Euphoria Season 3: The Fatal Consequences of "Rain or Shine"

SPOILER ALERT: The following report contains major plot spoilers for "Rain or Shine," the seventh episode of HBO’s Euphoria, Season 3.

The narrative landscape of HBO’s Euphoria has always been defined by the razor-thin margin between salvation and self-destruction. However, in the penultimate episode of the third season, titled "Rain or Shine," the series shifts from psychological volatility to literal, irreversible finality. As the season barrels toward its finale, the equilibrium of East Highland has been shattered, leaving central figures dead, others in mortal danger, and the show’s protagonist, Rue Bennett, oscillating between spiritual mania and high-stakes criminal desperation.

The Death of the Golden Boy: A Tragic End for Nate Jacobs

For two seasons, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) served as the primary antagonist of Euphoria, a character whose rage was as combustible as it was concealed. By Season 3, however, the audience witnessed a different iteration of the "Golden Boy." Stripped of his high school invincibility, Nate found himself crushed under the weight of financial failure and insurmountable debt to ruthless loan sharks.

The episode reveals the grim reality of those debts. Nate had been held captive in a shallow, makeshift grave—a sensory-deprivation-style prison designed to coerce his wife, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), into securing a million-dollar ransom within a 72-hour window. The sequence of his rescue serves as one of the most agonizing moments in the series’ history.

Through the intervention of Maddy (Alexa Demie) and the lethal efficiency of Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), the standoff at the drop site was resolved. The loan sharks were neutralized, and Cassie finally reached her husband. Yet, in a cruel twist of irony that echoes the show’s recurring theme of cosmic indifference, the rescue was a pyrrhic victory. A rattlesnake, having navigated the ventilation system of the grave, had struck Nate long before the extraction team arrived. The episode closes on the devastating image of Cassie mourning over his body, marking a permanent end to one of the show’s most complex and polarizing arcs.

Chronology of the Crisis

The events of "Rain or Shine" unfold with a frantic, tightening pace:

• The Heist: Rue Bennett, increasingly erratic, attempts to execute a high-risk robbery of a drug cartel’s safe, believing she can manipulate rival factions. Her accomplice, Faye (Chloe Cherry), initially assists but eventually realizes the safe is empty—filled only with falsified IDs rather than the expected currency.
• The Betrayal: Faye, recognizing the futility of Rue’s plan and fearful for her own life, alerts the cartel members, forcing Rue into a life-or-death confrontation.
• The Ransom: Cassie maneuvers through the high-stakes world of Hollywood and organized crime. After being fired from the production of L.A. Nights, she manipulates her co-star, Dylan Reed (Homer Gere), to regain social leverage, all while unaware that she is being fed clues about Nate’s gruesome fate—including the morbid discovery of a severed finger in an ice water glass.
• The Confrontation: Maddy and Alamo intervene in the kidnapping, leading to the shootout that frees—but fails to save—Nate.
• The Revelation: Rue continues to claim divine intervention, citing a "burning bush" and the voice of God as her guides, further alienating her support system, including Lexi (Maude Apatow).

Supporting Data: The Cost of Ambition and Addiction

The episode highlights the intersection of late-stage capitalism and addiction. Cassie’s storyline, specifically, serves as a critique of the "hustle culture" that dominates her generation. After losing her primary income stream via OnlyFans and subsequently being dropped from her acting role due to her "reputation," Cassie’s descent into manipulation—seducing a co-star to hijack his social media clout—underscores the desperation of a character attempting to maintain an image of success while her personal life crumbles.

Simultaneously, the flashback sequence involving Ali (Colman Domingo) provides necessary context for the season’s themes of redemption. Through Rue’s narration, viewers see Ali’s own struggle—a journey marked by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the failure of traditional support systems. Ali’s attempt to sponsor Rue serves as the anchor of the season, though his bemused reaction to her claims of hearing God suggests that he recognizes the onset of a full-blown manic episode, a dangerous precursor to her current criminal activities.

Implications for the Season Finale

The death of Nate Jacobs fundamentally alters the emotional architecture of the finale. For Cassie, the transition from a dissatisfied, insecure wife to a widow provides a grim trajectory that the series must now navigate. The show is effectively forced to address the void left by its most consistent source of conflict.

Furthermore, Rue’s position is increasingly untenable. By pitting herself against two rival cartels—Laurie (Martha Kelly) and the faction represented by Alamo—she has effectively removed any safety net. Her attempt to manufacture physical evidence of her "loyalty" to Laurie by self-inflicting bruises is a harrowing reminder of her deteriorating mental state. The fact that the cartels saw through her ruse and physically assaulted her suggests that Rue is no longer in control of her environment, if she ever was.

Official and Critical Perspectives

While HBO has maintained its policy of not commenting on specific plot developments before they air, the show’s creative team has consistently framed the third season as a "descent into the dark." The show’s commitment to showing the raw, unvarnished consequences of its characters’ choices—whether it be drug addiction, criminal association, or psychological manipulation—has remained its hallmark.

Critics have noted that the inclusion of the "burning bush" sequence and Rue’s religious fervor adds a layer of surrealism to the show that departs from its grounded, albeit hyper-stylized, roots. This pivot into the metaphysical, juxtaposed against the visceral reality of Nate’s death, highlights a tonal shift intended to heighten the stakes as the series reaches its conclusion.

Looking Forward: The Final Reckoning

As the camera pans away from the weeping Cassie and the betrayed Rue, the overarching theme of the season becomes clear: the consequences of the past have finally caught up with the present. The death of Nate is not merely a plot point; it is a finality that strips away the pretenses of the characters involved.

With the season finale approaching, the questions remain: Can Rue survive her own delusions? Will the power vacuum left by the cartels and the death of the town’s most prominent figure lead to further violence? The "Promised Land" that Rue claims God promised her appears increasingly like a mirage, as East Highland prepares for its most volatile hour yet. Euphoria has proven that while some characters may search for redemption, the show itself is content to let the consequences of their actions stand in the light of day, regardless of how painful that light may be.