‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Recap: What to Remember for Season 3

It has been a very long time because the excessive schoolers of “Euphoria” were on HBO.

4 years after the collection’ second season grew to become HBO’s most-watched show since “Recreation of Thrones,” the hit drama collection will return on Sunday, April 12 for its much-anticipated third season, which is rumored to be its final.

Sam Levinson’s collection initially adopted a bunch of youngsters as they struggled with addiction, sexuality, body image, grief, love, and generational trauma. However “Euphoria” season three’s introduction of a multi-year-time soar means these characters are actually out of highschool and navigating their relationships and new lives as younger adults.

What meaning for Rue (Zendaya), Jules (Hunter Schafer), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Nate (Jacob Elordi), Maddy (Alexa Demie), and Lexi (Maude Apatow) will unfold over eight episodes. It might or is probably not the final we see of the group.

HBO has stopped in need of confirming that “Euphoria” will finish with season three, however Zendaya mentioned “closure is coming” for her and her castmates.

“‘Euphoria,’ it cracked my coronary heart open,” she mentioned on “The Drew Barrymore Present.” “Rue taught me a lot about life. I imply, that crew additionally has seen me develop up. I owe a lot to that present.”

HBO head of drama Francesca Orsi told Deadline that followers will probably be “happy” with season three.

“I do not suppose something is over till it is over, however it’s been mentioned that that is the top,” Orsi mentioned. “I believe you may be very happy with this season and the way we carry every of the characters’ complete narrative.”

Under, a recap of all the things to recollect about “Euphoria” seasons one and two.

In season two, Rue falls deeper into dependancy and repeatedly places herself at risk.

In season one, we be taught that Rue grew to become hooked on drugs when her father was dying of cancer. She by accident overdosed and was despatched to an inpatient rehab facility in the summertime earlier than her junior yr of highschool.

Rue relapses virtually instantly after returning house, however is briefly impressed to embrace sobriety after falling in love with Jules, a brand new scholar at her college.

Nevertheless, Jules cracks below the strain of holding Rue sober and impulsively runs away. Feeling betrayed and deserted, Rue relapses again within the season one finale.

In a particular episode launched in 2020, titled “Bother Do not Final At all times,” Rue reveals to her pal and fellow Narcotics Nameless attendee, Ali (Colman Domingo), that she does not see the purpose in getting clear anymore. “I do not actually plan on being right here that lengthy,” she says.

A lot of season two focuses on Rue’s continued drug abuse and her ongoing seek for hope. Even after reuniting with Jules, she descends deeper into dependancy, partially spurred by her new friendship with Elliot (Dominic Fike), who’s additionally an addict. They first meet at a New 12 months’s Eve social gathering the place Elliot offers Rue medication after which watches her go into cardiac arrest.

The pair continues doing medication collectively at Elliot’s home, however earlier than lengthy, Rue decides to escalate.

Keep in mind Laurie? She’s coming again to gather.

In season two, episode three, “Ruminations: Massive and Little Bullys,” Rue seeks out Laurie (Martha Kelly), a drug supplier who not too long ago began supplying her pal Fezco (Angus Cloud).

Rue proposes a marketing strategy — the small print of which are not necessary, since she has no intention of truly executing it — and Laurie agrees to entrance Rue a suitcase full of medicine value $10,000. The overall concept is for Rue to promote the medication for double the worth and cut up the revenue with Laurie. Rue thinks she’s discovered a intelligent method to “do medication without spending a dime.”

As Rue is leaving Laurie’s home with the suitcase, agreeing to “pay up and re-up in a month,” Laurie deadpans, “Rue, in the event you screw me, I will have you ever kidnapped and bought to some actual sick individuals. I at all times discover a method to make my a reimbursement. I am severe.”

The 2 cross paths once more in episode 5, when Rue is experiencing extreme withdrawal signs. More and more determined, Rue steals $2,000 in money from a stranger’s home and brings it to Laurie, on the lookout for a fast repair. Laurie injects Rue with liquid morphine.

“You already know what’s humorous, Rue? After I first noticed you, I assumed, this woman’s going to be in my life for a very long time,” Laurie says.

Rue has by no means carried out intravenous medication earlier than, so it is a new all-time low. She returns house and manages to get clear, struggling by way of withdrawal with the assistance of her mother and sister. However the query of her excellent debt to Laurie stays unaddressed by way of the top of the season.

Laurie reappears within the teaser trailer for season three, delivering the road, “Good day, Rue. You owe me cash.”

Lexi spends season two writing a play about her life, stirring up drama amongst her sister and pals.

Amid all of the chaos, the present’s perennial wallflower Lexi (Maude Apatow) decides to place her observational abilities to good use. She writes and stars in a play referred to as “Our Life,” which debuts within the penultimate episode of season two.

Lexi casts lookalike actors to painting her sister, Cassie; Cassie’s greatest pal, Maddy; Maddy’s greatest pal, Kat (Barbie Ferreira); and Lexi’s personal greatest pal, Rue.

Lexi delights within the creativity and vulnerability of theater, though she frets about upsetting her sister and pals — particularly after she observes that Cassie is experiencing some form of nervous breakdown. She in the end decides to undergo with the play after consulting her new pal, Fezco, who sagely observes, “Some individuals have to get their emotions damage typically.”

The play revisits important moments within the fivesome’s life by way of Lexi’s private lens, revealing her envy towards Cassie, her admiration of Maddy, and the way she feels powerless within the face of Rue’s dependancy. A number of scenes additionally depict the shut bond between Cassie and Maddy.

Sadly, within the present’s precise timeline, Maddy simply discovered that Cassie has been having intercourse together with her ex-boyfriend, Nate, whom Maddy nonetheless loves — so the play stirs up some robust feelings.

Cassie tries to cease the play and undermine Lexi by working up onstage, and Maddy follows, resulting in a bodily combat.

Fortunately, Rue says she liked her onstage portrayal, although she would be the just one. She even tells Lexi, “I believe your play was the primary time I used to be ready to take a look at my life and never hate myself… Seeing it meant the world to me.” The lifelong pals finish season two on good phrases.

Within the season two finale, Nate turns his father in to the police.

Nate’s troubled relationship along with his father, Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane), is a recurring theme all through seasons one and two of “Euphoria.” As a baby, Nate discovered self-filmed movies of Cal having encounters with homosexual males, queer ladies, and intercourse staff. In season one, we be taught at the very least one particular person Cal filmed with out her consent — Jules — was underage.

Cal lastly opens up about his double life in season two, persevering with to wreak emotional havoc on his spouse and sons. Nate is especially affected, dwelling with fixed concern that he takes after his father.

Within the season two finale, Nate’s fears and self-hatred are triggered by Lexi’s play, which features a homoerotic sequence mocking the male athletes at their college. He leaves to seek out his father, who moved out of their household house, and turns him in to the police — together with a USB drive, presumably containing proof of Cal’s wrongdoing. (It is unclear whether or not the USB contains the video of Cal’s encounter with Jules, since Jules destroyed the one identified copy. Nate instructed Jules he did not make additional copies, although he may very well be mendacity.)

Hopefully, season three will reveal whether or not Cal was charged with any crimes; actor Eric Dane is listed among the many collection regulars. (Season three was filmed in 2025, earlier than Dane died after affected by ALS.)

Nate additionally breaks up with Cassie in a match of rage, however it’s clear their relationship is not over.

After Cassie and Maddy’s combat, they quietly lick their wounds within the college lavatory.

“You already know what’s humorous?” Cassie says. “Nate broke up with me earlier than I even went on that stage.”

“Don’t fret,” Maddy replies, a mixture of smugness and pity on her face. “That is only the start.”

Maddy had spent years caught in her personal poisonous cycle with Nate, breaking apart and reconciling regardless of his violent outbursts. She is aware of higher than anybody what Cassie is signing up for — and judging by the season three trailers, it seems to be like Maddy was proper. Only a few years after they graduated from highschool, Nate and Cassie are engaged.

In the meantime, Rue and Jules half methods.

Rue and Jules click on instantly upon assembly in season one. Within the season two premiere, Rue lastly confesses to Jules that she desires to be in a dedicated relationship. They kiss, however the tender second is tinged with tragedy; Rue is deep into her relapse, and Jules has no concept how severe her drug use has change into.

Rue can also be coping with residual anger and resentment towards Jules, who ran away from house within the season one finale, leaving Rue behind. (On the time, Jules was being blackmailed by Nate and coping with her mother’s dependancy points, to not point out feeling wholly chargeable for Rue’s sobriety, so she freaked out.) All these simmering, unstated feelings make navigating their relationship tough. Rue retreats deeper into her dependancy, whereas Jules seeks validation and affection from Elliot.

When Jules discovers that Rue continues to be doing medication — and never solely opiates anymore, however heroin and fentanyl, too — she goes to Rue’s mother for assist. They resolve to flush all the medication they discover in Rue’s room (those she bought from Laurie) down the bathroom.

In season two, episode 5, “Stand Nonetheless Just like the Hummingbird,” Rue’s family members stage an intervention. Rue has a breakdown and cruelly tells Jules that their relationship is over. Truly, she says, “You might be fucking lifeless to me.”

They barely work together for the remainder of the season, even after Rue will get clear, aside from a short scene within the finale.

After watching Lexi’s play, Jules tells Rue that she loves and misses her. However Rue is not able to confront all of the damage they’ve brought on one another. As an alternative of claiming something again, she kisses Jules on the top and walks away.

“Jules was my past love,” Rue says in a voiceover. “I would like to recollect it that manner. I do not know if that is really true, although. I believe I used to be excessive for an excessive amount of of it. I do know it wasn’t straightforward for her, and I hope she forgives me.”

The final time we see her, Rue is sober.

In her last voiceover of season two, Rue reveals that she managed to remain clear for the remainder of the varsity yr.

“I want I may say that was a choice I made,” Rue says. “In some methods, it was simply simpler. I do not know if this sense will final eternally, however I’m making an attempt.”

Nevertheless, we’ve got loads of proof that Rue’s sobriety is a tenuous factor, and trailers for season three appear to suggest that one other relapse is imminent.

Rue’s mother, Leslie (Nika King), even acknowledges that after Rue enters maturity, there’s little extra she will be able to do.

“You broke me. Utterly broke me,” she tells Rue in season two, episode seven, “The Theater and Its Double.”

“I quit. You wanna kill your self doing medication? Go forward,” she continues. “I can not persuade you that your life is necessary. You are going to must make that call by yourself. You may be 18 quickly and outta my home. And also you’re gonna make no matter choices you are gonna make.”

Ashtray is killed when his and Fezco’s home is raided by a SWAT workforce.

Within the season two premiere, Fez’s adopted brother Ashtray (Javon Walton) impulsively murders the drug supplier Mouse as a result of he senses that Fez is at risk.

Ultimately, the police develop suspicious and enlist Custer, one other supplier, to cooperate with their investigation. He goes to Fez’s home hoping to file a confession, however once more, Ash jumps into protecting mode and stabs Custer to demise.

Shortly after, a SWAT workforce storms into their home. Fez begs Ash to save lots of himself, however the younger boy locks himself within the lavatory with an arsenal of weapons, decided to make a last stand.

Ash is killed within the ensuing shootout, whereas Fez will get shot within the facet. His destiny on the finish of the episode stays ambiguous.

In actual life, the actor who portrayed Fez, Angus Cloud, died of an accidental overdose in 2023.

Different characters will not return for season three both, together with Gia, Ethan, and Kat.

Along with Ash and Fez, a number of different recurring characters will not return for season three. These embrace Rue’s sister Gia (Storm Reid) and Ethan (Austin Abrams), whose run within the present included a memorable lip-sync performance of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” in season two.

In 2022, Ferreira introduced she wouldn’t reprise her position as Kat for season three amid hypothesis of a rift between her and Levinson.

Ferreira later mentioned that rumors of behind-the-scenes drama had been “not rooted within the fact,” although she additionally implied she was disappointed in Kat’s season-two arc.

“I do not suppose there was a spot for her to go,” Ferreira mentioned. “I believe there have been locations she may have gone. I simply do not suppose it could have match into the present. I do not know if it was going to do her justice, and I believe each events knew that I actually needed to have the ability to not be the fats greatest pal. I do not need to play that, and I believe they did not need that both.”

“Euphoria” season three premieres Sunday, April 12 at 9 p.m. on HBO.