The seventh episode of the second season of Euphoria was unlike any other. This episode read as an odd montage of somewhat randomly pieced-together cuts of present moments and flashbacks. It mainly focuses on Lexi Howard and the people closest to her: Rue, Fezco, Cassie, Maddy, Nate, and their loved ones. However, it was arguably one of the series best episodes ever with multiple individual storylines blurring together. This leaves the audience to wonder what’s real, what’s the play, and what’s neither. It’s a lot to unpack, but here’s a breakdown of each of the main characters storylines:
Rue, jules and GIA
Rue’s storyline begins with a flashback to Rue’s father’s funeral. Thirteen-year-old Rue does drugs in her room to cope, and Lexi comes in to share a poem with her to comfort her. We see her steal the bottles of pills Rue was using. In the previous individual episode, we learn that one of Lexi’s biggest regrets was not going to Rue’s mom before she overdosed. It is revealed she did do something to stop Rue from slipping into drugs, she just did it in silence. The room transforms into a set at the viewing of Lexi’s play Our Life. The play was largely Lexi narrating and grieving all the people she’s lost since high school started. Like her father, they did not die they just changed and left. One of the biggest is Rue and Lexi’s friendship: Lexi points out how once high school started after Rue’s dad died and Lexi’s dad left, they lost themselves. Rue lost herself to drug addiction, and Lexi lost herself in her own head to mental illness.
On the subject of Rue, we get an update on her and Jules. The last time we saw the pair, Jules cheated on Rue and then helped her mom flush ten thousand dollars worth of drugs down the toilet. They haven’t spoken since the intervention. In her narration, Rue reveals loving her felt like a lifetime ago. Later, we see Jules’ try to burn the tape of her and Cal that Nate gave her to her the previous episode. Rue has put her family through hell this season. Rue’s mom, Leslie, reveals Gia has been in a bit of trouble. Gia has been failing math, not sleeping, and in detention. Leslie tells Rue that if she wants to kill herself with drugs, she will. She can’t convince her that her life is important, Rue needs to decide that. Leslie needs to focus on Gia. My heart broke when Leslie said if she has to choose between losing one child and losing both – she’ll save Gia. This is a big jump from last week, where Leslie was begging the rehab center to save Rue.
CASSIE AND LEXI
Rue and Lexi’s relationship wasn’t the only relationship she grieved, Lexi’s play shed light on her and Cassie’s complicated relationship. Lexi’s spent the first part of the episode shading, Cassie, for only being valuable for her body. She expresses how she thought after puberty she’d be like Cassie, but smarter and more insightful. Lexi used to want to hit puberty. We see a flashback of a day with her dad that we saw from Cassie’s point of view in season one through Lexi’s eyes. A memory that Cassie looked on fondly, was a painful one for Lexi. On a date to get ice cream, we see Lexi sob on the way home as she watches her dad deteriorate. We don’t see Cassie being there for her. A later happy flashback of Cassie, Lexi, and their parents dancing together causes Suzy and Cassie to cry in the audience. They had the same wants but grew into such different people.
On the subject of Cassie, she and Nate have gone from bad to worse. One of Lexi’s biggest points of contention with Cassie was that she saw a relationship as a defining part of herself. Last episode we saw her happily pack her things and move into Nate’s house. She took it to a whole new episode this episode. She insists Nate dress her and control what she eats. Ironically, Nate appears to treat her better than Maddy. Maybe that’s because she willingly agrees to his abusive expectations.
maddy
This episode reminds the audience that despite her flaws, Maddy is a loyal, kind, and caring friend who deserves better. In a flashback to the night Rue exposed Cassie, we see Maddy confront her. After she chases her up the stairs, Cassie locks herself in the bathroom. Maddy doesn’t attack her, she just wants the respect of a conversation. Cassie cowers in silence behind the locked bedroom door crying. I’m sorry I can’t even slightly empathize as someone who had a best friend so deeply betray them, this was tough to watch. Cassie did Maddy wrong and couldn’t even have a conversation. Later in the episode, the play cuts to high school and the beginning of Maddy and Cassie’s friendship. It gave a glimpse into Maddy’s friendship with Lexie too. Once their dad left, Maddy basically lived with the Howards. They were more than friends, they were sisters. Lexi talks about being suspicious of her at first but implies she later sees Maddy as the big sister she always wanted. In a flashback, Maddy teaches Lexi confidence and does her makeup. I think the big takeaway from this episode is Maddy deserved better.
We see Maddy with her boss at Theo’s baseball game. Samantha, the woman Maddy babysits for, discusses her future with her at Theo’s baseball game. She gives her a gift, which ends up being the purple dress Maddy tried on in her closet. This confirms fan theories that she and her husband have been recording her and know she’s been trying on her things. If she does know, she doesn’t seem angry. There is a weird vibe between the two of them, and the character of Samantha definitely serves a greater purpose than just being Maddy’s boss. Many speculate she is supposed to be a wiser version of Maddy, including Minka Kelly in an article with Vanity Fair. Given the preview for next week, we’ll likely have to wait until season three to find out.
fezco/fexi
Another major plotline in this episode revolved around the fan-favorite couple Fexi. Fezco has been supporting Lexi during the entirety of the play. He consoles and advises her when she reveals that she hasn’t informed her sister or friends that they are characters in her play. Scenes in this episode raised the question of why it took so long for the pair to interact since their paths crossed so many times. They have a mutual best friend in Rue. One of the flashbacks scenes in the play shows Fexi waiting outside the convenience store while Rue talks to Fezco. In another flashback, we see Rue and Lexi get high together. Fezco and Rue draw a mustache on her as a joke. This foreshadows her Bob Ross costume from last season.
Fezco has his own storyline this episode, just like the rest of the season. We see Fezco getting ready for Lexi’s play with the help of Faye, when her shady boyfriend Custer comes around. ICYMI, Custer during the last episode reaveled to Faye that he is cooperating with the police on the murder of the drug dealer Mouse. He attempts to record him saying something incriminating on his phone. Ashtray clearly knows he’s up to something suspicious. When Fezco is ready to go with his bouquet of red roses, Lexi texts him that she saved him the best seat in the house. Custer wants to talk to him first, and that’s where we leave them for the episode.
nate
Like all Euphoria episodes, Sam Levinson took the opportunity to be weird and oversexualize Cassie. We see a weird montage of Nate with Maddy, Cassie, Jules, and his dad. There was a weird montage of scenes with Nate, Maddy, Cassie, Jules and Cal that all seem to blur together. It suggests Nate’s trauma may be deeper than previously thought. He has a nightmare with Cal that could suggest he was abusive to Nate or symbolize him feeling violated by his father’s tapes.
Ethan, Kat’s boyfriend as Nate performs in a faux nude suit in I Need a Hero as Nat clenches his fists in the audience plotting murder. It was a beyond bizarre scene and honestly, Sam Levinson would benefit from some intense psychotherapy. Maddy and the rest of the crowd go wild – the number ended in a standing ovation. Nate storms out exposing himself and Cassie follows him out trying to console him. He dumps her and kicks her out of his house. We are left with a to-be continued and a crazy-eyed Cassie staring through the window of the auditorium.
If you’re in a rush, here’s a short list of the major plot points:
- Lexi finally puts on her play Our Life that gives a compilation of flashbacks from Lexi’s childhood, Rue’s dad’s funeral, and the first season of Euphoria. She grieves the state of her relationships with Rue and Cassie. It ends with a bizarre remake of the lockerroom scene with Ethan, Kat’s ex-boyfriend, cosplaying as Nate.
- Cassie looks like a Maddy lookalike. She wants Nate to fully control how she dresses and how she eats. Nate storms out and breaks up with Cassie after the lockerroom scene. He kicks her out of his house.
- Faye helps Fezco pick out and style his suit with flowers for Lexi’s play and her boyfriend Custer attempts to record him incriminating himself for Mouse’s murder for the police.
- Jules burns the tape of her and Cal. Rue talks to her mom who is very stressed about Gia being in trouble. Leslie tells her she has to decide not to kill herself with drugs.
- We see the flashback of Maddy confronting Cassie through the door, she does not attack her. She sobs against the door asking her if it was worth it. Cassie cries on the other side of the door cowering in silence. Her boss for babysitting gives her the purple dress.
So now that we’ve recapped, here are some hot takes & theories for the finale off of the preview:
Cassie will try to attack Lexi and Maddy goes after her
Despite the opinion of some, Maddy Perez is actually not very selfish. She is fiercely loyal to those she loves and cares more about what happens to them than her. This explains but doesn’t excuse her behavior from season one. We see Cassie walking towards the stage and steps on the pamphlet of Lexi’s play – literally walking all over it. We later see Maddy chasing Cassie down, and it appears something happened on stage. Given that we now know Maddy sees Lexi as a little sister, I can see her seeing that and going after her for everything. Honestly, as she should. Lexi was bold for putting on that play –
I’d be livid about the play if I were Cassie too, but her Cassie deserves the worst for all she’s done to Maddy.
Nate is once again letting the police know he would like to report a crime.
In the preview for next week, we see Nate standing in a doorway with police lights flashing on him looking distraught. Given that Nate has gotten away with multiple felonies with ease, I don’t think they’re there for him. Nate’s favorite pastime in season one was saying he’d like to report a crime or blackmailing and manipulating someone else into doing so. We know he storms out of the play, so it likely has nothing to do with any characters there. My first guess is that he is somehow involved in whatever going on with Fezco in the preview. He called the police last time Fezco’s house was raided and we have no reason to believe it has to do with the investigation Custer is cooperating with. However, it might not be about Fezco.
My second theory is it has something to do with Cal. Despite Nate “winning” and Cal having a breakdown, Cal haunts Nate. He is having a nightmare about him. He did give Jules her tape, but Cal still illegally recorded all his other sexual encounters. He could have reported Cal and turned them into the police.
Obviously something happens to Fezco, but he does not die.
After Angus Cloud revealed Fezco was supposed to die in season one but the writers chose to keep him, I don’t think they will kill him this season. Despite being a drug dealer and attempted murderer, Fezco is one of the most beloved moral characters on the show. Not only that, but it would be too obvious. Given the shot of anguish we see of him in the preview, and the blood on the card he intended for Lexi there is clearly a shoot-out. We see what appears to be Fezco’s door gets busted down. I think the SWAT Team or Laurie’s people will shoot Ashtray or Faye in front of him. There is also a shot of Fezco banging on the door screaming Ash. What this means for Fezco or Fexi, I’m not sure.
There is also a line from Rue in the preview “and this is the part where the character never recovers; the part where life takes them down.” I think this will apply to multiple characters. It didn’t specify the type, so the finale will likely be devastating to multiple characters. But the loss of Ashtray would scar Fezco forever.
There will be another major character death outside whatever happens with Fezco
Something horrible is definitely about to happen Fezco as Lexi’s monologue foreshadows. However, I think something else will happen. After the initial messy fight between Cassie and Maddy, we see someone hugging Cassie and Jules in tears in the preview. This leads us to believe that during the play they receive tragic news. Many fans on Reddit and Tiktok have speculated Elliot. He has had no character development. He serves as Rue’s foil, meaning everything Rue isn’t Elliot is. Rue looks clean and sober in the preview. If Rue is truly getting sober, what purpose does he serve? None. For that reason, it would make sense that his death will be a catalyst for Rue’s sobriety just as her dad’s death did for her drug use.