People missed the real reason behind this sweet moment in Eric Dane’s final Euphoria scenes

There’s a tiny detail in Euphoria season three that most people probably didn’t think twice about, but it completely changes the scene once you know why it’s there.

In episode two, Cal Jacobs makes a brief return, sitting across from his son Nate while casually knocking back drinks and asking questions about his life. It feels very standard for Cal: Awkward, intense, and slightly uncomfortable to watch. On the counter in front of him are a handful of empty beer bottles. Nothing unusual for the character, right?

HBO

The season marks the final onscreen appearance of Eric Dane, who died earlier this year aged 53 after being diagnosed with ALS, and those bottles were actually included for a very specific reason.

ALS, also known as motor neurone disease, can affect speech over time. When Eric returned to film for the third season, he was dealing with some of those symptoms, including a slight slur.

Rather than trying to hide it or work around it in a way that felt forced, creator Sam Levinson built it into the scene itself. The idea was simple: If Cal sounds like he’s slurring, it just reads as him being drunk.

According to director Sam Levinson, Eric was fully on board with the idea, and it meant he could just focus on the performance without worrying about how it might come across.

HBO

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Levinson told Extra TV: “Eric called me before we started shooting and told me that he had been diagnosed with ALS. We had a lot of conversations about just life and what that meant. I loved him very deeply, and I said, ‘Eric, whatever shape you show up in, we’re gonna make it work. I have faith that it’s all gonna work’.

“He showed up, and I could tell he had a slight slur in his voice, and I said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll just put five beer bottles in front of you and [your character has] been drinking all night’, and he said, ‘Perfect, Perfect’.”

Honestly, you wouldn’t clock it unless someone pointed it out. Cal asks Nate if he’s got anything to drink, checks in on his real estate situation, and brings up everything from his own “humiliating” downfall to Nate’s relationship with Cassie. He also mentions going to support groups, hinting at where his life’s gone since season two.

HBO

Season three had already opened with a tribute to Eric, as well as Angus Cloud and Kevin Turen, making it clear how much of a loss his death was to the show.

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Featured image credit: HBO