We head to the ranch where Alamo and Rue are talking after she brings him the random stuff from Laurie’s safe. He offers Rue a Percocet for her pain, after he takes one; she also takes the pill. Alamo is talking about taking 50% of the booty from the Mexico run and praising Rue for being his best worker. He’s being nice to her, but we know that he knows about the DEA. He gives her a fanny pack of cash and a bottle of percs and tells her to rest up. Maybe this is his revenge. He knows she likes to get high. Maybe it will kill her. Maybe it’s laced. 

A Thousand Little Trees of Blood

In Mexico, they are lining the ambulance with fentanyl and getting ready to pick up the girls and head back to the compound. 

Meanwhile, Rue is at the doctor getting stitched up. She looks hopeful, but we know this is just another brush with death that I think this time will end in…well…death.

In Mexico, we’re back with Laurie’s guy and Alamo’s money guy Big Eddy (Kadeem Hardison). They go to collect the Silver Slipper girls who’ve just gotten their face and butts done. Laurie’s goon drinks a sip of coke – umm Coca Cola and gets out. We look up and Alamo’s fixer Bishop is there waiting in the wings. Either Alamo has eyes everywhere just in case, or there is some other plan going down. Laurie’s guy comes back and Big Eddy has drank his coke! Or it’s gone somehow… 

On Rue’s break after getting stitched up, she’s back at Ali’s talking about God again asking all kinds of questions. Ali says someday I’ll ask him for you. That feels like foreshadowing and I cannot take Ali dying, so I put that out of my mind. They’re sitting watching a classic film and Rue asks if she can stay on his couch for a bit. It all feels so final, because she still has that bottle of Percocet.  

Stand Still Like the Hummingbird

At the border, the ambulance holding the ungodly amount of fentanyl is making its way across. Very easily I might add. Is it just legal for people to transport ladies to and from Mexico for medical reasons in an ambulance? I mean I guess why would it be illegal. I also figured border patrol would bring the drug dogs to sniff them out but, nope! They sail on through. 

While everything is about to pop off, Rue is laid up on Ali’s couch pressing play on her Bible on tape.

“In the beginning there was darkness…”

She’s literally nursing her wounds and grabs the bottle of pills Alamo gave her. I understand that she has no reason to believe these pills are laced because she took one at the ranch. BUT – no I need proof. Just because that ONE pill was good, that does not mean anything to me. Well, Rue, sweet naive Rue. Even if it’s not laced – Don’t take those! Grin and bear the pain, you are tryna stay clean! She takes one and…yea. Like I said, I think my predictions are coming true.  

Made You Look

Back at the Laurie compound where the fentanyl transport is headed, Wayne and the rednecks are licking their wounds after Rue’s daring escape. I don’t actually know why they are upset. There was literally nothing in that safe. I guess they’re upset they didn’t get to kill her like they had planned. Wayne takes a painkiller from the fanny pack. Yes, the fanny pack replaced by the DEA with laxatives. The ones Faye tried to warn him about. He runs to the bathroom, and Faye’s cold dead eyes are telling him…nothing… They are telling him nothing, because she has no facial expressions. She tells him they are laxatives and he finally puts it together that it’s a set up. If he had listened before, honestly, none of this would be happening. 

I’m thinking Wayne’s running upstairs and sounding the alarm. But what do we know about everyone in this show? No loyalty. He heads to the tunnels with Faye to get the hell outta dodge. The ambulance was 30 mins out by that time, and now the animals are going wild. They actually end up sounding the alarm. The feds are surrounding them with helicopters and like fiftyleven cars in tow. Laurie says she cannot go to prison. All her other guys are ready to fight, but in the end surrender. Laurie – trigger warning for anyone sensitive to self-harm. Laurie heads to the roof while the chaos ensues below. She grabs a long rope and jumps, sadly not to bungie down to a safe escape. 

The DEA quickly heads to retrieve the fentanyl from the ambulance floor. All they find is a dead rat. What do we see next? Bishop in an identical ambulance pulling up to the Alamo ranch. That was the plan, an old switcheroo. That’s why the coke wasn’t there. They forgot one item, but it did not even matter. Alamo got away with it. All of this because Maddy mentioned the DEA. Although the way Alamo operates, maybe this was his plan the whole time. Also does that mean Laurie decided her fate for no reason? There were no drugs. If they had found drugs on the grounds, maybe they would have been caught. The DEA tells Big Eddy, “Tell Alamo can’t wait to meet him one day.” He’s like – I quit. I would have quit WAY before my trip to Mexico. If I was shot on the job and my life changed forever, yea, I’m done. All of this goes down, and Faye and Wayne are hitchhiking I don’t know where – somewhere. 

Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door

Ali wakes up, and I’m waiting for him to find Rue’s cold body. Instead, she’s up eating cereal watching the news. Miraculously, she sees Fezco escaping from prison parkour style like she talked about with him on the phone. She runs out to pick him up like she promised. She’s back at the convenience store where they used to meet, and it’s all boarded up. She has a beautiful memory chilling with Fez, and that’s when you realize this is a tribute to Angus Cloud and the memory of Rue and Euphoria. In this feverish state, Rue is running to try to find Fez. Her childhood home is surrounded because that’s where Fez is technically on the loose. She runs past the police and makes it home. She’s looking around her old bedroom. As the viewer, this is our chance to say goodbye. I’m wondering how this is going to end up. We won’t get to see Fez. Is her sister home? Is her mom there? 

She’s looking at plants, and I’m like who’s been keeping these alive? A nice precious moment. She sees her mom reading the bible, and she cries; they both cry. We get glimpses of the endearing happy reconciliation. An ending worth crying for. The images from seasons ago when Rue used to get high and see her father in her altered state, hold him tightly, and cry. That’s when you begin to realize…she is not there. Or perhaps she is there spiritually. This is the last moments of her euphoric end. I can’t help but be reminded of the moment when Rue took that first hit of fentanyl. She was literally in heaven. A single tear fell. She was then chasing that feeling for seasons to come. Here it was again. But this time it’s different.

All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name

We’re back at Ali, a Groundhog Day if you will. This time, Rue is not up watching the news. She’s not eating cereal and innocently looking up at him smiling. She’s cold. On the couch. Headphones still in. Like I predicted, she’s gone. Dang I wish I wasn’t right. We could have let her live, but there was no other way for her to go. Ali tests the drugs and like I said, they were laced. Alamo definitely killed her, and no way to prove it. Ali calls Rue’s mom and writes her name in the book of the dead. Chapter closed. That is surely a wrap on Rue. 

There’s still an hour left of this episode, so the ride has not concluded. Please keep your hands inside the car because we have not come to a complete stop.

Two months later at an AA meeting, Ali is recounting his experience after finding Rue. He talks about all of the crooks that have to be complicit to lead to an overdose. The cartels, the drug lords, the drug dealers, the government, the politicians and all of the fked up systemic elements that lead to addiction and the torture it leaves in its wake. He’s tired. Period! He’s not going to meetings anymore. He is sawing off the barrel of his shotgun. That is not euphemism that is literally what he is doing. 

Finally, we are back with Jules. Who like I mentioned will not have enough time in this episode to round out an ending for her storyline. She is seen painting. Which – I had an inkling that Hunter Schaffer was doing these paintings herself, and I am 100% correct. She is painting these masterpieces!! Her tribute to Rue is a rendition of that well-known Euphoria image: Rue laid out, hair splayed looking into the camera as if looking into the vast sky of stars. 

’03 Bonnie and Clyde

After this time jump, we check in with Lexi, Cassie, and Maddy. They’re back at the 70s style mansion, and Cassie is explaining their masterplan: A content house for OnlyFans girls. It’s like an online brothel. They curate the content, charge the girls room and board, and take a cut of their earnings. I like to call it the Bunny Slipper. (A cross between the Silver Slipper and a Bunny Ranch.) 

Cassie takes a wad of 100s out of a safe, puts it in an envelope, kisses it, and hands it to Maddy. Maddy says – don’t wait up. Cassie says, “It’s easier if you pretend you like him.” So, is that how Alamo’s favor is getting paid off? Money and/or sex??? It’s unclear. 

Cassie spends some quality time with her sister, Lexi, who’s asking if she thinks Nate is coming back. Clearly, she has no idea he is dead. Lexi’s feeling guilty for being a dick to Rue, and Cassie’s like welp, she was a drug addict. So emotionless. Lexi is the one spilling her heart out now, talking about the bible and perseverance in life. It’s all pretty – weird. Cassie starts talking about smiles being contagious while cleaning her dildos. She’s trying to get Lexi to be their writer for the content house, and Lexi is respectfully declining. So their relationship is weird, and Cassie is trapped in an OnlyFans Black Mirror episode in this massive empty mansion with the memories of her Stepford wife life all around her. 

Maddy is in the car with Bishop headed over to the Silver Slipper, and they’re joined by a fluffy white dog. Bishop says his name is Snowflake. Maddy and him have another moment, and I said – is it coming true?? Are Bishop and Maddy going to ride off into the sun with all the money?! 

Bishop leads her to Alamo and closes the door to their VIP room and guards the door with a hint of disapproval. Just then a man in uniform pulls up with a duffle bag and a bike lock. He enters, pulls the lock over the doors, and finds a seat. In the other room, Maddy is handing over the cash to Alamo, and he is waxing poetic about pussy running his life. Feeling like all of this was for naught. 

Stuntin’ Like My Daddy

Next thing you know, Kitty, who’s healed from her BBL, is walking through the club to our man in arms. Who happens to be Ali! Now you know it’s on!! From Dusk Till Dawn style with less vampire demons. G comes over because Ali’s asking for the manager. Ali tells G he’s a friend of Rue. Bishop takes notice. Ali cocks his shotgun under the table and starts asking questions. He tries to get G to snitch, and he doesn’t. So Ali literally shoots him in the manhood. Ali is demanding to see Alamo Brown. 

Alamo throws a bull head through the window and beats his chest claiming his own name. Bishop hands Alamo a gun. Now, it’s a standoff. Alamo calls Ali a big mandingo swinging MF out here. Just a reminder – Sam Levinson wrote this. Really getting the Tarantino vibes here. Alamo challenges Ali to a duel. Once the champagne bottle finishes rolling across the bar and drops, that’s when the quick draw will happen. Surprise surprise! Alamo cheats and fires before it hits the ground. But all you hear is clicks. Bishop took the bullets! Ali shoots Alamo once in the gut, once in the chest, and triple taps, last one in the head. Blood on Ali’s face, you see the relief wash over him, and he turns to walk out. Bishop drops the bullets in Alamo’s blood in the carpet and says, “May God have mercy” to Ali – with a nod they part ways. Bishop asks Maddy if she needs a ride home. With stars in my eyes, I said – I was right! Off into the sunset with you two (and Kitty) – go be free!! 

America My Dream

Next scene, Ali is pulling up to the place Rue kept calling ‘the homestead.’ That’s the farm in Texas where she was graciously taken in after crossing the border on her last drug run. The prairie family invites Ali to sit for dinner. He says grace and gives his blessing to the memory of Rue, who when he opens his eyes is sitting across from him smiling. This was the American dream she was talking about. A white family in the middle of rural Texas. Jokes aside, this feels finite and precious. Best way this all could end –  Ali and Rue connected forever. 

We’ve made it. You can now take off your seat belt and exit the car to the left. I feel like we lost a lot along this ride. If we were wearing any jewelry, it’s gone. Flip flops lost. Hats flown off long ago. This was indeed a strange trip. 

The Next Episode

While my predictions did come to fruition mostly, this Euphoria ‘What If’ took me places I would not have predicted. To be fully honest, (because I know no other way to be), I missed the classic Euphoria feel. The deeper metaphors that were revealed to the viewer not through words or exposition but through arresting visuals and gripping performances. The time when each individual character’s story came together in divine proportion. The music that set a resonating tone. All of that was fractured or bifurcated this season. We had glimpses of the former Euphoria within the backstories of Alamo and Ali, and a likely story arc with Jules. The rest felt like a large detour from what we once knew. The women characters lost the depth they held in prior seasons. Nothing against mini skirts and tatas but it felt superficial and I would have needed much more. Instead, this felt more like a western action film over an eight-episode saga, rather than the stylistic drama we had been used to. It also felt like it truly came out of left field.

I am not one of those people who can’t handle change. If I was, I’d be those haters who couldn’t stand Legend of Korra. No, I love clever, well-thought-out, and provoking change. For me, this missed the mark. This last episode brought me some of the emotional resonance that I was missing. The flashes of that first episode with Rue’s first sights of Jules, her revisit to Fez and her mother. I don’t say all of this to detract from the satisfying nature of Ali’s revenge or the somewhat clean slate given to Maddy, but these are all things manufactured by a season that forced us to be where we ended up. In another timeline, the Euphoria ‘What If’ takes on a whole different life, and I think I’d love to see what could have been. All of that to say, thank you for spending your time with us at Euphoria park, that’s all folks! 

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The post That High Comes Down: ‘Euphoria’ Series Finale Recap appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.