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'Euphoria' Special 'Part I: Rue' glams down everything, fans complain 'the diner scene just never ended'

As Rue sits and contemplates the point of staying alive, let alone getting clean, Ali hits her hard with some poignant facts in a long diner scene

Spoilers for 'Part I: Rue'/‘Trouble Don’t Last Always’

If your plans were more glitter, Labrinth fashion, and casual sex for the 'Euphoria' winter special, you're in for a major disappointment as the HBO standout is nothing similar to what we saw last year. Taking a deep dive from its flashy, drug-addled, hot mess of a journey of teenagers and their little lies exploring giant consequences, Part 1 of the special, 'Rue', is way different from the 'Euphoria' we fell in love with. In that, the entire episode is more or less of a reality check set in the same diner, and although the conversation is a much-needed one, fans wish there was more than just that chat.

To sum it up, as HBO had repeatedly clarified ahead of its release, the winter special episodes were not the second season, but more of a bridge connecting the two. So 'Part I: Rue', also entitled ‘Trouble Don’t Last Always’ saw Rue (Zendaya) daydream and contemplate all that life with Jules (Hunter Schaffer) could have been, and all that life without her currently is. There is a brief flashback at the beginning where Rue imagines what their domestic life would have been like and the happiness they both exude is warm and fuzzy, just the way we have always remembered rules. But soon Ali (Colman Domingo) arrives at the diner upon Rue's request, and even in the backdrop of a Christmas Eve atmosphere, in the fresh after-N/A meeting glow, things dim down as he slaps one reality check after the other on Rue.

Ali tries to ease Rue down even though he realizes she is plenty high during the course of their conversation. Watching Rue sit there and contemplate whether she even wants to live anymore, let alone stay clean is heartbreaking, but it is Ali's personal shares from a life so filled and marred with experience, wisdom and tragedy that leaves a mark. Neon lights and glitter are now red streaks across dewy glasses, where heavy breaths and life's bitter realizations catch up to Rue as she sits in the glow of her amber despair. It's a striking contrast from the 'Euphoria' we have known, and even though Season 2 is expected to have already been written, this oddball of a special bridging the gap between the two blends in like it was always meant to be.

Fans, however, wish there was more ot the first part than just this diner heart-to-heart. Taking it to Twitter, fans expressed their disappointment noting, "I get that the message is about addiction but girl...we waited a year+ for THAT? Them just sitting in a diner speaking for a whole hour? Really? No other characters (besides jules for 2 minutes), no glitter...just chattin. For an hour." Another mentioned, "I KNOW euphoria is cackling at us thinking we getting something more than the diner lmaooooooooo." Keeping it simple, a fan wrote: "It was good I just wish it wasn’t an hour long diner conversation." Others complained, "damn i knew that #euphoria was gonna have a diner scene because of tiktok but i didnt think itd be the whole damn episode."

Some even quipped how "When you skip forward and they still in the diner", but there was also a whole army of Team Diner defending why the setting or its stagnancy doesn't matter. It's what as conveyed in those scenes that did. As one fan noted: "Ngl I got bored realizing it was gonna just be a diner scene at first. but as it played out it truly felt like a therapy session with Ali and rue and just seeing rue vulnerable not thru jules or drugs really just made the episode mean more than action or visuals #Euphoria." Another chimed in: "That episode of #Euphoria was absolutely incredible. Sure they sat in a diner the entire time, but did y’all hear the conversation that was had?! That shit was beautiful. Rue is clearly going through something with addiction and this episode gave us a great look into her psyche."

'Euphoria' special 'Part I: Rue' is now available for streaming on HBO Max, and will premiere again on Sunday, December 6, at 9 pm only HBO.