“Art is supposed to be dangerous,” whispered Bobbi, assuring Lexi (Maude Apatow) of her play’s success. If you though the previous episode of Euphoria left us in shock, you’ve got another thing coming with the season finale. “Dangerous” is most certainly the word that comes to mind in the season 2 finale, that put viewers through the wringer with a wide array of emotions. Warning: spoilers ahead.
After Lexi’s older sister Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) jumped on stage in a fury, belittling and attacking Lexi for embarrassing her and putting her life on full display, and attacking her doppelgänger for acting out Cassie’s carousel scene from season 1, her attack reaches its peak when Maddy (Alexa Demie) decides she needs to be put in her place. Joining the cast and Cassie on stage, Maddy, Kat (Barbie Ferreira), and pal BB charge the performance with Maddy getting a few slaps in before having to chase a fleeing Cassie down into the school hallways, eventually ramming Cassie’s head into a brick wall. “But the show must go on,” Lexi tells herself, mustering the courage to get up, dust herself off, and address her cast.
After Rue (Zendaya) begins an encouraging chant for Lexi, the bourgeoning auteur returns to the stage despite the circumstances. Asking for a couple minutes citing “technical difficulties,” Lexi pays tribute to her missing friend and love-interest Fezco (Angus Cloud). Noting his previous advice that, “some people need to get their feelings hurt sometimes.”
Preparing for Lexi’s play, with flowers and a freshly steamed suit, Fezco is about to leave when Custer (who we learned last episode is cooperating with the police) starts suspiciously asking questions about Mouse. Faye (Chloe Cherry) comes through for Fezco and Ashtray (Javon Walton) by dropping a glass and signaling to Fezco not to answer. After announcing loudly for the police’s benefit that she believed her boyfriend Custer to have told her it was actually drug-dealer Laurie who killed Mouse, tensions rise when Ashtray fully realizes Custer’s intent to sell them out.
Pulling out the knife he’s been hiding in his sleeve, Ashtray fatally stabs Custer in the neck. Covering his mouth as he bleeds out and dropping his phone into a large cup of soda, Fezco knows the police are undoubtably on their way. Attempting to set the stage to take the fall for Ashtray, Fezco plants his prints on the knife and demands that Ash go and wash his hands.
Unwilling to let his brother (in all but name) go down for his crime, Ashtray compiles an arsenal of firearms in the bathroom, locking the door and setting up camp in the bathtub.
As S.W.A.T. storms the house, Fezco desperately pleads with the officers, letting them know that Ashtray is just a kid. After getting hit with a stray bullet, Fezco finds himself laying in the hallway, caught in a feverish and frenzied crossfire.
After playing dead in the bathroom long enough for an officer to open the bathroom door, Ash opens fire once again, killing the cop at point blank range. Now in their sights, the red light of a gun laser lands on Ashtray’s head, and the trigger is pulled.
“I was in the hall when you died,” whispers Rue at her father’s memorial service, poetically mirroring the tragic scene we’d just experienced.
Mulling over all of the trauma she’s had to endure, Lexi’s play served as a cathartic experience for Rue. Watching her life play out through the lens of her best friend offered her a form of comfort, forgiveness, and acceptance she was unable to give herself before.
Stopping by the Howard household to express her gratitude and pride in her friend’s work, Lexi and Rue exchange a profound heart-to-heart, realizing that they are just two young girls who have lost their dads. Assuring Lexi that she’s molded her pain into something beautiful, Rue is left unsure about what she’ll do with hers.
Previously visiting Elliot’s house to tell him she forgives him, thank him for inadvertently getting her clean, and to listen to a very very very long song, she remind’s him that they were never good influences on one another.
After storming out of the play, embarrassed at its homosexual connotations directed at him, Nate Jacobs directs his anger towards the one figure in his life that’s made his sexuality such a scary thing to come to terms with — his dad.
Returning to his home, he loads up his father’s gun and picks up his porn-ridden USB. Hopping in the truck for a drunken cruise, Nate finds himself outside of his father’s business, where he’s been living. Found hanging out with a new group of friends, Cal (Eric Dane) has clearly found himself in a happier mental state. While Nate’s been glad to be rid of him at home, he resents the fact that Cal is now living his truth, after living such a prolonged double-life. Threatening him with the USB containing all of the sex tapes he has filmed without consent, the underage sex parters on those tapes will be the nail in Cal’s coffin. As Nate opens the door to reveal he’s already alerted the cops, Nate hands them the USB and Cal is arrested.
Left with many plots wide open, we wonder where we’ll pick up next season. While Rue reveals that she remains clean for the duration of the school year, she still owes a ruthless drug-dealer an enormous amount of money. With Fezco severely wounded and the rest of our beloved group of troubled teens continuing to find their way, we’re excited to see what season 3 brings to the table. As Maddy said, “This is just the beginning.”
