim discovery unfolded as they unearthed the coffin, revealing Nate’s body – he had been bitten by a rattlesnake and tragically died.

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Levinson explained to Esquire that he’s aware of what viewers expect in terms of fairness or consequences. He always considers how he can deliver that satisfaction, especially when it comes to a character like Nate facing repercussions.

I’ve been thinking about what he said, and it’s brilliant! He’s basically asking how to deliver exactly what fans are hoping for, but twist it just enough to create this really unsettling feeling. He wants to build the anticipation so high that by the time the payoff comes, we’re not even sure it’s what we wanted anymore – it’s a really clever idea!

He explained that moving the characters beyond high school opened up new possibilities for the story. Now that they’re facing real-world challenges, the stakes and consequences feel much more significant and compelling.

It’s a risk-taking environment, and I appreciate that. You have the freedom to build something new, but you’re fully responsible for whatever happens as a result.

Levinson revealed that his initial idea for Nate’s death involved him simply suffocating in the coffin. He only came up with the snake concept while driving to the studio.

He described a beautiful day in Los Angeles – perfect weather for a drive. They had Otis Redding playing, the windows were down, and he was enjoying the scenery as they headed to Warner Brothers.

I suddenly pictured a rattlesnake approaching a pipe. It was hitting against it, and the vibrations were traveling through the ground. It made me wonder – what if the snake crawled inside the pipe and got trapped with whatever was already in there, like it was stuck in a coffin with it?

“It’s sort of a funny moment where you realise that not all dark scenes come from a dark place.”

Levinson shared his new idea with his wife, and she responded with surprise, asking if that’s all he’d been focused on.

New episodes of Euphoria premiere on HBO in the US on Sundays. Viewers in the UK can watch on Sky Atlantic, NOW, and HBO Max starting at 2am on Mondays.

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2026-05-26 14:19