Series «"Euphoria"» officially ended with the tragic death of the hero and an unexpectedly optimistic message.
The third season of the HBO series always felt like a drastic shift in tone compared to the previous two seasons. «Euphoria» , and the series finale moves even further away from the show's origins.
The finale culminates in a shootout between Ali (Colman Domingo) and Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), with Maddie (Alexa Demie) briefly appearing as a human shield.
It was a gripping finale, but it was a bit of a shambles for the main characters, with the actors barely appearing in many important scenes.
What is the plot of the final episode of the series "Euphoria"?
Warning! Spoilers ahead!
Rue (Zendaya) barely escapes the ranch alive when the DEA arrives to arrest the drug dealers, leading Laurie (Martha Kelly) to hang herself from the roof to escape prison.
The drugs weren't even delivered; Alamo only sent a dead rat as a note.
Alamo flatters Roo after she arrives with his treasure trove of IDs, genuinely happy that she completed the mission, but secretly plots to end her.
Ever since Maddie told him that Roo was in contact with the DEA, Alamo had been ready to eliminate her.
Alamo gives Rue a bottle of Percocet laced with fentanyl, causing her to have a minor relapse that leads to her untimely death.
While sleeping on Ali's couch, for the last time while under the influence of drugs, Roo hallucinates Fez (the late Angus Cloud) escaping from prison.
Ru reflects on the long and strange journey she had to endure due to addiction, and reconnects with her mother in her thoughts, before passing away quietly on the couch.
It's a sad, senseless, and unimpressive death for a sympathetic character—the show's protagonist, by the way—but that seems to be the point.
Why did Rue die in the Euphoria series finale?
As the showrunner of the series explained «"Euphoria"» Sam Levinson, in an interview with The New York Times' Popcast podcast, said the ending of Rue's story was rewritten.
«"The character of Roo was originally planned to have a different story," Levinson said. "But after [Angus Cloud's] death, I had to rethink the script, and I thought: it's impossible to tell a story about drug addiction today without showing the real-life consequences.".
Following the tragic death of Angus Cloud, who died of an accidental overdose at the age of 25 in 2023, the plot changed to emphasize the darker theme.
«"Most people don't get a second chance. Fentanyl can kill in an instant... I thought it was the responsible thing to do.".
«"We felt like if we really wanted to say something this season, we needed to put the audience in the shoes of a family member who has lost a loved one," Levinson explained.
«"I wanted to capture that feeling. And I know how much viewers love Rue. I felt like I could put them in a position I think a lot of families find themselves in.".
In previous episodes, Rue experienced a religious epiphany, interpreting coincidences as signs from God. In a sense, Rue's journey truly led her to biblical justice.
Ru's death was predicted during a conversation with Ali, in which she compared herself to Moses seeing the burning bush, and Ali told her that Moses never lived to see the promised land.
Rue did not survive the series, but her actions led to Laurie's death and the arrest of her gang.
Most importantly, her death pushed Ali to destroy the Alamo.
Deeply disillusioned after trying Roux's drug-laced pills, Ali vows revenge. He heads to the Alamo Club, where Maddie is trying to salvage her unprofitable business dealings.
Alamo tries to convince Maddie that he wants to settle down and start a family with her to achieve the "American Dream," but his epiphany quickly turns out to be a lie - when Ali starts shooting at the club, Alamo uses Maddie as a human shield.
Ali is outnumbered and desperate, but refuses to shoot Maddy, even to kill Alamo. Realizing his killer has a conscience, Alamo decides to have a little fun before finishing him off.
Alamo always fancied himself a cowboy, dressed like one, and carried a pistol. He staged an old-fashioned coin toss, challenging Ali to shoot only when a rolling champagne bottle hits the floor.
Of course, Alamo cheats by firing his gun prematurely, but realizes the gun is empty due to Bishop's (Darrell Britt-Gibson) betrayal.
Realizing his time is up, Alamo curses Bishop, and Ali shoots him dead, using a shotgun to finish off the corpse.
Bishop's betrayal was foreshadowed by a story he told Roo about a python that appeared to befriend a dancer, but was actually eyeing her to eat her.
It seems the bishop was a snake all this time.
Why did the bishop betray the Alamo?
While Bishop always seemed the most level-headed of Alamo's henchmen, his betrayal appears to have come completely out of the blue.
Bishop didn't like the way Alamo treated Maddie and how he killed Roo with poison pills, but those crimes are typical of their criminal activity - Alamo had been abusing and killing girls for years - so why did Bishop draw the line at Maddie and Roo?
Perhaps he liked them more than most, or perhaps he was simply biding his time, like a snake, and saw a golden opportunity in the fight with Ali.
What happens after Roo and Alamo die?
After the Alamo is defeated, Maddie is freed from her obligations to him, and it appears Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) is continuing her work on OnlyFans, while Lexi (Maude Apatow) has taken a sudden interest in the Bible left behind by Rue.
Jules (Hunter Schafer) had virtually no storyline, while Nate's (Jacob Elordi) goal was to be bullied and killed by loan sharks.
The series finale ends with Ali returning to Jerusalem, to the religious family where Rue felt safe, to tell them of her death.
The final shot of a waving American flag and Rue's voiceover saying "God bless us all" could easily be interpreted as sarcasm, given the cynical tone of this season and the show as a whole.
However, Levinson says it is a sincere message - his religious beliefs and optimism are a genuine attempt to end his story on an upbeat note.
«"The moment I started living with the knowledge of God," he told Tablet Magazine, "life became better.".
«"I don't consider myself cynical, and I don't want to make cynical films or art," Levinson said. "The world is full of nihilism. I look at «Euphoria» to a large extent as its denial.".
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This article was originally published on Forbes.com.