Does Rue die? 'Euphoria' Season 3 finale reveals her devastating fate as Ali seeks revenge
'Euphoria' Season 3 Episode 8, titled 'In God We Trust', saw plenty of mayhem and redemption for Rue and her friends as it released on May 31. The finale dives straight into the fallout from last week's episode, where Rue was caught red-handed while robbing Laurie's safe. Cassie and Maddy's attempts to rescue Nate, after he was buried alive, failed, as he died after being bitten by a rattlesnake. Moreover, Maddy was indebted to Alamo after he killed Nate's loan shark, Naz, and she also inadvertently disclosed that Rue was working with the DEA. Furthermore, Alamo's escalating war with Laurie, Rue’s former boss, also came to a head in the finale.
The finale picks up from the final moments of Episode 7, as Rue makes another successful escape after Faye alerts Wayne about the robbery. Rue stabs Wayne in the leg and punches Faye before running away from Laurie's farm. When one of Laurie's henchmen tries to drag her back to the ranch, G rescues Rue and takes her back to his boss, Alamo. Rue returns with Alamo's goods that she stole from Laurie's safe (which surprisingly contained IDs, instead of money or other valuables). Alamo, aware of Rue's betrayal, clearly sets up a trap for his protege by telling her, "You was right all along. You and me, we was meant to be." He reels her in further by promising her a 50% share in Big Eddy's latest deal, and hands Rue the painkiller Percocet, which she happily takes, recalling, "I used to love these." But that's not it, as he also gives Rue money, pills, and a week off to unwind. His plan to get her to relapse works like a charm, and Rue goes back to her sponsor, Ali's house.
Meanwhile, Big Eddy drives his ambulance to the south of the border, loads it with fentanyl, and informs Laurie that they will arrive at the ranch soon, unaware that the DEA is also planning to meet them there. The officers, who arrive in helicopters and cars, take their position, ready to storm in at any moment. However, when they raid the ambulance, they don't find any illegal substance, as Big Eddy switched ambulances with Bishop (Alamo's right-hand man) beforehand. The officers arrest Big Eddy and other men from Laurie's gang. But where's Laurie? She panics, "I can’t go to prison. I can’t," as the officers surround her house and she decides to jump off the roof and end her life.
The finale features an entire sequence where Rue learns that her friend Fezco (Angus Cloud) escaped from prison using his parkour skills, just as she had advised him at the start of Season 3. Rue is seen heading to the store where Fez worked earlier to reunite with her friend, but the scene then segues into a dream-like sequence involving Rue's mother, sister, and Fezco. In reality, Rue has passed away in Ali's house after taking Alamo's pills. A devastated Ali adds Rue's name to his book, which contains the list of all the people he has lost to addiction. Over the next few months, Ali reflects on his approach towards helping addicts and searches for a better way to "be of service." He says in agony, "I just know that I’m tired… Tired of losing people, I'm done." But one thing's clear: he wants revenge for Rue's death.
Jules appears momentarily in the finale and is seen honoring Rue's memory through art. She paints Rue in yellow, showcasing her rising from the flames and hopefully, finding peace in death. She, however, is still trapped in a golden cage created by Ellis. After Nate's death, Cassie resumes her influencer career and decides to turn the house she shared with Nate into an influencer house. She continues to film videos for her followers, with Maddy's help. Her sister, Lexi, turns to the Bible to cope with Rue's death and alienates herself further from Cassie and Maddy. Maddy is forced to continue her alliance with Alamo, and she is present at the club when Ali takes him on.
In the second half of the finale, Ali heads to the Silver Slipper with a shotgun to confront Alamo. After realizing that Ali is here for Rue, both men decide to settle their beef "the old-fashioned way." They both draw guns, but Ali gets the upper hand with the help of Bishop, who betrays his boss to avenge Rue. Ali shoots him multiple times, and he finally dies. In the last scene, before the credits roll, Ali changes his name back to Martin and visits the ultra-Christian religious homestead where Rue was seen in Episode 1. He spends time with the family and honors Rue by saying, "Let her memory be a blessing." Zendaya's Rue appears on screen to close out the show with the words, "May god bless us all." Viewers can watch all episodes of 'Euphoria' Season 3 on HBO Max.
