‘Euphoria’ Star Zendaya on Rue’s Future in Season 2 — ‘This Isn’t Going to Go Well’
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- Zendaya warned fans ahead of season 2 of Euphoria.
- The Spider-Man star says Euphoria fans already know that Rue’s future “isn’t going to go well.”
- That dance sequence in episode three has a pretty dark meaning.
Euphoria is finally back for season 2, and once again the HBO teen drama is dealing with dark, mature themes. According to star Zendaya, her character Rue is struggling with the harsh realities of life while trying to “stay above water and be happy.” But the 25-year-old actor admits that the audience already knows something about Rue’s future in season 2 that the character doesn’t — “this isn’t going to go well.”
Zendaya gave fans a warning ahead of ‘Euphoria’ season 2
Euphoria tells the story of drug-addicted teenager Rue and her classmates who have their own struggles — from substance abuse to anxiety to body image issues.
Just like she did ahead of the Euphoria season 1 premiere in 2019, Zendaya took to social media to issue a warning to fans before the season 2 premiere aired in early January.
She posted a message on Instagram that cautioned viewers about the dark content. And in the caption she wrote, “A reminder before tonight…”
Fans should only watch if they ‘feel comfortable’
“I know I’ve said this before, but I do want to reiterate to everyone that Euphoria is for mature audiences. This season, maybe even more so than the last, is deeply emotional and deals with subject matter that can be triggering and difficult to watch,” the Spider-Man: No Way Home star wrote.
Zendaya continued her post by telling fans that they should only watch Euphoria season 2 if they “feel comfortable.” She wrapped up her comments by reminding her 126 million followers to take care of themselves. She also made it clear that even if they don’t watch, she still loves her fans and feels their support.
Zendaya says ‘Euphoria’ fans already know that Rue’s future ‘isn’t going to go well’
The third episode of season 2 featured a dance sequence where Rue enjoyed a rare moment of joy as she danced around the house to Frank Sinatra’s Call Me Irresponsible. The moment quickly comes to an end when her sister Gia (Storm Reid) asks her: “Rue, are you high?”
The scene showed that Rue still doesn’t know how to be happy without being high. And Zendaya says that the audience already knows something that her character doesn’t — “this isn’t going to go well.”
Giving Rue everything she wants just to see how it goes
Zendaya told Decider that in episode 2 — the one before the dance sequence — the whole idea was to give Rue everything she thinks she wants and the perfect life she wants to have just to see how things go for her.
“I think we all know as audience members, as people who care about Rue, as people who have grown to know her and understand her, that this isn’t going to last,” Zendaya explained. “This isn’t going to go well. We just have the foresight to see that and I don’t think she can quite get there yet.”
The dark side of Zendaya’s ‘Euphoria’ dance scene
When Rue had to confront her sister’s question about being high, she gave the audience a tutorial about how to misdirect the people who are close to you when you’ve relapsed. Zendaya explained that this moment reflects Rue’s larger narrative in Euphoria season 2.
“I think those moments remind us of why she does it in the first place. I think it’s her way of dealing with life and coping with it and trying to stay above water and be happy in the only way she knows how,” Zendaya noted.
“So, you know, as there are beautiful moments. Nothing in Euphoria is one-sided. Nothing in Euphoria is black or white. It’s all nuanced. It’s all living in the gray and it’s up for interpretation and there’s always more to it.”
New episodes of Euphoria air Sunday nights on HBO and stream on HBO Max.
