Euphoria Season 3, Episode 6 explained the real reason why Alamo (Adweale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) hates women, and it all started with his mother's betrayal of Preston. Euphoria's latest season on HBO Max introduced Alamo as one of the show's dangerous antagonists, hiring Rue Bennett (Zendaya) as one of his personal drug runners.
Aside from being a ruthless crime lord, he is also a strip club owner, ranch owner, arms dealer, and heavily involved with human trafficking. While it was clear that Alamo was a horrible person, Euphoria Season 3's new episode explained why he became such an extremely dangerous and calculating villain in the first place.
Why Alamo's Mom Left Preston In Euphoria Is Due To Her Greed & Manipulative Ways
Euphoria Season 3, Episode 6 had a cold open that showcased a flashback to Alamo and his mother's origin story. Alamo's mother (Mama Brown, portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler) was a grifter who targeted a kind-hearted man named Preston (Kwame Patterson) for his settlement money after an accident scarred his face for life.
Alamo's mother introduced Preston into their lives because the god-fearing man was expecting a big payout from his lawsuit against the chemical plant. Mama Brown played the devoted partner diligently, moving on together with him, letting him bond with young Alamo, and accepting lavish gifts once he earned the settlement money.
It was clear that Alamo's mother was only in on it for her greed and manipulative ways. What made it so heartbreaking was the fact that she used her son, Alamo, as a "tool" to manipulate Preston into thinking that they were one big happy family. As a boy, Alamo bonded with Preston as his own father figure, and he eventually asked him for permission to propose to his mother.
Following a beach trip during which Preston's proposal was imminent, Alamo and Preston returned to a ransacked apartment, where everything of value had been stolen. Alamo's mother called it "bad luck," and she immediately packed up their things to bail on Preston while he was on his knees, sobbing and begging her to stay.
"This is some bad luck, and I can't take it."
As it turned out, this was not a real robbery. It was staged so she could extract the money and gifts without marrying Preston, because she didn't have the guts to stick around much longer. Alamo's mother was seeing another guy, an accomplice who robbed Preston's apartment in the first place, so that they could start fresh with luxury. As Rue pointed out in her narration, "It was just one long con."
"It was just one long con, and the real mark wasn't even Preston. It was Alamo. He believed her."
Alamo's mom emotionally manipulated both Alamo and Preston to take everything away from him, and this "betrayal" led to Alamo's deep hatred and distrust of women and his ruthless mindset. This revelation led him to vow, as an adult, never to let a woman outsmart him again.
Alamo's mother entered the relationship solely to scam Preston, since he was just a "mark" to her. However, Preston's genuine love for both of them made it even more tragic.
This backstory explained why Alamo was heavily affected by Rue's potential betrayal in Euphoria Season 3, which led to the wild cliffhanger in Episode 5, where he was about to swing a polo mallet at Rue's head.
Why Rue's Betrayal Mirrors What Alamo's Mother Did In The Past
It's worth noting that Rue has already betrayed Alamo in Euphoria Season 3, but he still has no idea about this. Rue has been working as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and this betrayal strikes at the core of Alamo's deepest trauma of never allowing any woman to manipulate him.
Alamo's obsessive control and paranoia about being played, combined with his god complex, make him an unpredictable villain. However, Rue was a rare exception because she knew how to play the game, and she was the only one allowed into his inner circle.
Alamo took Rue under his wing because he recognized a rare spark in her. Rue's sharp intelligence, raw ambition, and a survivalist drive mirror his own rise from noting. It was clear that Alamo had a soft spot for Rue despite the fact that he gave her death-defying tests to prove her loyalty.
However, this closeness is exactly what makes Rue's betrayal cut so deep, considering that it threatens to repeat the ultimate trauma he suffered from his mother in his childhood. By being an informant for the DEA, Rue becomes the living reminder of the childhood humiliation that defined him.
Rue's betrayal could force Alamo to lose control, as it destroys the very bubble of the self-made empire he built to ensure no one ever holds power over him.
Euphoria Season 3 is building toward major consequences for Rue's alliance with the DEA, and the final two episodes could show Alamo completely losing his mind in a full spiral of rage that could place everyone around him (including Rue) in danger.
