You Have to Read These Wild Fan Theories About the Euphoria Finale
Euphoria was never designed to last forever. While the hit series was recently renewed for a second season, it seems unlikely that it will continue on beyond a third. “Well, [the characters] are in high school, so there are only so many seasons it can go,” HBO programming chief Casey Bloys told TVLine. “There’s a time limit.”
“There is no set plan,” he continued. “But I don’t think you want 30-year-olds playing [high school students].”
Fair enough, though hiring actors in their late twenties to play teens is a grand tradition that’s been represented on every teen show from The OC to Riverdale. (A fun tidbit: Beyoncé’s step-sister Bianca Lawson is famed for playing teen roles well into her thirties.) But while it’s unclear how long Euphoria–or the hype surrounding the show–will last, the program is on fire now, with fans gearing up for next Sunday’s season one finale, titled “And Salt The Earth Behind You.” Dedicated viewers have a number of theories on how things will wrap up, and none of them are all that pleasant. Spoilers ahead!
Euphoria is loosely based on an Israeli miniseries. And while the American version hasn’t followed the source material to the letter, the Israeli show concluded with a major twist: its protagonist (Zendaya’s Rue on the HBO version) has actually been dead the entire time, narrating from beyond the grave. The idea that this trope will reappear on the American version took off on Twitter, and it’s not so far-fetched. Rue is an all-knowing narrator; there are multiple references to her death and “killing herself;” and in an article about the theory, EW pointed to one fairly damning quote:
“I was once happy, content, sloshing around in my own private, primordial pool. Then one day, for reasons beyond my control, I was repeatedly crushed by the cruel cervix of my mother, Leslie. I put up a good fight, but I lost, for the first time, but not the last.”
Yegads!
And whether it’s Rue or not, it seems like somebody on the show is about the meet their maker (hopefully it’s Nate). Redditors are convinced that either Rue or Hunter Schafer’s Jules will OD (this show… it is so dark); the trailer for the finale features a shot of Rue in a hospital gown, an IV dripping. The promo also prominently features the loading of a gun—and if you trust Chekhov, it’s sure to go off.
The original Euphoria concludes quite darkly. Nate kills Jules in front of Rue; Ashtray (aka the child drug dealer) kills Nate in revenge; and in a sickening twist, Fez rapes Rue. Good God.
Whatever happens Sunday, we’re really in for it.
