Zendaya's fate in the final episode of Euphoria has finally been revealed, as HBO released a first look at the show's concluding installment, set to air on Sunday. The psychological drama, which first premiered in 2019, ends after a dramatic third season filled with racy scenes and controversy.
Rue's Perilous Situation
The previous episode left Rue Bennett's (Zendaya) life hanging in the balance after she was discovered by her old drug dealer. The preview shows the terrified former addict being dragged across the ground by strip club magnate Alamo Brown, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. In the clip, Brown says, 'You was right all along. You and me, we was meant to be.'
Cassie's Downfall
The conclusion will see mixed fates for its main characters. Sydney Sweeney's Cassie Howard hits rock bottom following the tragic death of her husband, Nate Jacobs. Cassie's storyline has been among the most controversial this season, featuring explicit scenes including dressing as an 'adult baby' for her OnlyFans content and engaging in 'puppy play' as a lingerie-clad dog.
Nate's Gruesome End
Earlier this week, Jacob Elordi broke his silence after his character Nate met a gruesome fate. The Australian actor, 28, described the character's death—being buried alive and bitten by a rattlesnake—as 'a cool way to go.' Nate was killed off in a botched attempt to collect a debt he owed to gangster Naz (Jack Topalian). The plan was to keep Nate in a coffin for three days while his wife Cassie raised funds, but a rattlesnake entered through a breathing pipe and fatally bit him.
Elordi said in a post-show recap on HBO, 'Nate was someone who has made so many mistakes and made so many dark choices. It's cool to see it all come to what it's come to.' He added that filming the coffin sequence was not claustrophobic: 'It was really nice, actually—it was quite peaceful in there. My shoulders were touching the side and they couldn't move my arms, then they would drill the lid on it and it would get dark.'
Controversy and Criticism
The latest season of Euphoria has drawn criticism from fans over bizarre scenes, including 'unnecessary' nudity and gory moments. Creator Sam Levinson was called out for the 'unnecessary use' of Nazi symbols in the show. In one episode, white supremacist drug dealer Wayne (Toby Wallace), who has a tattoo of the Othala rune (a Nazi symbol) on his arm, gives Faye Valentine (Chloe Cherry) a swastika tattoo on her lower back. A previous episode also showed Faye in a graphic sex scene with Wayne in front of a Nazi flag.
Fans, hoping for a return to the complex content of the first two seasons, were also critical of Cassie's most X-rated scenes. Sam defended the explicit nature of his work, noting during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival: 'We live in a very sexualized world. The influence of pornography is really strong in terms of the psyche of young people.'
Sam told The Hollywood Reporter regarding Cassie's 'puppy play' scene: '[Cassie] has got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humour, but what makes the scene is the fact that her housekeeper is the one filming it. What we wanted to always find is the other layer of absurdity that we're able to tie into it so that we're not too inside of her fantasy or illusion—the gag is to jump out, to break the wall.'
Meanwhile, Sydney told Entertainment Tonight: 'I mean, Cassie's a crazy character. She will do anything and at all costs to be famous this season, and she makes a lot of very wild and interesting choices.'
