‘Euphoria’ Season 2, Episode 5: Recap & Ending – Will Laurie Haunt Rue This Season?

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“Euphoria” Season 2, Episode 5 is all about Rue, and we are not complaining! After focusing on the Nate, Cassie, and Maddy love triangle, we finally get an episode dedicated to Rue and the chaos her addiction has caused. Zendaya’s moving performance as Rue makes us long for more. Euphoria’s Season 2, Episode 5 was a make-or-break situation for the series, and thankfully, the episode did not disappoint. The visual experimentation took a back seat, and the episode concentrated on the untrustworthy narrator, Rue.


‘Euphoria’ Season 2, Episode 5: Recap

“Euphoria” Season 2 Episode 4 ended with Rue getting high on the drug stash she had borrowed from Laurie, the drug dealer, to sell. She dreamt of her father, the person she missed the most in her life. 

“Euphoria” Season 2 Episode 5 begins with Rue arguing with her mother, Leslie. When Leslie questioned Rue about her relapse, Rue immediately blamed Gia, her sister, for disclosing her weed intake. As Rue verbally abused Gia, her mother informed her that it was Jules who gave away Rue’s secret. Gia felt overwhelmed by her sister’s behavior. She curled herself in her bed as Leslie held onto her, trying to protect her young one from the verbal and mental abuse. Rue started her frantic search for the drug stash as it was not in her room. She broke open the door to Gia’s room in search of drugs. She accused her mother of being a terrible parent and how she always wished her father was alive. 

When the madness subsided for a minute, Rue apologized to her mother, and in the very next second, she wanted the drugs that were missing. Jules replied from the next room that they had flushed all the drugs she had stored. Rue was unaware of Jules’s presence, and she gaslighted Jules by calling her a pretentious person and a pathetic lover. Leslie apologized to her daughter and managed to convince Rue to come along with her to the hospital. On her way to the hospital, Rue learned that Leslie was taking her to a rehabilitation center, and Rue jumped out of the car in the middle of the road. The episode then followed Rue as she tried to run away from help and her life.

Rue’s withdrawal episode, brilliantly performed by Zendaya, has the potential to make the audience feel a mixture of emotions. From hating Rue for the person she had become, to feeling sorry for her, as she was not even aware of the damage she was causing to herself and those around her. “Euphoria” Season 2 Episode 5 is an emotional ride.


Read More: Rue Of ‘Euphoria’ – The Unreliable Narrator


What Happened At Lexi And Cassie’s House?

Leslie tried to track down Rue, but she was unable to find her. Rue ran to Fez’s house for help, but the house was empty. She then went to Lexi’s house. Her withdrawal made her look physically unfit. Upon asking the reason for the sudden entrance, Rue explained that she wanted to use the washroom. Lexi’s mother was convinced that Rue was not sober. Rue stole the little jewelry she found on the dressing table and was about to leave when she saw Leslie and Gia. 

While Rue argued that she could not spend her entire life going in and out of rehab, Cassie made a mindless remark. She tried to be helpful by asking Rue to take it one day at a time, but evidently, it was not what Rue needed to hear. To cause chaos in her life, Rue blurted out that Cassie was sleeping with Nate. Maddy, who was present during the whole fiasco, was caught off guard. She could not believe what she had heard and wanted Cassie to respond. Cassie tried to prove it false, but her guilt-face gave her away. 

As the Cassie-Maddy conversation took an ugly turn, Rue ran away from their house. She once again reached out to Fez’s house, hoping to find drugs to help her with her withdrawal. Fez informed her that he did not have any drugs and only permitted her to enter to use the washroom. Rue tried to steal some medicine, but Fez caught her in the act and pushed her out of his house. Desperate for money and drugs, Rue broke into a stranger’s house. She packed all the jewelry and money she found, but the owners entered the house soon after. They figured some items were missing and searched for the burglar. 

Rue was found under the bed, and she ran to save her life. While escaping, she was spotted by police, and they started questioning her intent. She feared losing the stolen items and ran as fast as she could. She finally landed on Laurie’s doorstep.


‘Euphoria’ Season 2, Episode 5: Ending – When Rue Met Laurie

Rue submitted all the stolen cash and jewelry to Laurie as a part of her payment for the drugs. Laurie informed us that she needed only cash, and Rue promised to return it all as soon as possible. Laurie explained how she had never been angry in her life, and she could understand the situation Rue was in. She herself went through withdrawal, and she feared it the most. She could only provide the intravenous morphine she had, but Rue only consumed drugs orally. As Rue felt sick, Laurie took care of her. She prepared a bath for Rue and kept the morphine ready. 

When Rue was desperate enough to take drugs in any form, Laurie injected the morphine. Rue woke up the next morning to realize that she was still at the drug dealer’s apartment. She quietly tried to leave, but her window was closed, and the door was locked. She could not find the keys but managed to narrowly escape through the window of another room. She ran again, but this time she went home.

Rue’s encounter with Laurie was not a pleasant one. The camera moved away from the conversation taking place at the table to reveal a room that was locked from the outside, raising suspicion. As Laurie spoke about how women always had their bodies to sell if nothing else worked, it makes one wonder whether Laurie was also involved in the body trading business. Did Laurie have a lot more drugs than the only intravenous morphine she claimed to have? Was it her way of introducing Rue to the even darker side of addiction? Did Rue sign off her life to Laurie after this vulnerable moment?

Laurie said that the moment she met Rue, she knew Rue would be a part of her life for a long time. Well, Laurie will definitely continue to be an integral part of this season, and she is trouble.


Read More: ‘Euphoria’ Season 2, Episode 6 Recap & Ending: Are Nate And Cassie Together?


‘Euphoria’ Season 2, Episode 5 is streaming on  HBO Max and Hotstar.

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Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni has worked as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film studies teacher at a private institute. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies. Film History and feminist reading of cinema are her areas of interest.

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