Diksha Sundriyal
The third season of HBO’s ‘Euphoria‘ takes its characters on a trying journey that pushes them to their limits. With their teen years in the rearview mirror, everyone is dealing with adulthood in their own way. In the eighth episode, all the conflicts that had been bubbling throughout the season come to a head, leading to an explosive conclusion. The end is tragic for some, while it still holds some hope for others. It also means that the story has come to its deserved end. HBO confirmed that this would be the show’s final season, and there is a good reason for that. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Euphoria’s Story Begins and Ends With Rue
While ‘Euphoria’ features a wide range of characters, the show’s primary protagonist remains Rue. She is the narrator of the story, familiarising the audience not just with herself but also with the other people around her. The story started with her, and it makes sense for it to end with her as well. Since its beginning, the third season kept hinting at a tragic fate for her, keeping the audience in a constant state of anxiety by throwing her into one impossible situation after another. In the end, she succumbs to the fate, and with her death, the show also wraps up the storylines of other characters, like Maddy, Ali, and Alamo. The show’s creator, Sam Levinson, stated that this is the ending that the show had been moving towards.
“The honest ending is people like Rue don’t make it,” he explained. Despite touching on several issues throughout its three seasons, the show’s main focus was on addiction, what it does to those affected by it and to those who love them. Rue’s journey took her through many ups and downs, particularly in terms of her struggle to stay sober and not slip again after working so hard to keep herself on the right path. Just when it seemed that she was out of it, things took a turn for the worse. We see the whole thing unfold from Ali’s point of view, who later resorts to revenge on Alamo. Levinson wanted the audience to experience his “helplessness” in terms of losing people to addiction, and he finally breaks when he loses Rue.
Her death becomes a catalyst for him to take a different path this time around. He decides not to go to meetings anymore and finds other ways to make a difference. It could be that he said this because he thought he wouldn’t make it out after killing Alamo. But at the same time, it also pushes him to move forward and hopefully turn over a new leaf. Meanwhile, Ali killing Alamo also frees Maddy of a terrible fate, and it is fair to assume that she has learned her lesson and will likely not return to this world that killed her friend. With all this in mind, it makes sense that the show should end. It is better than dragging on endlessly and losing its soul in the process. Getting to resolve a story is getting rarer in the time when shows are axed left and right. It is better that ‘Euphoria’ goes out on a high, having properly resolved everything.
Euphoria Season 4 Wouldn’t Work Without Zendaya’s Rue
Though HBO and Sam Levinson have confirmed that ‘Euphoria’ will not be renewed for another season, there is always the possibility of a follow-up through spin-offs, movies, and special episodes. So far, no plans as such have been revealed to continue the show and explore further the lives of the characters who are still alive. Even with that, the show couldn’t work without Zendaya’s Rue being around in some form, most likely as the narrator. At the end of Season 3, Alexa Demie’s Maddy and Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie are in business together, and with Alamo gone, they are also free. If there is a follow-up, we could gain more insight into what heights they reach when they have no one to answer to. Meanwhile, it would also be interesting to see where Colman Domingo’s Ali goes next.
He says he is done with the meetings and losing more people. He has avenged Rue and also visited the farm that she talked about going back to. Where does life take him next? Maude Apatow’s Lexi and Hunter Schafer’s Jules are also alive, though they were largely removed from the drama that their friends were caught up in. Chloe Cherry’s Faye and Toby Wallace’s Wayne also survive against all odds, and their further adventures could also come into focus in the future. Darrell Britt-Gibson’s Bishop also plays an important role in the finale, and with Alamo gone, someone has to take over the Silver Slipper. Jacob Elordi’s Nate, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Alamo, and Martha Kelly’s Laurie are the major characters who die in this season, and it is highly unlikely that they will return.
Read More: Is Nate Dead in Euphoria?
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