Euphoria Recap: Book of the Dead

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It was clear someone major was going to die on Euphoria, and last week, Gillie hinted that the show needs periodic character deaths to stay interesting. Given Nate’s limited dialogue since his wedding – mostly just cries of pain – he seemed like the most likely candidate. However, we can probably expect more bloodshed next week during what looks like a major showdown between Laurie and Alamo’s groups, assuming Rue survives. After a few episodes that felt more like a novel, tonight’s Euphoria was packed with intense action. Creator Sam Levinson is really weaving all the characters’ stories together, and the result is chaotic, like a multi-car accident.

This episode, “Rain or Shine,” really started differently – it felt more like a story unfolding slowly, and it kicked things off with Ali’s backstory, showing us his journey to getting better. I always appreciate seeing a side of Ali we haven’t seen before, and Levinson does that really well. But honestly, it was a little strange to start with a character who doesn’t really impact what happens later on. Ali tries to talk Rue out of going to Laurie’s, but he can’t, and it’s clear he has no real influence on her decisions. What’s even more surprising is that he isn’t involved in Rue’s newfound faith at all. She just tells him God spoke to her. While he’s definitely been a positive force in her life, she actually credits her turning to Christianity to the Miller family she met in El Paso. She sees their home as the place God wants her to be, her own promised land.

Colman Domingo’s performance is a standout in the show. A flashback reveals a deeply troubled past – he’s shown using drugs with a prostitute (a cameo by Natasha Lyonne!), then returning home to violently abuse his wife in front of his daughters. Meanwhile, Ali begins to rebuild his life after waking up in the hospital with a chest wound. He rejects pain medication and dedicates himself to helping others overcome their struggles, turning his past errors into positive change. When support meetings are canceled due to the pandemic, Ali personally checks on those he’s mentoring, but sadly, many succumb to isolation. He keeps a heartbreaking record of their deaths. This all highlights just how profound Ali’s connection with Rue is. He cares about her deeply, and her well-being isn’t just important to him – it’s what gives his own life purpose and motivates him to stay healthy.

Ali is the only person who truly understands what Rue is going through. When Rue tries to share how her faith is giving her hope and a chance to make amends for past mistakes, Lexi doesn’t really hear her. Lexi is preoccupied with her work on the popular sex-worker storyline for L.A. Nights, and she doesn’t believe anything Rue says, especially Rue’s claim that she’s working with the DEA. While these doubts explain some of Lexi’s harshness, they don’t fully account for her cruelty – she accuses Rue of relapsing and points out the strained relationship with her mother. Ultimately, Lexi feels more like a tool to move the plot forward than a fully developed character.

Rue intends to reveal information about the DEA to Lexi, hoping Lexi will share it with Maddy. Unfortunately, Maddy will then disastrously tell Alamo. This chain of events begins with Rue feeling criticized by Lexi and leaving upset, only to find Cassie won’t open the door. Cassie is bound on her bed, being watched by Naz because she hasn’t paid him the money she owes. Earlier, Cassie deleted her OnlyFans account after Patty Lance advised her to do so. However, the studio decides they don’t want to create controversy by casting a real adult film performer, forcing Maddy and Cassie to change their plans. Maddy loses her job with Ms. Penzler for being dishonest about her connections. Enraged by Cassie deleting her account, Maddy lashes out, literally kicking and slapping Cassie when she finds her distraught after a call with Naz. Maddy asserts her dominance, reminding Cassie that she is in charge.

The quick succession of Maddy slapping Cassie after Jules did the same to Rue highlights a troubling pattern in Euphoria. The show seems stuck repeating dramatic moments, with creator Sam Levinson relying on similar actions regardless of the characters involved. Cassie continues to act as a passive force in the story, while Maddy manipulates events, setting up a date for Cassie with Dylan Reid and then anonymously alerting the media to it. During their date, Cassie seduces Dylan and asks him for a photo. Dylan deliberately and slowly reveals his phone password to her, knowing she’ll use it to post the picture on his Instagram, complete with the enthusiastic praise he’s already shouted to her – “world’s greatest fuck” – and a tag for her account. Meanwhile, seemingly lost in the moment, Dylan grabs a glass and unknowingly scoops ice and Nate’s severed finger – which was in Cassie’s freezer – into it, then drinks the water without realizing what he’s consumed.

Cassie hides Dylan’s phone, and when Maddy arrives the next morning while he’s still asleep, she’s pleased with Cassie’s actions. Maddy’s social media following has exploded, surpassing 100,000 followers, and a photo of her is trending online for over seven hours. Just twelve hours after their fight, Maddy and Cassie are working together again. Maddy spots Nate’s finger in the sink. While Cassie explains the situation, Nate promises Naz he’ll deliver the money. Naz, reminding Nate he builds coffins, asks his height – needing a custom size at 6’5”. The scene predictably ends with Nate getting beaten up. It’s annoying that the show never explained how Nate and Naz initially connected – where did they even meet?

Naz and his accomplice, Artur, threaten Cassie and demand a million dollars. Naz gives her 72 hours, explaining that’s how long Nate will survive buried alive in a coffin with minimal air, hidden beneath the troubled Sun Settlers construction site. Meanwhile, Nate’s brother searches the property for him, unaware Nate is trapped nearby and desperately trying to signal for help from inside the coffin.

Everything comes to a head as Cassie’s secret online activity, Nate’s financial troubles with Naz, and Rue’s dangerous choices all collide. When Maddy tries to find Cassie, she calls Lexi, who’s upset by how reckless everyone is behaving – even Rue, who’s been rambling about bizarre and unrelated things. Meanwhile, Cassie reaches out to Maddy for help and connects her with Naz, who reminds them of his extortion demands. Maddy then seeks assistance from Alamo, believing he values her skills, but she starts to question that when she arrives at his house and he’s chosen a swimsuit for her. Magick pushes Maddy to embrace her questionable decisions, telling her to stop worrying and focus on enjoying life, even if it means facing consequences.

Even while Maddy is getting an unsettling foot massage from Alamo and feeling increasingly uncomfortable with his advances, she doesn’t fully seem to grasp how dangerous he is when it comes to money. Or, she might understand the risks perfectly but is willing to take them to help Cassie. Both explanations feel possible – Maddy is young and somewhat inexperienced, despite her tough exterior, and she and Cassie have been friends since childhood. However, it’s hard to believe Maddy would be foolish enough to tell Alamo that Rue mentioned the DEA. She definitely senses something is seriously wrong with Alamo’s operation – whether it’s the strange panther artwork or simply his insistence on physical contact before listening to her – she knows he’s not to be trusted.

Alamo reveals he also had a difficult day. Eddy was shot by Wayne and now has a prominent scar similar to Ali’s, but it requires him to use a colostomy bag. Still upset with Eddy for opening the safe, Alamo punishes him by assigning him the dangerous task of driving the van—used for selling girls and smuggling fentanyl—to Mexico. To make matters worse, Eddy has to transport one of Laurie’s associates. Thankfully, it’s not someone who tried to kill him, but a man named Mitch. Meanwhile, the Feds are tracking their trip, and Kitty is planning to get a Brazilian Butt Lift. At the club, the girls discuss her upcoming surgery, but a troubling detail emerges: Kitty reveals Alamo promised to pay for it, mirroring a similar promise he made to Angel regarding rehab, hinting at a potential problem.

Alamo is trying to outsmart Laurie by having Rue steal something from his safe while Eddy is away. Rue tells Ali about this final, risky job, and he desperately tries to talk her out of it. However, Bishop has threatened her mother, and Rue fears that failing to complete the job will jeopardize the DEA’s operation and put her mom in danger. Unfortunately for Rue, Alamo overheard her mention the DEA, which ruins the plan, though she doesn’t realize it yet. Despite Ali’s pleas, Rue continues to reveal she’s working as an informant, even over dinner. She claims God has promised her freedom at the Miller homestead in El Paso and dramatically sets a tree on fire as a sign. Her unwavering confidence is deeply unsettling, foreshadowing a tragic outcome. Ali offers her a way out: he’ll pick up her mother immediately, and she won’t have to return to Laurie. She agrees, but the next morning, she leaves him only a note saying, “Forgive me.”

G drives Rue to Laurie’s location and plans to wait for her in his truck on the dirt road until morning. Frustrated, Rue repeatedly hits her head against the glove compartment when G won’t hit her, worried he’ll knock her unconscious. She needs the cut on her nose to make Laurie believe Alamo tried to kill her. However, Laurie’s followers are suspicious of Rue’s return and view her as a traitor deserving punishment. Wayne demands Rue promise to kill Alamo herself, and when she offers to shake on it, he violently slashes her hand.

By now, a rattlesnake has already bitten Nate while he was in his coffin, a shocking and suffocating scene. It perfectly reflects his season-long struggle with powerlessness – we’ve only watched him be trapped by his situation with Naz, never how he got there. Nate used to be a fascinating and unpredictable character on Euphoria, even more tormented than the classic hero in Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights. It feels like we’ve been saying goodbye to Nate Jacobs for weeks.

When Cassie and Maddy open Nate’s coffin, they find him dead, his tongue swollen, with a snake coiled on his chest. Meanwhile, Maddy drives to the Sun Settlers development with Alamo to complete the extortion deal. She’s wearing a very tight dress with an image of the Virgin Mary on it. Maddy explains to Alamo that she’s risking a lot for Cassie because Cassie is very profitable, but even she is starting to feel afraid. Alamo hands her a leather suitcase, which she leaves in front of Naz’s car. However, when Naz opens it, it’s empty. Alamo immediately shoots him in the chest. Maddy had a feeling she was in too deep with Alamo before, and now, with blood spilled and Cassie’s career on the line, that feeling is confirmed. Alamo demands 20% of all of Cassie’s future earnings. Maddy essentially betrays her friend, though she did save her life. The question is, at what price?

At the Nazi hideout, Faye is furious with Wayne for hurting Rue. He insists things are either right or wrong, refusing to acknowledge any gray area. When Faye points out that Rue isn’t so easily categorized, Wayne threatens to harm her, recalling a cruel training exercise where SS soldiers were forced to kill the puppies they had been caring for. This finally makes Faye see how truly disturbed Wayne is. She sneaks into Rue’s room, and together they break into Wayne’s safe. Instead of money, they find identification cards for several women who work at the club, including one belonging to Angel. Rue is beginning to understand that Alamo isn’t just a club owner, but someone involved in sex trafficking – a realization sparked by something Laurie said earlier about potential consequences for Rue’s actions: “We could do what Alamo does and sell her.” Faye is devastated that the safe doesn’t contain money, feeling used and exploited. Despite Rue’s pleas for silence, Faye becomes hysterical and yells out Wayne’s name.

One for the Road

Maddy put on the swimsuit Alamo chose, and immediately stepped on a silver bracelet. This reminded me of the first episode, when Rue was cleaning up after Trish’s death and dropped a silver object. I wonder if these small details might be important in next week’s finale.

Laurie points out that Rue doesn’t have her phone. Rue explains someone named Alamo took it, and right then, Jules calls – the phone is actually in the passenger seat of G’s truck. Since this phone is Rue’s only connection to the DEA, it appears to be a deliberate setup that will become important later in the show.

Okay, so there’s this really unsettling moment with Ali and Rue. He repeats something Laurie’s dealer, Alamo, actually said to Laurie – basically, why would you kill someone who’s buying from you? It’s just…so cold. Ali points out this only seems to happen here, and then directly asks Rue if she’s ever thought about whether the fentanyl she was moving might have killed someone. It feels like the show is trying to say something about the drug crisis, but it’s all a bit muddled, and it’s supposed to connect to Rue’s internal struggle – why is she even doing this? We’re getting hints about morality and redemption, but honestly, it barely feels like we’re getting to the heart of it. It’s interesting that the DEA found Rue, she didn’t go to them for help. She does feel good about helping catch those guys, which is understandable, but Ali tells her she needs to focus on fixing herself first, and I think he’s right. She really needs to do that.

Alright, let’s make our final predictions. I believe Alamo and Laurie will both die in a showdown. While Rue will likely survive her encounter with the group of dangerous people, her agreement with the DEA won’t be beneficial in the long run, and she’ll end up going to the FBI with information about Alamo’s sex trafficking operation. I expect Jules will have a brief, impactful appearance of about two minutes in the finale, delivering a sharp line. I don’t think we’ll see Lexi again. And finally, I predict both Cassie and Maddy will end up working at the Slipper, with Maddy potentially taking over as the manager from Alamo.

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2026-05-25 10:57