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Euphoria went out with a bang after the season 3 finale killed off a crucial main character halfway into the episode.
During the Sunday, May 31, episode of the hit HBO series, Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) killed Rue (Zendaya) after he found out that she was working undercover to take him down. He gave her pain killers that were laced with fentanyl — and she ultimately overdosed halfway into the episode.
Ali (Colman Domingo) found Rue dead on his couch and the rest of the episode followed his mission to get revenge on Alamo. The final episode of the show was Ali at the farm that Rue spent time at in the season 3 premiere where he said grace at the dinner table in her honor.
While Rue’s death may come as a shock to some, other fans were prepared for Zendaya’s arc to get wrapped up in the presumed series finale. The actress was previously asked by Drew Barrymore in April whether the show was over for good after season 3.
“I think so, yeah,” she said on Barrymore’s eponymous talk show. “That closure is coming.”
Creator Sam Levinson, meanwhile, was more vague.
“[I write] every season like it’s the last season,” he told Variety in April. “[I have] no plans [for season 4].”
He continued: “I want to finish this as strong as I can. I’m cutting [episodes] 7 and 8 still. I’m putting some finishing touches. I just want to deliver a f***ing slam dunk season.”
Rue wasn’t the only major casualty in the show’s third season. Jacob Elordi‘s character, Nate, also suffered a grim fate when he was killed in a box in the ground from a rattlesnake bite.
“That was a cool way to go. Nate was someone who has made so many mistakes and made so many dark choices,” Elordi explained in a segment that aired after the May 24 episode. “It’s cool to see it all come to what it’s come to.”
Elordi recalled having to film in a coffin, adding, “My shoulders were touching the side and they couldn’t move my arms. Then they would drill the lid on it and it would get dark. It was really nice, actually. It was quite peaceful in there.”
The stunt team, meanwhile, stressed how important it was to make sure the actor had oxygen. They praised Elordi for agreeing to spend “minimal time in the coffin.” Levinson, for his part, said he “wanted to shoot it with a real snake” so a rattlesnake and a boa constrictor were both featured on screen.
“Snakes were rattling, which was really alarming when you are locked in a box,” Elordi noted. “They had a boa constrictor that they put a fake rattler on the end of it.”
He continued: “He was super cute. He was really cuddly. So he kind of just sidled up next to me and it was nice. But he was really sleepy. He was a sleepy snake. I had to kind of nudge him to get him to come up. And that was it.”
At the end of the segment, Elordi reflected on his time playing Nate.
“It’s a bittersweet thing,” he said. “This show is a massive part of — not just my career — but my life. It’s been amazing and I’m so proud of being a part of this.”
Euphoria is streaming on HBO Max.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
