The ‘Euphoria’ Christmas Special Is Everything We Needed
Sunday night fans of the critically acclaimed HBO series, Euphoria, got an in-depth look at Rue, the main character played by Zendaya.
Filming for season two of Euphoria was halted due to COVID-19, but Director Same Levinson gave fans a Christmas gift that many will not forget. The hour-long special titled “Rue” is not the start of the second season but a glimpse into what is going on in the addict’s mind.
See y’all tonight. pic.twitter.com/tyWh9k5duf— Zendaya (@Zendaya) December 6, 2020
The episode consisted of a conversation between Rue and her sponsor, Ali, played by Colman Domingo. The two are sitting in a mostly empty diner, and the conversation flows from loss and addiction to love and life’s purpose. The captivating dialogue touches on current events, like corporate America’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Rue shares how her struggle with addiction has ruined her life, while Ali gives her hope of life without drugs.
Wow. The Euphoria special – what an hour of television. Who knew 60 minutes of Rue and Ali having a conversation in a diner coud be so emotionally resonating? Just wanna save the dialogue in this episode in my head forever. A must watch. #Euphoria pic.twitter.com/131VKLlS6U— Noor Patterson (@NoorPatty) December 4, 2020
The show picks up after Jules, Rue’s girlfriend, played by Hunter Schafer, has left on a train after Rue decided not to run away with her. Season one ends with Rue in a drug-induced fantasy, but when sitting with Ali, she tries to convince him she is sober. In the special, we see a spiraling Rue, who does not know what to do now that Jules is gone. When telling her story to Ali, she is misleading in the details, making him question the validity of their relationship. Fans worry about how Rue may react to knowing Jules’ true feelings.
Wait, I also love the way that #Euphoria subtly showed that Rue is an unreliable narrator when she told Ali that she and Jules talked about getting lip tattoos but never did. Now, I wonder what else didn’t actually happen in Season 1… pic.twitter.com/oMu8EUSg99— Nora Dominick (@noradominick) December 7, 2020
The script was dramatic and moving, and the acting by Zendaya and Domingo is superb. Zendaya’s phenomenal portrayal of Rue in season one earned her this year’s Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. We already can’t wait to get more of this thrilling series and HBO has announced that the next special, written by Levinson and Schafer, will be from Jules’ perspective. You can catch up on all episodes of Euphoria now on HBO.
