After eight nerve-racking episodes, season two of Euphoria came to a close on February 27 — but not without some controversy.
Euphoria literally broke the internet in more ways than expected on Sunday night. Just before the finale’s premiere, HBO Max servers crashed as viewers flocked to the streaming platform to watch the highly-anticipated episode. But the technical difficulties were only the start of a long night of Twitter discussions.
Throughout the entirety of the show's second season, Twitter has become the platform to discuss all things Euphoria. More than twenty-four hours later, fans are still reeling from the super controversial season finale, which saw part two of Lexi’s school play, Fez's whereabouts, Cassie and Maddy’s inevitable fight, and… pretty much nothing else?
As usual, fans took to the app to live comment and share their thoughts, making Sam Levinson’s name trend while doing so.
Along with somewhat unexpected trending topics, fans also shared their predictions, concerns, and above all, doubts. We were left with more than two handfuls of unanswered questions that we’ll have lots of time to ponder, until season three allegedly premieres in 2024.
So what exactly are those questions? Well, we’ve rounded them all up below.
Warning: major spoilers ahead.
What’s going to happen to Fez and Ash? And Faye?
One of the biggest questions we had leading up to episode 8 was this: Where in the world is Fezco? Why did he miss Lexi's play? And while we surely got our answer in the season finale — Fez's fate is still very unclear.
Soon after Ashtray impulsively kills the wire-wearing Custer, Fez tries to convince Ash to surrender and claim innocence so that he can take the fall for it instead. Before Fez can get Ash to agree, the brothers' apartment is raided by S.W.A.T. When Ash refuses to surrender, heavy gunfire ensues, injuring Fez and seemingly killing Ash in the process. (Note: We never see Ash's body.)
The last we see of a bleeding-out Fez is a shot of the S.W.A.T. officers placing him in zip ties and carrying him out of the apartment.
This leaves the following burning questions: Is Fez going to live? Is he going to be arrested and convicted for the murders of Custer and Mouse? And what about Faye?
Underdog Faye, who secretly knew of Custer's cooperation with the police, was able to alert Fez of the wire set-up and attempted to shift the blame of Mouse's death on Laurie only minutes before Ash hastily killed Custer.
During Faye's last appearance on-screen, we see her also zip-tied on the floor of the apartment. Will Faye be arrested, too? And will the character even return for Season 3?
And perhaps the biggest question of them all: is Ashtray actually dead?
A fan theory circulating Twitter makes the claim that Ash's death was actually foreshadowed in the second season's premiere episode. In a scene from episode 1, “Fez's” episode, viewers are given flashes of both Fez and Ashtray in shots that are barely seconds long, shown on-screen while Rue's voiceover explains Fez's childhood head injury.
When paused, fans point out, one of the flashes is clearly the now-notorious shot of Ashtray with a gun's laser sight aimed at his body.
In an interview with Variety, actor Javon Walton revealed that he wants Ashtray fans to keep hope alive. “If there's somebody who could take a bullet in the show, it's Ashtray," Walton said of his character. “Ashtray is one badass kid. He's not playing around. I believe he has a shot about being around for Season 3.”
Since the finale aired, Walton has spoken at length about the very-real possibility of his character still being alive, even going so far to note that in the original version of the finale's script, Fez was supposed to die — not Ashtray.
In a viral clip from an interview with E! News, Walton makes sure to emphasize the idea that Ash might not be gone for good. “It's not confirmed that Ashtray is dead," Walton says in the video. “It looks like he got shot, right, but he's one bad kid, so he might still be alive out there, you never know.”
What about the suitcase, and Rue owing Laurie $10,000?
Earlier in the season, Rue formulated a “genius” plan to get into business with the intimidating Laurie, the drug dealer Fez and Ash work with. She pitches her plan to Laurie, who surprisingly agrees, entrusting Rue with a suitcase full of drugs worth $10,000.
Laurie warns Rue of the dire consequences she would face if she were not able to deliver the money, or if she betrayed her.
Little did Laurie know, Rue's plan never included distributing the drugs — the suitcase became Rue's own personal stash. But in episode 5, one of the series' most-talked about episodes, Jules and Elliot tell Rue's mom about her full-blown relapse. According to Jules, the contents of the suitcase were “flushed" — sending Rue into a destructive, episode-long spiral.
Going through withdrawal, a desperate Rue visits Laurie at the end of episode 5, offering a small amount of jewelry in exchange for the lost suitcase. Laurie declines the jewelry, making it clear that she expects Rue's debt to be paid in full, and in cash.
Yet, three episodes later, there are no other mentions of Laurie, or Rue's dangerous debt, or the suitcase. With Laurie's multiple grave warnings and reminders to Rue, a betrayal like this can't be so easily forgotten, can it?
After getting sober, did Rue ever come up with a plan to pay her back? Did she tell anyone else the truth about the suitcase, including Fez or Ali? Will Season 3 see the return of Laurie and her goons? And will they swiftly come after Rue?
Is Fez’s grandma okay?
During the shootout between Ashtray and S.W.A.T., the brothers' apartment was torn to pieces, riddled with bullet holes across every inch. As one S.W.A.T. officer walks down the hallway to the bathroom where Ash is hiding, we see a shot through the open door of Fez's grandma's room.
His grandma looks the way she normally does, peacefully asleep — but was she able to avoid the violence? Neither Fez nor Ash made it out completely unscathed, so did she? And if she did, who is going to take care of her? Will she be moved from the house into a care facility, and will Fez be able to see her?
Will Lexi find out the truth about what happened to Fez? What did Fez write in the card for Lexi?
The blossoming romance between Fezco and Lexi — or more affectionately known as Fexi — was one of the lighter, more heartwarming plotlines of a very heavy season. After their first real conversation at the premiere episode's New Year's Eve party, Fez and Lexi began to talk on a regular basis.
Throughout the last few episodes of Season 2, we see snippets of their movie hangouts, morning phone calls, and late night conversations. Fez supports and reassures Lexi through her self-doubt as she prepares to stage Our Life, and Lexi is eager to learn more about the person behind Fez's tough exterior.
Fez's presence at Lexi's play would have been a real turning point in their relationship, a big gesture that could have led to something more. But as soon as Fez was ready to head out with a bouquet and card in hand, Custer stopped him in his tracks. The chaos and violence that followed is, we think, a valid excuse for missing Lexi's play.
But will Lexi learn the truth about what caused Fez to miss her big night, or will she hear some cover story that leaves out all the danger that engulfs Fez's life? That probably depends on whether Fez's arrest and Ash's (apparent) death become the talk of East Highland. But will Lexi be able to talk to Fez? Will Fez get the chance to tell her that he had every intention of supporting her passion project?
One of the most heartbreaking shots of the finale took place after Ash was seemingly killed — as the officers are carrying an injured and bound Fez out of the destroyed apartment, an officer steps on the card that Fez wrote for Lexi.
“It was just, like, a congratulations," actor Angus Cloud said of the contents of his character's card in an interview with Variety. “I think they both know there’s a vibe going on. Definitely taking it to the next level with them flowers and whatnot. So I think the letter was just being like, ‘Yo, good job for f*cking doing you.'”
Fingers crossed for the Fexi vibe to live on in Season 3.
Will Maddy and Kat stay friends with Cassie?
After Rue uttered eight of the most memorable words of the season in episode 5, effectively detonating Cassie and Maddy's friendship, the tension between the two former besties grew to unbearable proportions. Yet, Cassie stood by Maddy's her man, icing out her friends in his favor.
Cassie and Maddy's long overdue physical fight is one of the small climaxes of the season finale. And while the two share an intimate scene later in the episode, it fails to indicate whether Maddy will eventually forgive Cassie or whether Cassie will even seek Maddy's forgiveness.
Maddy has spoken to other characters at length about the personal and emotional impact of Cassie's betrayal, and even brought the entire audience of Lexi's play up to speed. If we had to guess, we'd say that Cassie's decision to stay with Maddy's ex-boyfriend is one that will haunt her forever.
Maddy seems to be yearning for change, and a toxic friendship like Cassie's won't help her get to where she wants to be.
And for Kat? Kat has shown her loyalty to Maddy time and time again throughout Season 2, defending her during the infamous hot tub scene and supporting her throughout her heartbreak. It can be expected that if Maddy does cut Cassie off for good, so will Kat.
Will Nate and Cassie get back together?
At the end of episode 7, Nate stormed out of Lexi's play in reaction to the locker room musical scene he inspired. Cassie ran after him, only for him to break up with her on the spot because of her relation to Lexi.
In episode 8, a furious Cassie interrupts Lexi's play in attempts to spitefully humiliate her sister. Instead, Cassie humiliates herself further, getting into a public physical fight with an actor onstage and Maddy. Later in the episode, Cassie sits in the girls bathroom with a bloody nose and reflects on the night's events, telling Maddy, Kat, and BB that Nate ended things.
Maddy then gives Cassie a look (Of pity? Of quiet wrath?), and says “Don't worry. This is just the beginning.” Fans have speculated that Maddy's words are a kind of warning to Cassie — it is far from over with Nate Jacobs, and it's naïve for viewers or Cassie to think otherwise.
Take it from someone who knows.
How long will Rue stay sober?
Since episode 6, Rue has expressed her intentions to get clean, and even agreed to return to rehab. By episode 8, she's made her apology tour, even reconnecting with her sponsor Ali.
As the finale comes to a close, Rue's voiceover reflects from the future: “I stayed clean through the rest of the school year. I wish I could say that was a decision I made. In some ways, it was just easier. I don't know if this feeling will last forever… but I am trying."
Rue's journey to sobriety was the major arc of the show's second season, sparking radical conversations around harm reduction and the stigma of addiction. Now, it seems as though Rue has arrived at the threshold of redemption, finding closure and solace in her support system while sober.
But Rue's wording in the final moments of the finale give pause. Through the rest of the school year. Does this mean that during the summer, or at some other point in the future, she will relapse again? Does this indicate a time jump in Season 3, a jump that finds Rue at a new point in her sobriety journey?
Was Cal’s recording of Jules on the flash drive that Nate gave to the police?
While we witnessed a random — and alarming — act of kindness from Nate in episode 6 when he gave Cal's disc to Jules, does that mean Nate would protect her while simultaneously trying to destroy his father?
One of the bigger climaxes of the finale was Nate's nerve-wracking face-to-face confrontation with Cal.
Armed with a gun and a USB flash drive, Nate shares with his father all the ways he ruined his life, and speaks to the trauma he endured as a child after accidentally finding Cal's collection of nonconsensual sex tapes. Cal attempts to apologize and reconcile with his son, but it's too late.
Nate reveals that he's already contacted the police and uploaded all of the recordings onto a single piece of evidence: the flash drive.
According to Nate, the flash drive has “everything” on it. If we can assume that Jules was not the only underage person Cal was non-consensually recording sex encounters with, other videos would provide enough evidence of Cal's crimes.
In episode 6, Nate told Jules that the disc was the only copy in existence, which Jules swiftly destroyed. But how can we believe him? Did Nate compile all the videos onto the USB before giving Jules the physical disc, or after? Will Jules be forced into Cal's criminal proceedings in Season 3?
Will Rue and Elliot stay friends?
Episode 8 saw Rue's reconciliation with Elliot, in a touching scene in which she forgives him for telling her mom about her relapse, as he may have been the one to inadvertently save her life.
Elliot seems grateful for Rue's forgiveness, and plays her an intimate (and considerably long) song on his guitar. After, he asks Rue if she thinks they can still be friends.
“You know you're the one who said we weren't any good for each other,” Rue says. “I still think that,” Elliot responds. Cut to: Lexi's play, where Elliot sits in the audience, across the aisle from Rue. The two exchange a friendly head nod, but nothing more.
Dominic Fike, the IRL singer and actor who portrays Elliot on the show, recently told Jimmy Fallon that fans can “absolutely” expect his return for Season 3. However, will Elliot sticking around be the cause of Rue's undoing once more? And if they do remain friends, will Rue ever find out about him and Jules?
Will Lexi and Rue finally sustain their friendship?
Lexi's play Our Life showed a more in-depth look at the bond she and Rue once shared, and all that Lexi and Rue have supported each other through. In the finale, Rue thanks Lexi for writing and putting on the play, saying that it powerfully shifted her own perspective of who she is. Rue and Lexi have a genuine moment of rekindling — but is it enough for them to continue on?
Maude Apatow, who portrays Lexi, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the scene and what it could mean for Lexi and Rue's friendship.
“[In] the finale, there’s a really good scene with Lexi and Rue that I think is really important, and ties everything up in a really nice way,” Apatow told EW. “It’s all leading to this, and the play helps open that conversation that Lexi has always wanted to have, but hasn’t been able to.”
While it's comforting that the two childhood friends are able to “tie everything up” and gain the closure they've been seeking for years, does this mean they'll be able to move forward and start a new chapter of their friendship? After all the tumult of Season 2, it's clear that both Lexi and Rue will need a good friend to lean on come Season 3.
Will Rue and Jules get back together?
The ultimate love story and the ultimate question: will Rue and Jules ever be Rules again?
After the “war-zone”-like episode 5, Rue and Jules are no more. Though Jules ultimately did the right thing by telling Rue's mom about her relapse, Rue lashes out at Jules with cruel, harsh words.
For the next three episodes, Jules is a background player as Rue picks up the pieces of her life. When Rue and Elliot reconcile in the finale, Elliot asks if Rue has spoken to Jules. “No,” Rue says. “That one's gonna take me a little bit longer.”
In the final minutes of the episode, Jules approaches Rue in the auditorium after Lexi's play finishes. “I know you're probably still really angry with me, but I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I miss you so much,” Jules tells Rue through tears. To the surprise of many, Rue doesn't answer. Instead, she kisses Jules on the forehead and walks away.
So has Rue forgiven Jules? It doesn't seem so. Fans have taken issue with the fact that Rue was able to forgive Elliot and not Jules, especially given the fact that they've been through so much together.
“Jules was my first love,” Rue says in her closing voiceover. “I'd like to remember it that way. I don't know if that's actually true. I think I was high for too much of it.” The way Rue talks about Jules makes it seem as though she's reflecting on a chapter of her life that has closed, focusing on the memory of their bond instead of its present state.
Rules' love affair has served as the backbone of the show for two straight seasons… so what does this mean for Season 3? Will Rue focus on herself, or find a new love interest? Will Jules and Elliot end up together now? Will Rue eventually forgive Jules, leading to their reunion?
While many of the show's actors have offered their own insight into the slew of unanswered questions from the finale, for the most part, we'll just have to sit tight and wait for our answers in Season 3.
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