Warning: This article contains spoilers for season 2 of Euphoria
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Episode 3: Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys
Tonight’s episode of Euphoria was, well what everyone expects, a lot. Starting with a backstory, we see Cal Jacob’s in his youth. A high school wrestler, Cal was extremely close with his best-friend Derek, someone he did everything with. He meets his future wife Marsha, and they instantly begin dating around the same time Derek gets a girlfriend. A montage of Cal and Marsha engaging in intimate acts is flashed on the screen as Derek and Cal graduating is celebrated by their girlfriends and family. Later that night, Cal and Derek sneak out together and end up at a gay bar where the slow dance and kiss. The next morning Cal wakes up in bed to Marsha calling him and telling him she’s pregnant. He pretends that he is happy by the news before he starts to cry.
During the current story, Rue is dancing all giddy while she pours herself some milk. Her sister Gia looks up and asks if she’s high. It cuts to a classroom where she breaks the fourth wall with Elliot and explains how she has been getting away with her drug relapse. Initially bringing up the thought of just smoking weed, claiming it helps with her panic attacks, her sister automatically gets infuriated with Rue calling her “selfish.” She then gaslights Gia by telling her she’s suicidal without it, which completes a full circle, making Gia believe she is just smoking weed when in reality she is doing much harder drugs.
Rue and Jules later discuss Elliot, whom Jules does not trust before both girls head to Elliot’s house. There, Jules spotlights him and interrogates him on whether he wants to have sex with Rue or not. Finally agreeing to settle it, they decide to be friends and Jules and Rue bike home together. On the way home, Cal drives past Rue on her bike making an awkward eye contact. As Rue catches up to Jules in the backyard where Jules put her bike, they start to make out.
Lexi spends the episode writing and getting permission to hold her play. Based on her life and situations, she spends most of her time gaining traction for the play and hanging flyers for auditions, although she has not mentioned her play to anyone.
Cassie has been waking herself up at 4 a.m. every morning to scrub herself clean and make herself look good for Nate at school. He ignores her for most of the time, but she repeatedly tries to gain his attention. While ignoring her at school, Nate and Cassie have been hooking up with each other every Friday night at his house. During an intimate scene, Nate chokes her while she admits she loves being his secret, and he tells her that he loves how sick she is. While holding her secret of Nate, Maddy tells her she’s considering getting back together with Nate. Cassie instantly disagrees, trying to persuade her she deserves someone who cherishes, and loves her.
Kat is meeting Ethan’s parents, who pleasantly welcome here at dinner. When asked who she is, Kat starts to trip over her words and awkwardly laughs at the question. She tells them she has no idea who she is and looks back down to her food.
Cal is kept awake by the thoughts of the disc that has him and Jules on it. Driving to Fez and Ashtray’s house, Ashtray points a gun at him and holds him at gunpoint in the house. Threatening to go to the police, Ashtray beats him with the gun and pulls out his phone daring Cal to call the cops. Promising he wouldn’t he asks for the disc back, which Fez has absolutely no idea about. Admitting to having sex with Jules, Fez becomes even more confused not understanding any of the situation. Cal asking to just leave, Fez and Ashtray lets him, making him promise to keep Nate away from all of his friends forever.
Wanting to do drugs for free, Rue decides to go see Laurie, the drug dealer from the first episode. She brings up a plan to run drugs in a way that would have no snitches, which Laurie agrees to. As Rue leaves with the drugs, Laurie casually threatens her if she screws her over she will have bad people come and take Rue away. Later that night she goes to her Narcotics Anonymous meeting with the suitcase. Ali asks where what’s in the suitcase and tries to strike up a conversation. Snapping at him, Rue brings up his past and insults him bitterly, which causes Ali to leave and refuse to speak to her anymore.
While Rue is at her meeting, Jules and Elliot are hanging out at his house. Jules tells Elliot she still can’t shake the feeling he’s hiding something from her. They divulge into Rue’s sexuality, and if she is a sexual person which Jules admits she isn’t. Elliot then begins to compliment her and her art, insinuating that she’s someone he could have sex with. She grabs his joint and smokes it with him in his room.
The episode ends with Cassie getting ready to go meet Nate, who is in the car with flowers. Rue gets home, and her mom is on the phone telling someone Rue has been great with sobriety. Ethan calls Kat on the phone, saying he got a part in Lexi’s play, which Kat dismisses by saying cool. Maddy puts the boy she babysits for, Theo, to bed. There’s a knock on the door and Nate walks in with the flowers for her.
I honestly know that so much chaos is about to happen. This show literally holds nothing back, and personally I’m ready to see Maddy fight Cassie for sleeping with her ex. I also am curious where Rue’s storyline with the drug selling will end up.
Euphoria on HBO Max on 9 p.m. on Sundays.