HBO already provided a glimpse of what happened to Rue (Zendaya) in Euphoria Season 3 after fans were concerned over her fate following the shocking Episode 5 cliffhanger. Rue Bennett's journey in Euphoria Season 3 took a major dark turn after she began working as a drug mule for Season 2 villain Laurie due to the massive debt she incurred from losing drugs. Rue, however, tried to escape from Laurie's control, prompting her to form an alliance with Alamo Brown, a dangerous arms dealer and head of a stripper club, instead.
However, things took another major turn at the end of Episode 3 when the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) arrested Rue, forcing her to cooperate with them as an informant so that they could finally put an end to Laurie and Alamo's drug-related reign of terror.
What Will Happen To Rue In Euphoria Season 3? New Footage Shows Her On The Run In Cartel Tunnel
Rue's impulsivity and addiction kept her from turning a new leaf, leading to bad decisions that placed her life in danger in Euphoria Season 3, Episode 5. Rue's undercover informant stint with the DEA unexpectedly caught up with her after she attempted to shift the blame onto Alamo's associate, Magick, but it backfired immediately because she underestimated her. As a result, Magick accused her of being a snitch tied to either the DEA or Laurie.
Alamo was not someone to be messed with, and he clearly didn't like any semblance of betrayal, especially for Rue. Alamo orchestrated a trap for Rue, ordering his henchmen to take her before asking her to dig her own grave in a remote area. Rue, who was buried alive up to her neck, then saw Alamo riding toward on horseback while swinging a polo mallet. The episode ended just before fans knew whether Rue was dead or alive.
What made it even more concerning was that Rue was nowhere to be seen in the official trailer for Euphoria Season 3, Episode 6, on HBO, fueling speculation that Zendaya's character might not return after Alamo's actions at the end of Episode 5.
However, HBO already spoiled Rue's fate in the "Weeks Ahead" trailer for Euphoria Season 3, confirming that she lived to fight another day. At the 1:27 mark of the trailer, Rue can be seen being shot at by an unknown assailant while she is running in what appears to be a cartel tunnel.
Given that this shot has yet to be featured in Euphoria Season 3, it's reasonable to assume that this is a confirmation that Rue will survive Alamo's brutal attack at the end of Episode 5, "The Little Piggy."
Some have pointed out that killing off Zendaya's Rue would be a mistake, mainly because she remains the undeniable heart, narrator, and key protagonist of Euphoria, driving the story forward.
Removing a major character like Rue mid-season would undermine the series' structure, which relies heavily on Rue's introspective voice to frame every bit of chaos in Euphoria. Rue also had yet to completely resolve her arc with Jules (who looked very different in Season 3), so a death was clearly not an option.
More so, Alamo would simply not kill Rue in that instant because he had yet to confirm her betrayal. This is on top of the fact that Alamo would not go ahead and kill Rue right now, considering that he just started doing business with Maddy (Rue's friend).
Watch the official "Weeks Ahead" trailer for Euphoria Season 3 below:
The next episode of Euphoria Season 3 will premiere on HBO and HBO Max next Sunday, May 17, at 9 p.m. ET.
What Happens At the End of Euphoria Season 3? Everything We Know
Rue
Euphoria Season 3 is set to enter its final stretch, with three episodes left in this much-talked-about run on HBO. Aside from Rue's confirmed survival based on what happened in the "Weeks Ahead" trailer of the show, there is still a lot to unpack on the journeys of Cassie, Nate, Maddy, Jules, and Lexi.
The footage confirmed that a standoff between Alamo and Laurie's crew is bound to happen at some point in the final episodes, and that Rue will be present amid the chaos as seen at the 1:21 mark of the trailer.
The DEA might have forced Rue to let the two parties agree to a meeting so that they could round them up and arrest them together. This could lead to the DEA's raid and to the scene where Rue was running through the tunnel to escape everyone.
In a post she made on Instagram in February 2022, Zendaya wanted fans to see Rue's "redemptive quality," hinting that she wanted redemption to be her character's ending in Euphoria.
"It’s my hope for people watching that they still see [Rue] as a person worthy of their love. And worthy of their time, and that she has a redemptive quality still, and that we still see the good in her even if she can’t see it in herself."
There is a strong chance that Rue will leave everything behind for a fresh start in Euphoria's Season 3 finale. In that way, she would redeem herself through a hard-earned, imperfect break from the cycles of addiction, debt, and criminal entanglement that defined her adult life.
Cassie & Nate
Meanwhile, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate's (Jacob Elordi) messy marriage was driven into chaos due to Nate's massive debt from a very dangerous man, forcing them apart as Cassie tried to fulfill her dream of making it big in Hollywood by using her body with the help of her (former) best friend, Maddy.
At the 1:08 mark of the trailer, the footage showed Nate still getting beaten up by the henchman of the one who robbed him, suggesting that he will have to endure this endless cycle of violence in the final episodes unless he finds a way to pay for the millions of dollars he owes them.
While Cassie was clearly thriving at the end of Episode 5, the "Weeks Ahead" trailer showed that Sweeney's character is in trouble, with her seemingly being abused by another man at the 1:12 mark. This could be part of Maddie's elaborate revenge plan against Cassie for stealing Nate from her in high school.
Maddy could lure Cassie into working in Alamo's stripper club, where she could get sexually assaulted by customers, and she couldn't do anything about it due to the contract she signed in Episode 5.
The finale could show Cassie and Nate reuniting, but both are badly beaten, which is a different kind of happy ending that feels much more aligned with Euphoria's theme: messy, codependent, and soaked in violence.
Maddy
Maddy Perez's potential ending in Euphoria Season 3 could point toward a bittersweet and fitting resolution anchored by her revenge plot against Cassie and her new business dealings with Alamo.
Speaking with Extra TV, Alexa Demie teased that the show's ending is "very fitting" for a show like Euphoria:
Extra TV: "Do you feel like 'Euphoria' Season 3 is the end of the series?"
Alexa Demie: "It feels like it."
Extra TV: "Are you happy with where Maddie is at the end of the season?"
Alexa Demie: "Yeah, I don't want to say much. It's very fitting for Euphoria."
Based on the show's current trajectory, Maddy's story seems headed toward a point where she will prioritize her career above all else, walking away from Cassie before ensuring her downfall in her OnlyFans era.
Maddy is positioned as one of the "in-control" characters amid the chaos, and the finale will probably deliver a satisfying resolution to her revenge plot at the expense of losing some friends (like Lexi and Rue) along the way.
Jules
Jules' ending in Euphoria Season 3 leans toward a bittersweet, self-focused resolution after the episodes revealed that she is now a sugar baby to an older, rich man.
Following her closure with Nate's dad, Cal (who had an intimate relationship with her in Season 1), Jules appears all set for an eventful ending, and her scenes reconnecting with Rue could hint that she could be her saving grace for their fresh start.
It's possible that Jules could leave the sugar baby lifestyle behind, but she could choose to steal some of her benefactor's money so that she and Rue can have a new beginning away from everyone.
Lexi
Lexi's ending in Euphoria Season 3 is the easiest to predict because she is, by far, the most normal person in the show's core ensemble.
As an ambitious writer and responsible adult, Lexi is thriving as a writer's assistant, but she clearly wants something more and rises to the challenge of being an actual writer in Hollywood.
It is a safe bet that Lexi will have a happy ending by the time the credits roll for Euphoria Season 3, embracing growth by choosing to abandon her toxic sister, Cassie, and focusing on her career instead.
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