Throughout Euphoria Cal and Nate Jacobs’ relationship was obviously far from perfect, but that doesn’t mean that anyone saw *that* shocking outburst coming in season 2 episode 4.
If you’re still asking yourself 'what does Euphoria stream on?' then you’ve clearly been missing out on all the season 2 action, especially in episode 4. Here viewers saw Cal hit rock bottom, standing in the hallway of his home and shouting about his pain for all to hear. But it was Nate who came off the worst in his father’s monologue as he was dubbed Cal’s “biggest regret”.
Whilst he did accept the damage living a double life has caused, Cal also looked to be putting a lot of the blame squarely at Nate’s door. He declared, “Living a double life? Not my biggest regret. You are,” before pointing at his son.
Cal went on, “I have lived with you, I have raised you, I am your father. I know nothing about you. That's not true. I know that you're angry. I'm so sorry I f***** you up with my double life.”
He reflected on how his own “extreme” actions have affected his family relationships, adding, “OK, maybe I took mine to the extreme, I'll admit that. I have a problem, but the reason I have a problem is this family. That's why. I'm not allowed to form an emotional connection, and I'm an emotional guy.”
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This shocking scene is one fans won’t forget in a hurry, but why exactly is Nate Cal’s biggest regret in Euphoria? There’s one theory that certainly seems to make the most sense…
Why is Cal's biggest regret Nate in Euphoria?
Nate might be Cal’s biggest regret, but this is perhaps all the more surprising given that it was the birth of Aaron that ultimately led to him turning away from the possibility of a relationship with his true love and best friend, Derek. Now that seems like a pretty major regret, so the way that Cal considers Nate his "biggest" one is intriguing to say the least.
Whilst it’s not known exactly what Cal meant by this, it could simply be that he sees himself in his son and bitterly regrets the impact he had on him. Just as Cal expressed his struggles to form “an emotional connection”, Nate has also shown callous behavior towards people he’s supposed to love.
Neither have lived ‘authentic’ lives, with Cal suppressing his feelings towards Derek for so long and Nate’s feelings incredibly hard to read and even harder to trust.
Cal’s outburst in Euphoria episode 4, singling out Nate as his “biggest regret” could be him realizing how much his own failings are so evident in Nate in particular and how much he regrets allowing this to happen. Opening up to ET, Cal’s actor Eric Dane seemed to confirm this theory, suggesting that Cal sees “a lot of himself” in his teenage son. And that's probably not a good thing…
“I think Cal sees a lot of himself and his son and that scares him,” Eric explained. “I think he resents Nate a bit because Nate has a shot to do what Cal could never do, which is live the life that he always imagined he would live.”
The actor went on to express his hope that despite Cal calling Nate his “biggest regret”, their fractured relationship can one day be healed, allowing him to be the parent he always wanted to be.
“I would like to say there’s resolution between him and Nate. I think that his biggest regret is that he failed miserably with his son,” Eric said “I do think Cal’s going to get the opportunity to become a better parent. And I think that’s what Nate wants. He wants a father.”
This bitterness at his parental failings is something Eric reiterated to EW, where he clarified Cal’s comment. Speaking as his character, the star disclosed, "I never interpreted that as Nate being my biggest regret. I regret not being able to be a parent. I regret not being able to be a father, and I am more or less resentful towards him for that."
Whilst Jacob Elordi who plays Nate revealed that despite this, Cal’s words have a huge impact on his character.
"There's a great deal of hurt in that, having someone who's supposed to be there for you, to pick you up, telling you that 'I can't love you.' I think that's always gonna be a little bit heartbreaking,” he said.
So whilst Cal’s “biggest regret” being Nate might not be *quite* as cruel as it sounds, the repercussions of this monologue will likely continue to be felt throughout the rest of Euphoria season 2…
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