The impending Euphoria season 2 finale packs the kind of drama that nearly keeps me up at night. From the collective concerns about everyone's favorite couple-to-be on the show to the weird mystery of a sibling nobody talks about, this episode is built around dread and expectation.
Euphoria, for those who haven't seen it, is HBO's series from creator, director, producer (and lightning rod for fans) Sam Levinson, which is produced in partnership with the arthouse A24 studio. The Euphoria season 2 premiere episode was "the most viewed episode of an HBO series ever on HBO Max," according to the press release announcing Euphoria season 3. That episode was also the "most social premium cable episode" (meaning most talked about online) since the Game of Thrones finale (but not for the same damning reasons).
And so we arrive at the end of a very troubled season. Rue has possibly hit rock bottom in her drug addiction, but something else lurks behind every corner. The potential coupling of Lexi and the drug-dealing Fezco seems ready to fail before it can even launch. The Maddy, Nate and Cassie love triangle exploded in a scene that was instantly a meme, and while Jules and Kat seem as if they've been back-burnered this season, it's never too late for a surprise.
So, here's a quick guide to get you ready for everything that Euphoria fans will be screaming about online this Sunday night (and into Monday morning). Here's how to watch the Euphoria season 2 finale.
Is Fexi doomed by a drug bust?
Euphoria season 2 episode 7 gave us so much hope and dread for the couple that fans call Fexi. On one side of the tracks, Lexi (Maude Apatow) spent the entire episode directing her impossibly high-budget high school play that exposed the secrets held shut by her and her friends.
Then, we kept flashing over to the house of drug dealer Fezco (Angus Cloud), the apple of Lexi's eye after their New Year's Eve party conversation, who was taking forever to get ready to go to the play. As if the empty, reserved, seat at the play wasn't enough to raise our concerns, there's also the looming specter of Custer (Tyler Chase), still angry about Mouse's death.
In the last episode, Custer pulled Faye (Chloe Cherry) out of Fez's house to tell her he's working with the cops. Also, trailers have shown police breaking a door down. So, fans are all wondering if this means the Euphoria season 2 finale will feature a bust that puts Fezco away, and stops him and Lexi from getting a moment together?
Or...
Will Laurie be stopped before she collects from Rue?
Custer and the cops aren't the only anvil floating over Euphoria fans' heads. Rue (Zendaya) got herself into a big debt earlier this season when buying drugs (to sell and consume) from Laurie, a former teacher who now deals in dope. How big a debt? Rue left Laurie's with $10,000 of drugs, and much of that was flushed down the toilet by Rue's family before episode 5 (the most anxious intervention ever) started.
And when Rue tried to start to pay Laurie back with $2,000 cash and $1,000 in stolen jewelry, Laurie only accepted the cash. And in that scene Euphoria gave us a moment that would make Rue's family seriously afraid for her. After Laurie explained that a woman's body can always be sold — "It's one of the good parts of being a woman ... Even if you don't have money, you've still got something people want," — we heard scratching noises behind a door in Laurie's home.
All of which begs a question: what kind of child slavery ring is Laurie running? Who the heck is behind that door? And are the cops going to break down her door instead of Fezco's?
Who is the third Jacobs brother?
Eagle-eyed members of Euphoria-nation noticed an Easter egg in the family portrait that Cal (Eric Dane) ripped off the wall in Euphoria season 2 episode 4. Not only does this photo — which looks like it was shot by a pro at the mall — feature parents Marsha (Paula Marshall) and Cal alongside siblings Nate (Jacob Elordi) and Aaron (Zak Steiner), there's a third Jacobs brother in the photo.
But nobody's ever mentioned a third Jacobs sibling. Which makes us (and everyone online) wonder if we've already met this character. Is it Ashtray (Javon Walton), who bloodied Cal without fear with the blunt end of a shotgun? Is it Elliott (Dominic Fike), who seems to have disappeared as quickly as he arrived to accidentally put a wedge into Jules (Hunter Schafer) and Rue's relationship?
Or is it ... and this is a big if, what if it's Tom Holland? No, Zendaya's apparent boyfriend isn't likely to play himself on the show, but Holland recently teased a Euphoria season 2 cameo, after saying he's been on set. That's the least-likely situation, of course.
Other questions for Euphoria season 2
- What is Maddy's "plan" for Nate that she alluded to?
- Was Cassie's offer to let Nate control every single decision she makes real? How can it not backfire?
- How did Lexi get such a big budget for her high school play?
- Where the heck did McKay go?
So, check back in with us on Monday, as we sift through the wreckage of the Euphoria season 2 finale.
Euphoria season 2 episode 8 arrives this Sunday night on HBO Max, which starts at $9.99 per month for its ad-supported tier.
