Unpacking Part One of the ‘Euphoria’ Special Episode

When the “Euphoria” team announced that they were releasing two special episodes, I shrieked with joy. It had been over a year since the season one release, and I along with other fans could not wait any longer for updates on the iconic characters’ lives. On Sunday, Dec. 6, my friends and I geared up to watch Rue’s (Zendaya) episode, the first of the special release series. We anticipated an update on Rue’s life as the season finale left us with many questions. Did Rue relapse? Did Rue die? Do Rue and Jules (Hunter Schafer) end up together?

“Euphoria” is critically acclaimed for its stellar acting, makeup, wardrobe and score. Glittery eye looks, eclectic garments and trendsetting hairstyles have been a main focus in media ever since the release of the first season. However, this special episode featured more muted clothing and makeup to portray a deeper storyline that was raw and emotional. The artist Labrinth developed a beautiful score that complemented each change in lighting and setting to bring out the intended emotions. Labrinth’s brilliant work on last season’s soundtrack left people with high expectations—and he delivered. This score was nothing short of amazing sounds of choir vocals and psychedelic beats.

The episode answered many of fans’ questions, but we were given more than we bargained for. We were given thoughtful monologues about addiction, drug abuse, mental illness and racism.

The opening scene alludes to Rue and Jules living together in an NYC apartment after high school with Jules attending her dream school: Parsons. Light music and lots of smooching in pajamas played on the screen which made me, as a “Rules” fan, ecstatic. At first glance, this episode provided a glimpse of the calm and happy life Rue now had—or so we thought.

The story took a turn when Jules left the apartment and Rue quickly took out her hidden stash of drugs and proceeded to get high. This transitioned from the light and airy story we thought we would get to something much darker and more serious. It may not have been what we wanted, but it was what we needed.

This episode addresses the multifaceted issues within addiction, proving Sam Levinson’s true intentions behind making “Euphoria,” which is providing an authentic depiction of the anxiety and drug-driven world of modern teenagers. He does so by using his own experiences and emotions as an addict. Levinson made sure to write this episode in a deliberate way, focusing on the harm and severity of addiction and the importance of social injustice issues that may have been missing in the first season.

The bulk of this episode consisted of a conversation between Ali and Rue in a dim and cozy diner. Ali (Colman Domingo) was a secondary character that made a few appearances in the first season as an older-wiser-mentor-type to Rue. He showed his true colors as someone who cares for Rue enough to be real with her about her addiction. He opens the conversation blatantly mentioning the fact that she is high and that he will not speak to her anymore if she continues to get high and lie about it.

Ali analyzes Rue’s situation from a fellow addict’s perspective, so he gets to the nitty-gritty stuff.

“He’s so real with her,” Katlen Guzman, a fan of the show, says. Ali refers to Rue as “youngblood,” showing a sense of seniority over her, but in a way of understanding and acknowledging the similarity between the two as they both struggle with addiction.

Rue’s main struggles are her mental health problems of OCD and depression, her addiction to opioids, and her relationship with Jules.

“I think I walked into Rue’s mind a little bit more,” Guzman says. “It was sad.”

Ali asks Rue hard questions to help her deal with her issues like, "Do you want a relationship, or do you want to get clean?" Obviously, she wants both. Ali then asks an older woman who’s waitressing the diner if she had a relationship while getting clean. She mentions that she was only able to get clean when she was not in a relationship, as she needed to focus on herself and not another person. This sentiment is important to Rue and to people struggling with any addiction or mental illness. We must have a good relationship with ourselves before committing to a relationship with others.

Along with the important topics discussed like addiction, social injustice and racism were brought to the forefront of the episode. Ali, as a Black man, shares his experiences with racism and allyship. Levinson wrote in a great example into the script of big corporate brands being performative during the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black community popularized street-style, specifically Nike sneakers. Nike suggests they stand with the Black community yet charge high prices for shoes that many can’t afford. This lesson for Rue also serves as a lesson to the audience about the intertwined horror of systemic racism and capitalism. This horror is present in our country and is one in which the BLM movement aims to fight. This showed how “Euphoria” is in solidarity with the movement.

Religion was also brought up in this episode in an apt way for the audience of mainly Gen Z. Ali declared to Rue that finding God allowed him to get clean, and he is of the Muslim faith. Rue represented the common atheist phase many of us face in our youth. She shares that she does not believe in a God or a higher power as her father was taken from her when he passed away of cancer. Ali did not have an answer, but he mentioned that having faith in a higher power and not thinking of yourself as God is what could help Rue. Believing in something more powerful than yourself can add meaning to your life and show the importance of connecting with others.

What shook me and other fans the most was by gaining a deeper understanding of how Rue viewed herself and her life. Rue tells Ali that she doesn’t want to stop doing drugs because she doesn’t see herself being here much longer. This struck everyone as a sign of suicide, but not with the intent of immediately ending her life. This signified prolonged suicide, which is the suicidal thought of killing yourself slowly through detrimental actions. Rue sees her life as meaningless and does not value healing. Prolonged suicide is something many people with depression struggle with; this is often overlooked and left out of the conversation on mental illness. This scene with Rue was difficult to watch and stirred up emotions in the audience. It brought to light the daunting thoughts of what it’s like to be a human struggling with depression and addiction.

Euphoria provided a narrative that was relatable to many people as they fall victim to issues such as addiction, mental illness and racism. As 2020 comes to a close, this episode allowed people to reflect on difficult times. During quarantine, addicts struggled to stay clean and throughout the year, we saw hundreds of Black Americans and protesters violated by law enforcement. Focusing on these darker topics was critical for “Euphoria.” The episode also invalidated the criticism that said “Euphoria” glorifies teen partying and drug use. And as always, it was a pleasure witnessing a powerful yet vulnerable performance from Zendaya.

I and many fans are looking forward to the final special episode about Jules that will be aired on Jan. 24. “I am excited about Jules’s episode—loving an addict is a challenge,” Guzman says.

I have no doubt we will receive another thoughtful and deep episode as we saw with Rue because let’s face it—Jules has issues to unpack, too.