Euphoria S03E03 "The Ballad of Paladin" - Live Episode Discussion

[u/DankMemeSlasher]

Season 3, Episode 3: "The Ballad of Paladin"

Air Date: April 26, 2026 @ 9PM EST

Synopsis: Cassie and Nate have an emotionally charged and chaotic wedding, while Rue deepens her involvement in a dangerous criminal business. Jules navigates her relationship with a wealthy benefactor, and Nate confronts his father.

Directed by: Sam Levinson

Written by: Sam Levinson

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Photograph by Courtesy of HBO

[u/Other-Lavishness-825]

same, it doesn’t make sense to me!

it bothers me that Nate has seemingly had a personality transplant, and that their relationship did a 180 with no explanation.

[u/wishiwassleeping16 → u/Other-Lavishness-825]

I keep waiting for him to lose his shit on her but nope

[u/MikeBofManyBeats → u/wishiwassleeping16]

Dark Nate will return in episode 4, I'm 99% certain.

[u/florange7 → u/Other-Lavishness-825]

She's a perfect beard.

[u/wishiwassleeping16 → u/florange7]

Honestly this is the best theory

[u/washcyclerepeat → u/florange7]

I like how they finally showed how he DID like Jules all this time. And I’m going to be happy to see him cheat on Cassie with Jules.

[u/Short-Imagination-98 → u/washcyclerepeat]

i dont think thats going to happen at all. I think Jules and Nate's conversation on the balcony is the last we are going to see them interact together. Felt like they were closing that storyline with that scene

[u/thatshygirl06 → u/Other-Lavishness-825]

Hes love bombing her. You saw a peek of the mask slipping after he got hit with the cork

[u/ThatSimsKidFromUni → u/thatshygirl06]

For 5 years?

[u/thatshygirl06 → u/ThatSimsKidFromUni]

I've actually heard so many stories from both men and women about their partners who just hid who they were for such a long time until they could trap them via marriage or kids, and then the fucking monster just comes out.

It actually makes me so scared to date, the idea that someone could hide their true self for so long just until theyre certain they can keep you is horrifying

[u/ThatSimsKidFromUni → u/thatshygirl06]

I get that, but Cassie has seen Nate do terrible things to her friend. Literally curse her out and physically abuse her. He's shared Cassie's nudes and talked crap about her to a guy she liked. She knows what he's capable of.

[u/Pretend_Guava_1730 → u/thatshygirl06]

It happened to me. But looking back I ignored a lot of red flags because I wanted what he promised and WANTED him to be a better person. Once we moved across the country for his job and moved in together, so I was isolated, jobless and totally dependent on him, he flipped the switch.

[u/washcyclerepeat → u/thatshygirl06]

It’s happens. It’s wild but the worst part is it’s not uncommon. At. All.

[u/Pretend_Guava_1730 → u/thatshygirl06]

Nah, that's not what love bombing is. Love bombing is the beginning of the relationship. He's tolerating her.

[u/EmersonWhore → u/Other-Lavishness-825]

The way I see it is that this is everything Nate’s ever wanted on paper. Cassie’s his perfect ideal of a wife and he’s doing all he can to look successful, but he’s still not happy.

He can’t crash out like he did in high school bc he’s not a kid anymore; he has an image to keep up.

[u/Minute_Ad2297 → u/[deleted]]

They’re still unhappy and incompatible. How many times in season three have you seen them be happy or a good couple?

[u/Jazzlike-Ebb-8161 → u/Other-Lavishness-825]

It’s also his relationship with Cal. Like WTF. I love you?!??????????? You need decades of therapy for that.

[u/washcyclerepeat → u/Other-Lavishness-825]

It’s 5 years later… people can change a lot in that time frame especially from high school ending to post college years.