The trailer for the first of two special episodes of Euphoria was released, revealing that the story will pick back up with Rue, played by Emmy Award-winner Zendaya, after she abandons Jules (Hunter Schafer) at the train station. Euphoria is an HBO Original Series that follows the lives of multiple high schoolers as they deal with complicated friendships, sex, drug abuse, love, and their own identities, creating much conversation about the hellscape that is high school. The cast is rounded out by Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Barbie Ferreira, Maude Apatow, Angus Cloud, Jacob Elordi, and Eric Dane.
Euphoria was an instant hit during the summer of 2019, winning multiple awards for best makeup and music and having Zendaya become the youngest best actress winner in Emmy history. The award was well-deserved, seeing that she portrays a young drug addict that’s struggling to stay sober, fighting with her drug dealer that won’t sell to her because he sees her as family, and falling in love with a girl that she won’t run away with. During the last episode of the first season, Rue leaves Jules at the train station after making plans to run away together, heading back home distraught, and soon doing a line of cocaine and ultimately relapsing.
HBO released the trailer for the first of two special episodes, which shows a depressed and/or drugged-out Rue waiting in a diner booth as she stares vacantly at nothing in particular. The trailer is then interspersed with scenes from the previous season finale as Rue decides to back out on running away with Jules, showing how disappointed in herself she is. The rush of emotions is halted in its tracks, and Rue snaps to when her sponsor Ali, played by Colman Domingo (of Fear the Walking Dead fame and the upcoming Candyman direct sequel), calls her name. He then asks her in a knowing, controlled voice, “Why’d you call me?” Rue then looks up in desperation and guilt.
This trailer oozes the style and substance that Euphoria has built its name upon, mixing together tethered emotions and the criss-cross of storylines, leading to a moment of pain that the characters in this show know all too well. Rue seems to be struggling with her decision of not following Jules, who she was falling madly in love with, and is harming herself by doing the one thing that offers a small escape: drugs. But she is obviously drowning and in need of some assistance if she called her sponsor for help, someone that has also struggled with drug abuse in the past.
Euphoria is a gritty, stylistic show that is filled with as much pain as it is with glitter, and though it sometimes goes off the deep end with its exaggerated moments of teenage drama, it really understands the emotions of its characters; these are characters that teenagers and young adults can actually look at and identify with. Allowing such a young character like Rue, who has struggled with drug abuse and the death of a parent, to exist on screen lets her become a kindred spirit to those also in her shoes. While the second season won’t start filming until early 2021, the first special episode of Euphoria “Part 1: Rue” premieres on December 6, 2020.
