‘Euphoria’: Why Cal Jacobs Will Likely Return in the Season

The penultimate episode of Euphoria Season 2 ended on quite the cliffhanger. Between the final shot of Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) angry face and Fezco’s (Angus Cloud) fate up in the air, there was no shortage of drama following Lexi’s (Maude Apatow) play. Everyone’s fates will be revealed when the finale airs February 27 on HBO, but will Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane) be part of it?

Cal made a swift exit after a night of heavy drinking and even heavier emotions in Episode 3. He’s been mentioned in conversations between Nate (Jacob Elordi) and his mother, Marsha (Paula Marshall). And he appeared in flashback and dream form in Nate’s unsettling nightmare last week. These moments have teased his impending return, but it so far hasn’t come to pass.

The final episode will hopefully bring some kind of closure to Cal’s Season 2 storyline, or set him up for a return in Season 3. Given that Dane is credited in the cast for the finale, per IMDb, it seems he may be back on Sunday. However, just how chaotic his appearance could be remains to be seen.

Nate is ignoring his feelings about his father’s abandonment, but clearly is struggling with it under the surface. Bringing Cal back — presumably feeling better after getting some distance — would likely elicit a big reaction from Nate. If he does indeed return in better spirits, that mood alone could set Nate off.

One thing’s for sure: Dane’s Episode 3 exit was not an official departure from the series. The actor told SiriusXM on February 3 there’s more to be seen from Cal.

“What I do hope is that he ultimately gets to end up being a good father to Nate,” Dane said. “I think that’s what he wants. When Cal’s on the landing and said that Nate was his biggest regret, I don’t feel like Nate’s birth was his biggest regret or his existence is his biggest regret. I think it was more of a, ‘My biggest regret was I failed you as a father.’”

Eddy Chen/HBO

When asked if there will be some “healing” opportunities between father and son, Dane confirmed there will be.

There’s also the matter of the mystery third son revealed in Episode 3. Cal took a family portrait with him when he left, and fans quickly noticed there were three sons in the photo, not just Nate and Aaron (Zak Steiner). Dane told SiriusXM that portrait “wasn’t a mistake.”

“I’m assuming that’s a part of a story that’s going to come out at a later time,” he said coyly. It seems a reveal about a third Jacobs child is in the works, but that might be a matter for Season 3, already ordered by HBO.

Euphoria has shown how Nate’s relationship with his father affects his behavior throughout the series. Nate is convinced now that his father is gone, his anger is gone. But clearly that is not the case, as the terrifying Russian roulette scene with Maddy (Alexa Demie) displayed.

Notably, Cal isn’t seen in the trailer for the finale. This could be the series trying to set up a surprise return from the Jacobs patriarch. The shock of his return would surely trigger conflict within the family.

Nate can’t ignore his convoluted history with his dad forever, and the Jacobs family will eventually have to address Cal’s abandonment, in addition to their past emotional traumas. All of this, paired with Cal’s apparent desire to be a better father, makes Dane seem primed for a return in the Euphoria Season 2 finale.

Euphoria, Season 2, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO

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