'Euphoria' Episode Four's Ending is a Haunting Portrait of Rue's Dreams
"I don't think you understand how much I love Jules," says Rue in the opening moments of this week's Euphoria episode, kicking off a brilliant montage that sees their relationship spliced into pop culture's most iconic love stories—Titanic and Sleeping Beauty included. "This may be the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."
During the scene, we hear Townes Van Zandt's "I’ll Be Here In The Morning" coursing through the background. It's a beautiful—and beautifully simple—tune. The chorus goes like this: "Close your eyes / I'll be here in the morning / Close your eyes / I'll be here for a while." It's about staying near a loved one, even when life calls you elsewhere. Now, think about the song we hear during what might be Rue's imagined funeral sequence at the end of the episode, which we'll discuss soon. Then, the lyrics are about the opposite; leaving, going away and never coming back. "Now the tide is rolling down / I ain't trying to wait / Let it take me."
After what we just saw in this episode, let's not give the Cassie-Nate-Maddy situation more airtime. Same goes for Cal's meltdown. Instead, let's focus on Rue and Rue alone this week, and the two songs that, together, paint a haunting portrait of Rue's dreams and nightmares.
About three-fourths of the way through the episode, a clearly upset Rue asks Elliot and Jules to drop her off on the side of the road. When Rue goes home, she pulls out her suitcase of drugs, and takes a few pills from it. Then, in a scene that's eerily reminiscent of Rue's overdose in the Season One finale (which you can watch below), Rue seemingly imagines her own funeral. Elliot and Jules are there. Rue hugs the singing man, which briefly transports her to an embrace with her father, who reminds her that she's a good person. Now, to be clear, we think Rue did not overdose again, since we see a fleeting shot of her in her room, hugging the air. But Rue imagining her own funeral adds to the belief among some corners of the Euphoria fandom that she's already passed away—and that everything we see in the show is merely Rue taking us through her final days.
Regardless, it's hard to watch Rue's grief worsen, week by week. Sure, this is the show about the dicks and the drugs and the blaring music, but its beating heart is Rue—the physical representation of a pain so many of us can relate to. If she's imagining a conversation with her father where he reiterates her goodness, you'd hope that it means that she knows, somewhere deep inside, that she is a good person. Even though things will likely get worse before they get better, there's hope yet.
What about the two songs? I thought that was a brilliant creative decision from Euphoria. Rue, as we unfortunately learned during the holiday-set special episode, is suicidal. The beginning of the episode paints what makes her stay, the love that's right in front of her: Jules. At the end, during a moment that feels scarily close to another overdose, we see why Rue wants to leave. She's tired. Her father isn't with her anymore. Maybe there's a part of her that believes she'll be with him on the other side. As the episode draws to an end, we hear Rue's narration return—with words that feel like they complete her love letter to Jules at the very beginning.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I've always been with you."
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