Warning: Spoilers ahead! Do not proceed unless you’ve watched “Euphoria” Season 3 episode 8.
“Euphoria” fans are “shattered” over Zendaya’s Rue dying inthe “Euphoria” series finale.
Viewers shared their reactions on X after watching Rue accidentally overdose from taking painkillers laced with fentanyl by drug lord Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
“This ending completely shattered me,” one fan wrote on X after the episode aired Sunday night.
“Regardless of how beautifully it was done, the fact remains that rue died over being laced, she was sober and was free to have a good life! her dying is such a terrible ending, for a show that is meant to give hope for addicts!” another viewer said.
Someone else tweeted, “Rue bennet dying scene has me sobbing.”
A different fan noted that Zendaya’s “silence on season 3 makes this finale even more devastating,” speculating that the actress “didn’t want this ending for Rue at all.”
“She deserved so so much better. i genuinely cannot stop crying this isn’t fair,” the same fan added of Rue.
Another disappointed viewer wrote, “The whole season I expected Rue to die, but I didn’t expect such a sad, not epic and quiet death. And the fact that everyone will forever label her as just the drug addict who died of an overdose devastates me even more.”
Creator Sam Levinson defended the decision to kill off Rue in a post-finale HBO interview, noting that her fate was most “honest ending” for the show.
Levinson also said he was motivated to kill Rue as a way to honor late cast member Angus Cloud, who accidentally overdosed in July 2023 at 25.
Cloud’s character Fezco appeared Rue’s dream as she overdoses. The sequence featured unused footage of Zendaya and Cloud.
“People relapse. They f–k up. They’re not ready to get clean,” Levinson explained. “There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. I wanted to tell this story for Angus and for people who weren’t granted a second chance.”
Zendaya said goodbye to Rue and thanked fans for their support in a post-episode behind-the-scenes segment.
“I’m incredibly grateful for every single one of you; many of you have been here since the beginning and watched me grow up,” the Emmy Award winner shared.
“It’s been such a pleasure and an honor. Thank you so much,” she added.
“Euphoria” Season 3 sparked backlash even before the finale for killing off Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie Howard’s (Sydney Sweeney) controversial OnlyFans storyline.
Levinson confirmed to the New York Times after the finale that Season 3 is the end of the series.
“In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me,” he said.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
