Euphoria Season 3 Finale Sees the Demise of Zendaya’s Character Rue
Euphoria concluded its run with a shocking twist in the season 3 finale, where a pivotal main character was eliminated midway through the episode.
In the episode that aired on Sunday, May 31, Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) murdered Rue (Zendaya) upon discovering that she had been secretly working to incriminate him. He administered painkillers that were tainted with fentanyl, leading to her overdose halfway through the finale.
Ali (Colman Domingo) found Rue lifeless on his couch, setting off a quest for revenge against Alamo. The episode wrapped up with Ali at the farm where Rue had spent time in the season 3 premiere, a place she described as the most tranquil.
While Rue’s demise shocked some viewers, many fans anticipated that Zendaya’s storyline would reach its conclusion in what seemed to be the series finale. In April, the actress had been asked by Drew Barrymore whether the show would end after season 3.
“I think so, yeah,” she replied during her appearance on Barrymore’s talk show. “That closure is coming.”
Creator Sam Levinson, on the other hand, remained ambiguous.
“[I write] every season like it’s the last season,” he explained to Variety in April. “[I have] no plans [for season 4].”
He added: “I want to finish this as strong as I can. I’m currently working on episodes 7 and 8. I just want to deliver a f***ing slam dunk season.”
Rue wasn’t the only significant loss in this season; Jacob Elordi‘s character, Nate, also faced a tragic end when he was killed by a rattlesnake bite while trapped in a box.
“That was a cool way to go. Nate was a character filled with mistakes and dark choices,” Elordi shared in a segment following the May 24 episode. “It’s satisfying to see it all culminate this way.”
Elordi recounted the experience of filming in a coffin, stating, “My shoulders were pressed against the sides, and I couldn’t move my arms. Then they would seal the lid, and it would get dark. It was actually quite peaceful in there.”
The stunt team emphasized the necessity of ensuring the actor had sufficient oxygen while filming. They commended Elordi for limiting his time in the coffin. For his part, Levinson expressed his desire to film with a real snake, resulting in the inclusion of both a rattlesnake and a boa constrictor in the scene.
“With the snakes rattling, it was quite alarming being confined in a box,” Elordi remarked. “They even had a boa constrictor with a fake rattler attached.”
He continued: “He was incredibly cute and cuddly. He just curled up next to me, which was nice. However, he was a bit lethargic. I had to give him a gentle nudge to get him moving, and that was it.”
At the end of the segment, Elordi reflected on his time portraying Nate.
“It’s bittersweet,” he noted. “This show has been a significant part of not just my career, but my life. It’s been incredible, and I am immensely proud to have been involved.”
Euphoria is available for streaming on HBO Max.
