'Euphoria’: Nate, Maddy and Cassie's Love Triangle Timeline (2024)

Things are getting messy. Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) and Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) had a toxic on-again, off-again relationship before her best friend Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) came along and stirred the pot.When Euphoriapremiered in June 2019, fans were introduced to a broken-up version of Nate and Maddy. Following a party scene that featured the exes hurling expletive-laced insults at each other as Maddy hooked up with Tyler Clarkson (Lukas Gage) in a pool, the teens got back together.As the first season continued, viewers were given glimpses into the early days of Nate and Maddy’s relationship through flashbacks. The look back at their past paired with the present-day scenes helped fans piece together when things went awry between the duo.Demie told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2019 that she believes her character “really is in love with Nate, despite how dysfunctional and toxic their relationship is.”The actress added, “I think she is in love with him, and she has a little bit of hope inside of her that he will be everything she wants him to be. She’s also just really young and thinks that Nate is her world. Later on, things might change, but now she just wants to defend him and be with him.”[sendtonews type="float" key="wHmxZtmPMi-2836035-14453"]Amid their reconciliation, the pair had an extremely violent altercation in which Nate chokes Maddy. They stay together.“She doesn’t want him to go to jail — he’s her boyfriend. Despite what you see on camera — I know we show a lot of the toxic parts of the relationship — but there’s also been the good parts of the relationship,” Demie told THR. “You also feel like when your parents or any adult is trying to tell you what to do, you want to rebel against that, and she definitely wants to rebel and just be with Nate.”By the end of season 1, the characters realize that they’re not good for each other and eventually break up.Nate and Cassie start their love story in the season 2 premiere, which aired in January 2022. Reeling from her abortion and subsequent split from Christopher McKay (Algee Smith), Cassie gets drunk before a New Year’s Eve party which leads to a fight with her sister, Lexi (Maude Apatow). Nate finds the inebriated Cassie in a gas station parking lot where he offers her beer and a ride. Once at the party, the two proceed to hook up in the bathroom.In a Euphoria behind-the-scenes featurette, Sweeney recalled the first moment creator Sam Levinson told her about the “crazy” Cassie and Nate story line.“My first response was: ‘But, what about Maddy?’” the actress recalled. Elordi, for his part, said that, at first, he “didn’t understand” the Nate and Cassie relationship.“I was worried that it was just the high school trope of different people sleeping with different people,” the Kissing Boothactor said, noting that he eventually realized it was an “important part and development” of his character.Keep scrolling for a timeline of Nate, Maddie and Cassie’s love triangle:If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.[podcast_block]

Narrator Rue (Zendaya) told fans during Maddy’s flashback scene in season 1, episode 5 that Maddy "had a thing for Nate for a while before his finally asked her out.”

The voiceover continued: “At first, he was a gentleman — like, flowers every day kind of gentleman — and he was smarter than most guys. Plus, Nate, like, really loved her.”

Before the events that transpired in the first episode of season 1, Nate and Maddy had broken up. After she slept with Tyler in the pool at a party, the teens got back together.

Nate and Maddy get into a fight after she embarrassed his family at the town’s carnival during season 1, episode 5. During their confrontation, Nate violently choked Maddy, leaving bruises on her neck. Maddy refused to press charges against her boyfriend after the injuries were revealed. In order to save himself, Nate forced Tyler to confess to the crime. He and Maddy stay together and received cheers from their friends when arriving at the Halloween party in season 1, episode 6.

After another fight, Nate takes another girl to their school’s formal in the season 1 finale. After dancing with other people, the on-off couple reconcile only to break up one final time.

“You know, I really f—king hate you,” Maddy told Nate while they were slow dancing. “You’re abusive, psychopathic and most of the time I really hate how you make me feel. … It's not good for us. … Maybe, like, we shouldn’t be together.”

In the season 2 premiere, a drunk Nate and Cassie hook up in the bathroom at a New Year’s Eve party. This started their secret romance.

Amid his secret relationship with Cassie, Nate canceled their plans to meet up with Maddy in season 2, episode 3. The two continued to deny being back together to their friends.

Despite their denial of being back together, Nate arrived at Maddy’s birthday party in season 2, episode 4 with a gift in hand. Seeing them together sent Cassie further into a spiral and she ruined the party by throwing up in the hot tub.

Elsewhere in the series, Rue ran away from an intervention, which sent her to Cassie and Lexi’s house. While there, the drug-addicted teen revealed Cassie and Nate’s relationship. “Hey Cass? I have a quick question for you? How long have you been f—king Nate Jacobs?” Rue asked during season 2, episode 5. Cassie immediately broke down as Maddy hurled insults at her best friend.

In the aftermath of her fight with Maddy, Cassie moved in with Nate. “I ruined my entire life for you,” she told him during the final scene of season 2, episode 6.

The newly-public couple attended Lexi’s Our Life play together in season 2, episode 7. The play featured a suggestive dance scene to “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tylerthat appeared to portray how Nate acted in the locker room with his football buddies.

In a fit of rage, he left the show and broke up with Cassie. “You know what? Pack your s—t, get the f—k out of my house,” Nate told Cassie. “I’m f—king done.”