WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Euphoria Season 2, now streaming on HBO Max.
Amongst the overcrowded teen drama space, Euphoria has differentiated itself with its mission to showcase a raw, graphic depiction of the reality it's seeking to display. Its protagonist Rue Bennett strongly embodies this statement in her struggle with drug addiction.
In Season 2, Episode 5, "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird," the whole episode takes on a different style, opting to focus entirely on Rue's spiral due to drug withdrawal rather than flipping from character to character. It's true that Rue has done some terrible things; in this episode alone, she stole several pieces of jewelry, attempted to steal medication from Fez's grandmother, caused a car accident, and worst of all, verbally assaulted her family and friends. But despite all of these heinous crimes, she ultimately has to have some sort of redemption. A tragic ending for Rue would not only devastate fans -- it would undermine any sort of hope that the millions of viewers that watch Euphoria have for those struggling with addiction.
One major reason to give redemption to Rue is the show's repeated theme that a single moment doesn't define somebody. In the first part of the Euphoria Special, Rue's sponsor Ali (who foretold her current problems) revealed that he has done some horrible things, including physically hitting his ex-wife. He told Rue his belief that he won't be defined by that single moment, and that he tries to leave a positive impact in the world he's familiar with through sponsoring those with addiction. This message seems to resonate with Rue; in Season 2 Episode 6, "Thousand Little Trees of Blood," she narrates that she loves hospitals because they do not judge patients. She states that most people that don't know her would define her by that moment of her intense withdrawal, similarly to Ali's story of having hurt his ex-wife. It's a theme that's repeated enough to offer the hope that Rue will find restitution in her battle with addiction. If Rue were to die without having any sort of redemption for herself, then it would dramatically undermine her as a character.
Another repeated line in Season 2 of Euphoria is the "one in 20" chance of recovering from addiction that's mentioned by Rue and Ali. It's futilely muttered by Rue in the car with her mom and sister as she's driven to the emergency room, showing Rue's hopelessness at this moment because she also states that she was a month away from killing herself. It's later brought up again during her family dinner with Ali after her withdrawal rampage. Gia says that the statistic doesn't offer her hope and that she's cautious to accept that Rue will find sobriety. It would be depressing for audiences to discover that Rue was right all along in stating that her odds were hopeless. If she were to die due to overdose, it would show futility in the struggle against addiction. It's imperative that Rue is that one in 20.
Fortunately, Rue could find the start redeeming character arc in the finale of Season 2. In an interview with The Cut, Zendaya states that Season 2 was actually much more different than the current version of the show. Rue was supposed to have a much darker ending, but she and writer Sam Levinson sat down to "put some hope in the show." She goes on to say, "Episode 8 is where we’ll get that sense of redemption. That you aren’t the worst thing you’ve ever done in your life. I think Rue deserves it, and I think anyone who suffers with the same thing she does deserves it."
Mental health portrayal in film and television has a troubling history when it comes to offering healing for those with mental illness. Too often, people with addiction issues are the villains of a series, and their path to recovery is rarely shown on screen. Euphoria has the perfect opportunity to change that narrative and offer hope for a very real affliction.
Source: Trendz OH
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