At one time, the entire atmosphere of ‘Euphoria’ was about the chaos that Nate Jacobs caused. Nate was always unpredictable, always playing games, scaring his girlfriends, and sometimes being emotionally controlling.
He always brought a dangerous intensity to every scene. That feeling is nearly lost in season 3.
Nate Jacobs No Longer Feels Like ‘Euphoria’s Main Villain
There are plenty of characters who have been rewritten in a way that’s completely different from the one they’ve known for the last two seasons. However, Nate is the one who barely looks like the same character audiences spent two seasons dreading.
Related: 10 Must-See Performances by ‘Euphoria’ Cast Outside the Show
He went from being a cold, hyper-controlling personality to a passive, insecure, and submissive character. It’s not only about character development; it feels like an entirely different character wearing Nate’s face.
After spending the first part of the season resisting Cassie Howard’s decision to build an OnlyFans career, Nate suddenly becomes bizarrely supportive of it, even encouraging her growing success while relying on the money to handle his debts.
The transition is even more startling when the show puts him next to Cassie Howard. Cassie is still the same as she was before, only louder, more desperate for approval, more spiraling. Meanwhile, Nate is mainly a reactive player. He follows, apologizes, and he takes no offense at being humiliated.
One of the most shocking moments comes when he hides in the bathroom during a tense encounter rather than escalating things aggressively, something earlier versions of Nate almost certainly would not have done. He spends most of the episode reacting helplessly while other people, especially Cassie, take control of the situation.
That is a strange emptiness for a show that’s based on emotional extremes. Even those who didn’t like Nate could say he added an element of tension when he came on. Now, he feels like he’s not quite a part of the DNA of the show itself.
The Problem Isn’t Redemption, It’s The Lack Of Direction
Many fans were concerned that creator Sam Levinson would attempt to redeem Nate all the way before season 3 aired. The concern was warranted, since TV has been known to make a lot of bad guys look good. Nate has been a monster on the show, abusing people emotionally, manipulating them, and even being violent.
In case you missed it: Top 10 Love-At-First-Sight Romance Movies
To make him an overnight hero would have been an insult. Ironically, the season avoided that problem while creating another one entirely. Nate is no longer given a redemption arc, but rather he appears to have been completely deprived of agency by ‘Euphoria’. He’s no longer orchestrating chaos or making destructive choices.
His plot now is about suffering punishment, money problems, and emotional humiliation. It was a cathartic experience watching Nate lose his shit at first. However, season 3 continues to play the same beat. Eventually, the cycle stops feeling cathartic and starts feeling hollow. For a character that once set the tone for the show’s emotional tone, it’s a pretty big issue.
You might also like to read: The Forgotten TV Series That Inspired HBO’s ‘Euphoria’
