In “Euphoria” season three, episode two, the main focus shifts toward relationships, consequences, and how people’s pasts continue to shape their choices, even new ones we saw Rue make. The episode balances emotional character development with some intense moments which I personally enjoy, and it still keeps the story moving forward in a meaningful way.
One of the biggest highlights is Maddy. We get a bigger look into her upbringing which helps explain her confidence and the way she carries herself. That past ends up opening a new door for her when she starts to talk with an old friend who reaches out. Their reunion turns into a business opportunity which lets us see a more mature side of Maddy as she starts thinking about her future and independence instead of worrying about the past she’s moving forward.
Rue’s storyline took a “fun” turn. For the first time, I see her in a romantic moment with another girl, which adds to her character which I love because now I don’t just see a hopeless drug addict. At the same time, her world is still tied to some dangerous people like Lori. In one tense scene, I was shocked to see one of Lori’s henchmen crossed a line with offensive racial language, which was so shocking to me especially in this day and age. It completely blows my mind but Lori’s character quickly asserted control by calling him out on Alamo Brown.
Meanwhile, the club storyline becomes emotional with a girl named Hannah. After discovering her girlfriend passed away due to an overdose, Rue steps up and helps her get into rehab, which I really love. We can still see compassion from Rue because in the past she would have just ignored her, but instead she went to assist her to make sure she got the correct treatment. She also is very worried about the condition the hospital was in when she left Hannah there to recover from the devastating loss. It was sad for me because she never got to see her and say goodbye to her. This moment just goes to show to enjoy your time with the people you love.
The episode closes on a hopeful but uncertain note, with Rue finding her way back to Jules, which left me wondering what comes next. We can see that at first Jules was not interested, she now has a boyfriend and Rue seems to be shocked at that. Rue really wants to get back with her but Jules refuses, even if Jules is in an open relationship. But there was a shocking ending when Jules invited Rue to stay over. This had me jumping up and down of joy that these two characters will maybe have another go at their relationship.
