Jacob Elordi, previously known for the The Kissing Booth franchise, sheds his heartthrob skin entirely. Nate is a coiled snake. The episode reveals more of his relationship with his father, Cal (Eric Dane), who we saw in Episode 2 watching videos of himself having sex with underage teens (including Jules). Nate knows about the videos. He has organized them on a hard drive.
However, controversy followed. Some parents’ groups called the episode “child exploitation.” The Reply All podcast debated whether the show was responsible for glamorizing the very behaviors it claimed to critique. But defenders argued that discomfort was the point. You are supposed to feel sick when Maddy cries during sex. You are supposed to feel terrified when Rue opens that pill bottle.
But the shadow of Rue’s addiction looms. She confesses to her NA sponsor that she feels “nothing” when she’s sober. She is going through the motions. Later, when Jules goes to meet a guy from a dating app (a subplot involving “Ana,” an older woman), Rue waits in the car, and the camera lingers on her trembling hands. The urge to use is physical, visceral. Zendaya, in this episode, does more with a single twitch of her jaw than most actors do with a monologue. Euphoria Season 1 - Episode 3
But it is the third episode, titled (directed by Sam Levinson and written by Levinson), where the show stops establishing its premise and drives the knife in. This is the episode where the fairy tale of young love curdles into codependency, where the consequences of violence begin to ripple outward, and where the audience realizes that Euphoria is not a cautionary tale—it is a tragedy playing out in slow motion.
When Euphoria premiered on HBO in June 2019, it arrived with the force of a gut punch. The Sam Levinson-created drama, dripping in neon and nihilism, immediately divided critics and audiences with its graphic depiction of teenage life. The pilot introduced us to Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a freshly sober drug addict adrift in a world of sex, social media, and trauma. The second episode expanded the ensemble, giving heartbreaking depth to Jules (Hunter Schafer) and the volatile Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi). Jacob Elordi, previously known for the The Kissing
The juxtaposition is brutal. Levinson argues that Maddy was raised to believe her only currency is her appearance and her desirability. In the present timeline, she is dating Nate, the golden-boy quarterback who strangled her in Episode 2. After that assault, Maddy returns home and lies to her parents, claiming the bruises on her neck are from a hickey. She then has sex with Nate, crying silently while he is on top of her.
Released on June 30, 2019, Episode 3 is widely considered by fans and critics as the moment the series found its terrifying, beautiful rhythm. It is a masterclass in tonal dissonance: a glittering, synth-heavy score by Labrinth underscoring scenes of profound psychological horror. The episode opens not with Rue, but with a backstory for Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie). Up to this point, Maddy has been presented as the stereotypical “mean girl”: the bikini-clad, lip-glossed queen of East Highland High. But “Made You Look” dismantles that trope in the first five minutes. Nate knows about the videos
Later, Nate’s internal conflict explodes. He has been having violent, confused dreams about Jules (whom he is blackmailing) and Maddy. In a private moment, he takes a shower, turns the water to scalding, and punches the wall until his knuckles bleed. It is the first time the show suggests that Nate’s cruelty stems from self-hatred—specifically, self-hatred over his own suppressed desires. He wants Jules. He hates that he wants Jules. So he will destroy her. The B-plot of Episode 3 belongs to Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira). After losing her virginity at the carnival to a boy who immediately ignored her, Kat has discovered a new world: online cam sites and fan fiction. In “Made You Look,” she begins to monetize her body.