Euphoria killing off surprising character is sparking a lot of backlash

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Euphoria and includes images that some viewers may find distressing.

It wouldn't be the penultimate episode of a nail-biting series without at least one long-deserved demise.

But the writers of Euphoria have triggered quite the uproar online after killing off an 'OG' character we were first introduced to in 2019.

For weeks, fans have wondered whether toxic hunk Nate Jacobs (played by Jacob Elordi) would ever be able to pay off his ever-mounting debts to blood-hungry loan shark Naz, who'd already taken a finger and toe as downpayment.

At the same time, his clout-chasing wife, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), has spent the last two episodes spiralling. She is determined to become OnlyFans highest-earning sex worker and bows to the word of her former best friend turned talent agent, Maddy (Alexa Demie), whom she stole Nate from in high school.

Rue recently became a DEA informant (HBO)

Elsewhere, troubled addict Rue Bennett (played by Zendaya), having recently escaped from having her head pummelled off by a polo mallet, has turned her attention to Jesus Christ after selling her soul to the DEA, promising to be their informant.

Given the respective sticky situations the group have been attempting to navigate since the third and final series kicked off, fans have wondered when it could prove their reckoning time.

In the end, however, time ran out for fallen heartthrob, Nate Jacobs.

The episode kicked off with Cassie attempting to pay back some of Nate's debts by sleeping with Hollywood actor Dylan (Homer Gere) after being set up by Maddy, posting a photo alongside the star, and driving traffic to her online sex work.

Cassie slept with Dylan to earn cash to help Nate pay off his debts (HBO)

Despite accumulating a portion of the money owed to Naz, it wasn't enough. Nate was abducted by the henchman, locked in a coffin and buried under a construction site with only a pipe for oxygen, while Cassie was expected to cough up the rest.

Maddy was once again recruited for help, sleeping with sleazy strip club owner Alamo Brown (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) in exchange for the ransom money Cassie needed.

Afterwards, Alamo accompanied Cassie and Maddy to the construction site to meet with Naz - but instead of handing over the money, he whipped out a pistol and shot the loanshark.

The group then used the on-site equipment to dig up the coffin Nate had been trapped inside, unaware that their efforts would be in vain.

Nate had already been killed by a snake (HBO)

While awaiting his rescue, Nate had been visited by a rattlesnake that slithered down his oxygen pipe, which bit him to death.

Opening the coffin, his wife, Cassie, and ex, Maddy, were confronted by the sight of his swollen corpse in a scene that has since divided fans of the show.

Some have been left disappointed by Nate's final scene, hoping his character would redeem himself someday for his past mistakes.

"I know Nate deserved to die and that Jacob probably only filmed for a few weeks this season because of his schedule or because he didn't want to be there anymore idk but still Nate's storyline this season sucked and deserved better writing... but at least Jacob is free now lol," one X user wrote.

Another hit out: "To be honest... and i hate him as much as the next person... but nate's entire character existing just to get tortured and die shows just how lazy the writing is this season. compare nate from season 1-2 with 3 and he transforms from a fleshed out character to a plot device."

The duo were too late to pay off Nate's debts (HBO)

A third agreed: "HE HAD NO STORYLINE. NOTHING ABOUT HOW CAL’S TAPES AFFECTED HIM, NOTHING ABOUT HIS PSYCHE, HOW HE LOVED JULES. CHARACTER WAS COMPLETELY LOST.

"HOW ARE YOU GONNA CALL THIS BREAKING BAD MULTIVERSE FANFIC WITH EXPENSIVE FILM AND LIGHTS 'EUPHORIA'?"

A fourth alleged: "#SamLevinson took out all his repressed anger as a bullied kid out on Nate Jacobs’ character. What a horrible arc this whole season, that had no connection to the character development in S1-2. The season has been degraded beyond recognition with shallow social commentary."

Another continued: "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."