The Euphoria Season 3 finale dropped on HBO Max on Sunday, May 31, and it delivered the show‘s most painful episode yet. Halfway through the 104-minute episode titled “In God We Trust,” Rue Bennett (Zendaya) overdosed on fentanyl-laced painkillers. Her death marks the end of her seven-year journey on the series. Creator Sam Levinson explained that killing off the main character “felt like the honest ending.”
How Rue Dies in the Season 3 Finale
The finale picks up right after last week’s episode. Rue escapes Laurie‘s (Martha Kelly) compound. She returns to her boss Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) . But Alamo has learned that Rue is working with the DEA. Maddy (Alexa Demie) accidentally revealed this information in the previous episode.
Alamo gives Rue a bottle of Percocet pills as she heals from her wounds. He also gives her cash and a week off work. Rue goes to her sponsor Ali‘s (Colman Domingo) apartment to recover. That night, she takes the pills. Ali wakes up the next morning to find Rue dead on his couch.
Ali tests the leftover pills and discovers they contain fentanyl. Alamo poisoned them because he knew Rue was a rat. The episode then follows Ali‘s mission to get revenge on Alamo.
“I think in the end, I wanted to tell an honest story about addiction. I also wanted to tell a story about grief and the emotional turmoil that it can create.” – Sam Levinson
Rue’s Final Dream Sequence Pays Tribute to Angus Cloud
Before Rue dies, the show shows a long dream sequence. Rue sees on the news that Fezco (Angus Cloud) has escaped prison. She goes to find him. The show then shows a clip of Fezco and Rue in a field.
This moment hit hard for viewers. Cloud died in real life in July 2023 at age 25 from an accidental overdose. Levinson chose to keep Fezco‘s character alive in the show as a tribute to the actor.
In the same dream, Rue reunites with her mother Leslie (Nika King) at her childhood home. She also sees her father who died before season 1. But Ali wakes her from the dream. Rue is already gone.
Nate Jacobs Died One Episode Earlier
This is not the first major death of the season. The penultimate episode killed off Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) . Nate died after being buried in a box underground. A rattlesnake bit him while he was trapped. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy discovered his body.
Nate‘s death leaves Cassie drowning in debt from their expensive lifestyle. In the finale, Cassie decides to turn Nate’s mansion into a content creation house. She plans to rent out rooms to other OnlyFans models. Maddy agrees to help her. Lexi (Maude Apatow) says no and struggles with losing Rue to drugs.
Ali Kills Alamo in a Western-Style Standoff
After finding Rue dead, Ali quits his AA meetings. He gives one final speech about fentanyl deaths. Then he puts on his military uniform and grabs a sawed-off shotgun.
Ali goes to Alamo‘s strip club. Alamo agrees to a duel. They decide to fire when a bottle of champagne breaks on the floor. But Alamo tries to cheat and fire early. His gun does not go off. Alamo‘s right-hand man Bishop (Darrell Britt-Gibson) removed the bullets from his weapon. Ali then shoots Alamo three times in the chest, killing him.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who plays Alamo, told Variety that his character enjoys the “chess game of death.” He explained why Alamo chose to kill Rue with laced pills instead of a direct attack.
“He understands the nature and psyche of an addict. He knows she is weak enough to fall for the temptation. It’s not like he’s killing her; he’s helping her do it herself.” – Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
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The Show Likely Ends With Season 3
The finale ends with Ali visiting the Texas farmhouse where Rue stayed in the season premiere. He says grace at the dinner table in her honor. During his prayer, he imagines Rue sitting at the end of the table. They share a smile. “May God bless us all,” Rue says in a voiceover as the show fades to black.
Zendaya had already hinted that this would be her last season. She told Drew Barrymore in April, “I think so, yeah. That closure is coming.” After the finale, she said about playing Rue, “She taught me so much about empathy and about redemption.”
Sam Levinson confirmed that the show is ending. “The honest ending is people like Rue don‘t make it,” he said in a post-episode segment. He added, “People relapse and they mess up. They’re not ready to get clean. And they weren’t dying like they are now with the influx of fentanyl into this country.”
Euphoria Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on HBO Max.
Also Read: The Way Home Season 4 Finale Gets Full Soundtrack Release Before Show Ends
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