SPOILERS ahead from HBO's Euphoria Season 1.
Viewers of Euphoria have a theory that could change how you perceive the show. The theory is gaining traction on Twitter heading into the latest episode. First, some backstory. Euphoria follows Rue, a teenager played by Disney Channel alum and Spider-Man MJ star Zendaya. When the series begins, Rue is fresh from rehab following an overdose.
Viewers have subsequently followed her and her fellow teens’ odyssey into high school life. Their lives are filled with content that Euphoria’s creator warned would leave parents “freaked out.” Narrating it all is Rue. Is she speaking to viewers as someone living life ... or having lived it? Check out the fan theory:
Could it be? Is Rue narrating from the dead? The idea has gained a lot of traction on social media. If it is true, it would mean that Rue is speaking from an otherworldly viewpoint, not one that is narrating presently occurring events. Instead, she'd be narrating events that have already happened, since she is still alive on-screen. Here is how one fan feels about the possible twist:
If Rue is deceased, could Season 1 end with that reveal? If so, what would that mean for Zendaya's future on Euphoria? Would she continue on as a narrator? In a television landscape where there is no shortage of shocking twists, this could be another.
If Euphoria is chronicling Rue’s final days from a retrospective angle, as some fans think, it could mean any number of things. Does this mean the series will eventually end with Rue’s death? If so, how much time does that leave the show with? For another fan, the theory is bringing intense emotions:
Whether it is Euphoria, HBO’s sci-fi drama Westworld, or Netflix’s smash hit series, Stranger Things, fans have their theories. The creators of each show have weighed in on them. Westworld’s creators have shared what they think about their fans’ theories and Stranger Things’ creators have explained they do not read many of their fans' theories. Could Euphoria’s fans have figured out what was supposed to be a big Season 1 finale reveal?
If the theory is true, you would think that the season finale would be when the truth gets revealed, either way. There is a possibility that Rue is still alive. It is not entirely unusual for a series to be narrated by a living character. For instance, Veronica Mars’ eponymous character is not dead.
Time will tell if Rue is alive or not. Or so you would think. This is a mystery that could be resolved by the end of the first season. It could also continue for some time to come, depending on how long the show lasts. The next episode, which airs Sunday, July 7, will find Rue “trying to get clean for Jules,” per Euphoria’s Medium page.
There is one way to know for sure if Zendaya’s Rue is alive on Euphoria. Keep watching. New episodes of the drama air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. It is among the series providing new content this summer.
