Highlights
- Euphoria ended with its Season 3 finale.
- Rue dies from an accidental overdose.
- Sam Levinson called it an “honest ending.”
- Angus Cloud’s death influenced the final season.
- Levinson confirmed the series is officially over.
HBO’s Euphoria officially came to an end on Sunday night with its Season 3 finale.
The episode concluded with the death of Rue, played by Zendaya, following an accidental overdose. The ending marked the close of the series after three seasons.
In a behind-the-scenes segment that aired after the finale, creator Sam Levinson explained why he chose such a tragic ending.
“It felt like an honest ending. The honest ending is people like Rue don’t make it. … I think in the end, I wanted to tell an honest story about addiction. I also wanted to tell a story about grief and the emotional turmoil that it can create.”
As Rue overdoses, she dreams about Fezco, the character played by Angus Cloud, who died in 2023. The scene included unused footage featuring Cloud and Zendaya.
“I wanted to tell the story for Angus and for people who weren’t granted a second chance,” Levinson said.
Levinson also confirmed to The New York Times that the third season is the end of the series.
“In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me,” he said.
He revealed that he had originally planned “a different trajectory for the character of Rue.” However, Cloud’s death changed the direction of the final season.
“I’d always been really concerned about the prevalence of fentanyl and it’s something we’ve dealt with over the seasons. But once he passed away I had to re-conceive the script and I thought, ‘You can’t tell a story about addiction today without the very real consequences. Most people don’t get a second chance.'”
Levinson added that the series tells “a tragic one in the end — but it’s also the truth.”
Earlier this year, Zendaya also suggested that Season 3 would be the show’s final chapter.
“I think so, yeah,” she said when asked if it would be the last season. She added, “That closure is coming.”
