The wedding bells were ringing, but so was the cash register of a dangerous loan shark. Euphoria finally delivered the event fans have been waiting for all season: the wedding of Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney). What started as a dream day with $50,000 worth of flowers quickly turned into a bloody horror show that ended with a severed toe and a shattered fairy tale.
Episode 3, titled “The Ballad of Paladin,” aired on HBO and Max on April 26, 2026. The show follows a five-year time jump, and this episode proves that time has not healed any of these characters’ wounds. Instead, it just gave them more expensive clothes and much bigger problems.
The Wedding of the Year and the Debt That Came With It
Cassie finally got her perfect day. The venue was covered in pink and orange floral archways. There was an ice sculpture of the couple. Two flower girls threw petals down the aisle. On the surface, it was the lavish fairy tale Cassie always wanted.
But Nate was hiding in the bathroom before the ceremony, vomiting into a paper bag. He was either hungover, scared of marriage, or terrified of the dangerous man who was about to show up. Probably all three.
Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) showed up in a stunning custom green dress with a fur stole. Fans expected her to cause chaos at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding to her ex-best friend. Instead, she sat quietly with Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer) , watching the trainwreck with a sad look on her face.
The disaster hit during the reception. Naz (Jack Topalian) , the loan shark Nate owes money to, appeared behind the happy couple. He casually dropped the truth: Nate is broke. He owes more than $500,000. The flowers, the ice sculpture, the whole dream—it was all bought with borrowed cash.
A guest at the wedding called Cassie out, saying Nate “pimped her out” to pay for the party. Cassie, with tears in her eyes, kept repeating the same line over and over: “It’s my wedding day. What a weird question to ask on the best day of my life.”
Euphoria Season 3 Episode 3 Recap and Soundtracks: Every Song From Cassie and Nate’s Wedding
The music at the wedding was almost as chaotic as the guest list. The episode bounced from classical ceremony music to crunk club bangers. Here is every song that played during the big day:
- Johann Pachelbel – ‘Pachelbel: Canon And Gigue In D Major’ (played during the ceremony)
- Nat King Cole – ‘When I Fall In Love’
- James Brown – ‘Please, Please, Please’ (performed by the wedding band)
- Elvis Presley – ‘She Wears My Ring’ (performed by the wedding band)
- Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz – ‘Get Low’ (performed by the wedding band)
- Foreigner – ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ (performed by the wedding band)
- Fatboy – ‘Boom Boom Boom’
- Johnny Western – ‘The Ballad of Paladin’
The music choice felt almost like a joke. Hearing “Get Low” at a wedding where the groom owes half a million dollars to a criminal felt very on-brand for Euphoria.
The Bloody End to Cassie’s Perfect Day
Nate tried to calm Cassie down in the limo on the way home. He promised he would fix everything. He said he would be a better husband. He talked about being a father one day. Cassie believed him. She wanted to believe him.
But Naz was waiting inside their house. When the couple walked in, the lights turned on. The henchmen jumped Nate. Cassie got hit in the face during the fight. Her nose started bleeding. She started crying and screaming, not because Nate was getting beaten, but because her wedding day was ruined.
“This is so unfair! It was supposed to be the best day of my life!” – Cassie Howard
Then came the moment everyone is talking about. The henchmen held Nate down. Naz took out a pair of garden shears or clippers. He cut off Nate’s pinky toe. Blood sprayed everywhere.
Jack Topalian, who plays Naz, told Page Six that the clippers used on set had “pretty sharp edges.” He said, “I had to be really mindful of that, because at one point, I do put it around Jake’s toe. If I squeezed a little too hard, it would literally cut his toe. But everything turned out well!”
Fans on social media had strong reactions. One X user wrote, “I know they love shock value on this show, but wow… I didn’t need to see all that.” Another Reddit user commented, “I had to mute the ending then completely stop watching it as the episode finished.”
Rue and Jules Face Their Own Demons
While the wedding was falling apart, Rue was busy with her own dangerous job. She is now working for Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) , a man who owns a strip club and sells guns. Alamo sent Rue to Laurie’s (Martha Kelly) house to deliver a shipment.
The episode also showed what Jules has been doing since high school. She went to art school but dropped out. She started working as an esc*rt to pay her bills. Her main client is Ellis (Sam Trammell) , a plastic surgeon with a God complex. In a deeply unsettling scene, Ellis wraps Jules in clear plastic, saying he wants to keep her forever.
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Jules and Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane) also had a conversation at the wedding. Cal is now on the s*x offender registry. He apologized to Jules for recording her without permission. Jules realized that since the police never got the tape, Nate must have destroyed it years ago.
The episode also included a moment many fans found emotional. Rue received a phone call from Fez (Angus Cloud) , who is in prison. The late actor, who passed away in 2023, appeared only through his voice. Fans were divided on whether this was a respectful tribute or uncomfortable to watch.
What Happens Next
Episode 4, titled “Kitty Likes to Dance,” is scheduled to release on Sunday, May 3, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
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