Euphoria spoilers follow.
Euphoria boss Sam Levinson has responded to a gruesome character death that took place in the latest episode of season three of the drama, defending the "horrific" scenes. This season, Nate Jacobs has been pursued by loan sharks over a $1 million debt, with the situation escalating after his wedding to Cassie, when they violently cut off one of his toes.
In Sunday's episode, 'Rain or Shine', things got even worse for Nate, who was taken hostage, while the loan sharks sought money from his wife – who fans know is making a fortune on OnlyFans.
Related: Best streaming services
As Cassie and Maddy tried to gather the money, Nate was buried in a shallow grave with a small air vent while the former best friends searched for him.
When Maddy enlisted the help of crime kingpin Alamo, they finally found where Nate was buried, though they were too late. Brutal scenes unfolded as they dug up the coffin to uncover a purple-faced Nate, bitten and killed by a rattlesnake.
What to Read Next
Speaking about Nate's downfall, Levinson told Esquire: "There's this kind of funny thing where I know what the audience wants in terms of justice or karma and with that in mind, I always think, 'Well, how can I give it to them?'"
He added: "How can I give them 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?"
Explaining how he was able to expand on the storyline now that the characters are no longer in high school, he said: "It was what was exciting about the characters being out of high school. They're in the real world and the consequences are real.
"There's no safety net. I like this Wild West, frontier aspect to it where you can make something of yourself, but you're going to have to live with the consequences."
Related: Euphoria star breaks silence on character's brutal death in season 3
Elsewhere in the interview, Levinson said he originally planned to have Nate just suffocate in the coffin before the snake idea came to him during a drive to the studio.
He said: "It was one of those gorgeous LA days where it was perfect weather. We're listening to Otis Redding. The windows are down and we're driving to Warner Brothers and I'm looking out the window.
"I just had this image of a rattlesnake coming towards this pipe. He's banging and the snake can sense the movement in the ground. And I thought, What if the snake goes into the pipe and then he's stuck inside the coffin with this rattlesnake?
"It’s sort of a funny moment where you realise that not all dark scenes come from a dark place."
According to Levinson, he explained the new idea to his wife, who said: "'That's what you've been thinking about?'"
Euphoria airs new episodes on HBO in the US on Sunday nights, and on Sky Atlantic, NOW and HBO Max at 2am on Monday mornings in the UK.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, a collector's edition exploring the royal family, is here! Buy The Royals in newsagents or online.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
