Euphoria Special Episode: Part 1: Rue Review

For our review of the first season of Euphoria, click here.

Synopsis: In the aftermath of being left by Jules at the train station and relapsing, the first special episode follows Rue as she celebrates Christmas. (HBO)

When it looked like we would have to wait forever for more Euphoria, we got our next fix in the form of two special episodes with this one, focusing on Rue, being the first. Filmed under COVID-19 protocols, there was clearly only so much that could be done but despite the circumstances, this special was a masterful hour of television led by stellar writing and directing by series creator Sam Levinson and the performances from Zendaya who goes to another level here and Colman Domingo who continues to prove his position as one of the best character actors working today.

For those who don’t remember, the season ended with Rue backing out of running away with Jules, leading to a relapse. This episode, however, opens with what was revealed to be a drug-induced fantasy sequence involving her and Jules where they made a life with one another. The episode ultimately gave way to the setting which most of the episode took place, a dinner on Christmas Eve where Rue was spending some time with Ali. From there, the two have an absolutely raw and honest conversation about the cause of Rue’s relapse. While the episode for the most part is merely two people talking, it felt like so much more as time simply flew by as it pulls viewers into these tortured people’s lives.

The conversation almost felt like a play as it saw Rue and Ali tackled the former’s addiction and the factors behind it systematically. Meanwhile, the latter brought a unique perspective thanks to his issues with addiction that brought some compelling context to Rue’s issues. She may have done horrible things to the people around her but Ali’s been right in her shoes. He’s seen it all and even done worse. Ali’s invaluable knowledge and experience made him the perfect person to handle Rue. That being said, he wasn’t a perfect person by any means and he was completely aware of that. In the end, they were merely having a honest conversation without judgements and whatever was going to happen was going to happen.

Rue and Ali’s conversation was an unpredictable emotional roller coaster that went to some dark places but also uplifting ones which was essentially a testament to the great writing here. It gave Rue the chance to take a deep look at herself and her potential future or whether or not she deserved one or if there was anything that could be done about it considering her actions up to that point. The idea of redemption was a big one as the cloud of self-hatred that consumed her left her in a rut, so much so that she believed it was pointless to fight for a future she thought she didn’t deserve. Nevertheless, the episode saw Rue experience a compelling gamut of emotions over the course of the introspection the conversation provided. This was an impressive display that saw her angry, sad, and incredibly vulnerable while open to what Ali was saying. If anything, this episode was a showcase of Zendaya’s impeccable range which further proved why she won an Emmy for her performance in the first season. However, Domingo was no slouch either, giving Ali plenty of humanity as a tortured soul who still cared and sought redemption by helping Rue. Ali would have a nice moment of his own to break up the emotion from his time with Rue.

At the end of the day, the fact that such a showy series full of style, imagery, music, and over-the-top characters can strip all of those away (though that was mostly due to the circumstances) and still deliver some equally powerful television is a testament to the ability of Sam Levinson. It definitely shows that the series still has some tricks up its sleeve as to where it can go in the future. It will certainly be exciting to see where it and Rue will go.

image courtesy of HBO

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.