Rue (Zendaya) in HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ series finale
HBO
The series finale of Euphoria depicts a tense duel between a redeemed man and a sinful man, echoing western tropes.
Strangely enough, neither of the two are main characters—the ending of Euphoria pays so little attention to the classic cast that it hardly feels like a conclusion to the HBO series at all.
The series finale is more like a spin-off, a new idea, set in the same universe but only tangentially connected to the original story.
This could be a good or a bad thing, depending on the viewer’s perspective.
Why Is The ‘Euphoria’ Finale So Different?
With a four-year gap between season two and three of Euphoria, the direction of the series changed significantly.
Some changes simply marked a new creative direction, while others were due to unfortunate circumstances.
The first two seasons boasted a stunning, unique aesthetic inspired by the work of photographer Petra Collins. Unfortunately, Collins claimed her contributions to the show were significant but uncredited, stating:
“I moved to L.A. and worked for HBO for about five months … I created a whole world for [Euphoria], did the casting, whatever. At the last minute, HBO was like, ‘We are not hiring you because you are too young.’”
Collins continued, “A year later, I walked out of my apartment and saw this billboard [for Euphoria], and it’s exactly … a copy of my work. I started crying. I was so shocked. I mean, it happened to me so many times in my career, but not on a scale like that.”
Levinson has stayed silent on the controversy, but Collins’ claims were denied by an HBO insider, who told The Daily Beast, “As a fan of hers, [Sam] was hoping there was a possibility they could work together in that way. But by no means was anything promised. That wouldn’t have even been possible for him to do because ultimately it’s the network’s decision.”
Euphoria’s distinctive aesthetic was dropped for season three (which was still beautifully shot), but far removed from the colorful, dramatic lighting that once defined the series.
The soundtrack, another hallmark of the series, was significantly altered in season three after Euphoria’s composer, Labrinth, quit the show, a since-deleted Instagram post declaring that he was “done with this industry.”
Levinson responded to Labrinth’s statement, calling him an “incredible collaborator” and claiming “I don’t know” why he left the show after two seasons, crediting the composer with building “the foundation of the sound of Euphoria.”
Labrinth was replaced by Hans Zimmer, who created a serviceable, familiar soundtrack for the series.
The behind-the-scenes turmoil resulted in the show’s look and sound becoming more conventional towards the end. As the final season was being written, tragedy struck.
Angus Cloud, who played the kind-hearted drug dealer Fez, died in 2023 of an accidental overdose at the age of 25. Another cast member passed away this year—Eric Dane, who played Cal, died in February at age 53 after a battle with ALS.
Cloud’s death resulted in a substantial rewrite in the season three script, in which he was meant to play a large role.
Cloud’s tragic passing inspired showrunner Sam Levinson to rewrite the fate of Rue (Zendaya), giving the character a bleak death by fentanyl overdose to reflect the dangers of the modern drug landscape.
It’s debatable whether or not this intent was well-illustrated in the finale, as Rue’s death was a deliberate poisoning from a vengeful drug dealer, rather than an accidental overdose contaminated by fentanyl.
Notably, Rue is the only member of the main cast who really plays a large part in the series finale—after she dies, the story is driven by side characters.
The Cast Is Sidelined In The ‘Euphoria’ Finale
Season three largely separated the main cast, which could be attributed to the series moving away from the high school setting that provided so much potential for melodrama.
The first two seasons revolved around small stakes that felt large, heightened by the emotional state of the show’s teenage characters.
Love triangles intersected into pentagrams, with Nate (Jacob Elordi) at the center, a hulking, manipulative menace who replaced Maddy (Alexa Demie) with Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), but was secretly pining for Jules (Hunter Schafer), entangled in a deep romance with Rue, whose life was being destroyed by addiction.
Nate was struggling against his true desires due to heterosexual norms, overcompensating by trying to control both Maddy and Cassie. It was a masterfully messy situation, wiped away in season three.
Nate was no longer a complex antagonist, but a punching bag for debt collectors, while Maddy and Cassie were pulled into the orbit of sex traffickers due to Cassie’s OnlyFans career and Nate’s debt.
The small town addiction story blew up into a Breaking Bad misadventure, with Rue used as a pawn by rival criminal factions and an informant for the DEA.
Jules, once integral to the story, became a sugar baby for a rich guy and her love triangle faded into nothing.
The series finale focuses on the criminal kingpin, Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), who was introduced in season three. Alamo captures Maddy, Cassie and Rue in his web, before murdering Rue.
It’s Ali (Colman Domingo), a side-character from the early seasons, who rises up to defeat Alamo in a Tarantino-esque showdown.
Euphoria’s main characters hardly feature in the series finale at all—only Maddy is present, and she is used as a human shield, a literal object.
Clearly, the show’s female characters have been sidelined by the misogynistic criminal underworld they’ve fallen into, but their stories don’t have much of a conclusion.
For good or for ill, the final season of Euphoria is a very different show, barely resembling the original concept.
Admittedly, the series finale is well-executed and exciting, but the high stakes—criminal takedowns and botched drug deals—don’t feel quite as exhilarating as the small, gossipy plot twists of the high school years.
Strong, compelling performances from Zendaya, Domingo and Akinnuoye-Agbaje make the series finale worth watching, but it’s an unsatisfying end for the main cast.
That being said, the show’s radical new direction is better than retreading old plot points, or descending into nostalgia and fan service, as some shows do.
While many of the main characters were neglected, season three did at least deliver a thrilling new experience.
As Levinson said during an interview with The New York Times’s Popcast, “The show has to evolve.”
“I also have to be true to the story and where the story’s taking us.” Levinson said. “Otherwise, you easily fall into that trap of just repeating yourself for the sake of it.”