As Rue tells Ali why she doesn’t “plan on being here that long,” they both agree that these are dark times. So it was a relief to see the credits roll without any subversion of the last hour, especially when the message of the first special episode was so timely. Hunter Schafer and Zendaya in “Euphoria” Eddy Chen / HBO The audience needs a broader picture, and “Trouble Don’t Always Last” relies on Ali to fill in her gaps. Whether it’s the lengths she goes to justify her drug use to the audience or the finale’s music video ending which left everyone wondering what really happened, her perspective is her own, it’s not definitive. Rue has already shown signs she’s an untrustworthy narrator. Its calmness and maturity is welcome, after so many episodes that built up to a big, shocking reveal.Įven in the special episode’s closing shot, where Rue fights off sleep as Ali drives her home, I half-expected a twist: that Ali wasn’t really there, the diner was just purgatory, and Rue’s relapse might still have greater consequences. Clearly, shooting under pandemic guidelines resulted in some creative changes, but the episode still feels like a sturdy bridge spanning a wild first season and the studied sophomore effort coming next. Without going too big or dialing it down too far, the duo entrenches themselves in the reality of the moment in a way that “Euphoria” rarely did so sparsely until now. From Domingo’s voice built on crackling embers to Zendaya’s elastic jawline, the two thespians give and take with a natural grace. The two wade through self-pity, self-blame, self-hatred, and plenty more difficult topics, and it’s a credit to writer-director Sam Levinson that the conversation progresses with substance.īut Zendaya and Domingo get all the credit for making it watchable. Ali, being the seasoned former user and good sponsor he is, breaks down that argument fairly quickly, pushing Rue to confront her actions and reasons for them. Rue starts the scene by snorting coke in the bathroom, before walking out, sitting down, and trying to convince Ali she’s found a happy balance in life - one that lets her keep using drugs.
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