Let’s figure out what the Euphoria season finale means

What did the musical number scene in the Euphoria season finale mean? Here are three theories about Rue, Jules, and Season 2.

(Warning: The following subject matter contains spoilers from the season finale of Euphoria and touches on mature themes that can be triggering.)

What… just… happened? As predicted, winter formal brought the drama in the Euphoria season finale, but the episode’s biggest moments — Cassie’s emotional decision, Maddy and Nate’s showdown, Kat’s sweet ceasefire with Ethan, etc. — will be long overshadowed by the curious, episode-ending musical number. “All for Us,” a dark song performed by Zendaya and Labrinth, soundtracks Rue’s reaction to a situation with Jules, to put it vaguely. But what does it all mean? We won’t definitively receive answers or know the consequences of the scene until Season 2 premieres. ‘Til then… Let’s break down three possible theories.

Rue’s been dead the whole time.

One of the prevailing fan theories from the premiere originates from the Israeli series upon which Euphoria is based. As the theory goes, Rue died as a result of her pre-pilot overdose and has been telling the story from beyond the grave. It’s morbid, but given that we can hardly parse what’s real and what’s fantasy on this show (including Rue’s mother’s speech in the finale), anything goes — even a twist involving our main character being dead.

Perhaps Rue’s providing an insight on what would have been her second chance or she’s stuck in a loop where she must defeat her demons. The finale-ending musical number lends some credence to the theory of Rue being dead as her mother and sister did not see her when she left her room, but her late father did. Again, we’re not sure where these scenes lie in the timeline or if they even exist in reality, but Rue wearing her father’s sweatshirt all season might be the giveaway.

Rue relapsed and had a fever dream.

If we remove the previous theory from the equation altogether and take the series at face value, our protagonist is an addict who has been through a lot. Rue has faced the ups and downs of addiction, recovery, and relapse since her overdose and non-committal stay at rehab. When she left, she relapsed, but upon meeting and falling in love with Jules, she attempted to stay clean.

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Now, Rue’s idea to run away with Jules to the city after winter formal comes from a place of desperation. She wants to be the kind of person Jules wants to love. She wants to live the kind of life Jules wants to live. It’s romantic, the idea of running away together, but Rue realizes her fear of letting down her family, even if it means letting down Jules (and herself).

We watch Rue seemingly relapse and fall into her haunting musical number of “All for Us,” which could merely be an interpretation of the severity of her relapse and a release of her dependence on Jules in the form of a chaotic performance, not unlike when she walked on walls in the pilot. Since Rue feels emotions deeply, the finale’s ambiguous ending could simply be Rue’s various struggles coming to a climax in a fever dream, after which she will live on and continue to tell the tale.

Rue overdosed.

Even though hypothesizing about Rue’s truth feels wrong, it’s natural that we want to understand what she’s going through and know the message Euphoria is trying to send. Maybe Rue has been alive the entire time, but she’s suffered a second, fatal overdose… or maybe she didn’t.

Still, there’s a greater meaning behind Rue’s push-and-pull during “All for Us” and her fall when she reaches the top of the pile of humans wearing the same maroon as her father’s sweatshirt. Whatever your reading of the finale’s final scene, the series communicates through Rue’s troubles that love can be strong and powerful, especially when you’re dying to feel something.

What do you think the season finale’s musical moment means? What do you hope to see in Season 2? Leave your thoughts, feelings, concerns, and predictions in the comments!

Euphoria returns for Season 2 next year on HBO.