Major Spoilers Ahead for Season 3, Episode 3
Euphoria is back with a bang. The third episode of the long-awaited third season, titled “The Ballad of Paladin,” aired on Sunday night (April 26), offering fans a glimpse into the characters’ lives five years after high school as they navigate adulthood. This marks a significant return for the HBO series, which last released a season in early 2022, creating a nearly four-year gap between seasons.
What Happened in Episode 3?
This episode was packed with events that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. At the start, we learned how Jules (Hunter Schafer) became a sugar baby through her roommate and eventually dropped out of art school. She now has only one client, Ellis (Sam Trammell), a plastic surgeon who has a peculiar preference for wrapping her in plastic.
Meanwhile, Rue (Zendaya) is working for Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), selling guns that were meant for Mexico. Her attempt to talk about going “legit” with Alamo falls flat. Laurie (Martha Kelly) had previously called Alamo a pig over the phone. In a previous episode, she received a literal pig, which she returned by dropping it into the Silver Slipper, causing chaos and ultimately leading to its death. Alamo seeks revenge against Laurie by targeting her bird, Paladin, named after the mercenary from the old 50s Western Have Gun—Will Travel, which Laurie often plays.
We also saw another appearance from Rosalía as stripper Magick, who pole dances while wearing a neck brace. Rue invites Jules to Nate (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) wedding as a plus one, despite Jules’ hesitation due to her history with Nate and his father, Cal (Eric Dane). Jules eventually accepts the invitation.
The highly anticipated wedding sees Maddy (Alexa Demie) arrive in a revealing green dress with a matching fur and a rosary dangling past her hips. The day affects her deeply, and she leaves early, not knowing she narrowly avoided a disaster. BB (Sophia Rose Wilson), heavily pregnant, questions Maddy about changing her number, adding an awkward moment to the event.
As Cassie walks down the aisle, her mother (Alanna Ubach) delivers a dark, comedic, and foreboding monologue about her own wedding, which was the last happy moment she had with her husband. Cassie becomes emotional during the ceremony.
The newlyweds seem happy during their first kiss, but this happiness is short-lived. At the reception, there’s a massive ice sculpture of the couple, indicating no expense was spared despite Nate’s financial struggles. Naz (Jack Topalian), the man Nate owes money to, appears behind them, threatening Nate and informing Cassie about his debts. “Is everything okay?” Lexi (Maude Apatow) asks, to which Cassie insists, “Of course! It’s my wedding day. What a weird question to ask on the best day of my life.”
After this threat, the couple takes to the dance floor, where Cassie can’t hold back her tears during a cheesy routine, saying, “I don’t wanna be poor.” Rue has to leave the wedding to pick up Laurie for Alamo. On her way, she gets a call from Fezco (Angus Cloud), and in a one-sided conversation, they joke about him escaping prison using parkour.
At the bar, Jules reunites with Cal, who reveals he got caught sleeping with a minor and is now on the sex offenders register. He apologizes to Jules for making a sex tape without her knowledge. Nate joins Jules outside for a moment, thanking her for coming.
In one of the most tense scenes, Rue and Bishop (Darrell Britt-Gibson) visit Laurie under the pretense of buying drugs, but their real goal is to poison her beloved bird, Paladin. Meanwhile, at the wedding, Cassie confronts Nate, accusing him of being someone he’s not. She adds, “You want me to be the perfect housewife? You want me to cook and clean and suck your c***? And you don’t even have money for food. You’re not a man. Men provide.”
Nate tries to reassure her, but she accidentally pops the cork in his eye, showing a glimpse of the old, angry Nate. By the end of the night, they get into a limo, where Nate promises to get them out of their financial hole. They appear to have made up when they return home, but the happiness is short-lived when they find Nas waiting for them, leading to a violent confrontation where Nate is beaten and his pinky toe is cut off.
Rue faces her own troubles when she gets pulled over by the DEA. The episode ends with Paladin, the bird, taking a sip of water, falling over, and dying.
Fan Reactions to the Third Episode
Fans have been sharing their thoughts on the chaotic events of the episode. One viewer said, “They got Jules wrapped in plastic wrap what the f*** is this show bro.” Another wrote, “Jules really quit art school to be wrapped in plastic by this creep, rich white man with many fetishes.”
A third fan commented, “Nate getting beat up so bad they chopped his toe off, Cassie miserable and crying her eyes with her nose bleeding on her wedding day on top of the fact that they’re so in dept that they got attacked in their own home… oh Maddy, you dodged the biggest bullet of your life.”
Another fan said, “This entrance… Maddy Perez, you will always be famous.” Others shared reactions like, “Cassie’s mom while walking her down the aisle,” “That was the worst ‘first dance’ I’ve ever seen omg,” and “Cassie crying over her bleeding and not Nate getting his ass beat behind her.”
Where to Watch Euphoria
Season 1, 2, and the first two episodes of season 3 of Euphoria are available to watch on HBO Max. Fans can also check out other coverage of the show, including reactions to the premiere and second episode. To stay updated, sign up for the free WhatsApp channel or subscribe to the weekly newsletter.
