Are Rue & Jules Headed for Tragedy on ‘Euphoria’? What That Lovers’ Montage Could Mean
It seems like every week, fans of Euphoria nervously anticipate what’s next for the consistently on-and-off couple Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer). Given their respective heavy emotional baggage, Rue’s existing drug addiction and now third-wheel threat Elliot (Dominic Fike), so much remains completely up in the air. (And with another season already guaranteed, who knows what could happen?)
In Season 2’s fourth episode, “You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can,” Rue narrates that her love for Jules is so intense, it is hard to verbally explain. So, while the two have sex, the scene moves to a montage of Rue and Jules reenacting various famous lovers of movies and pop culture.
While this could be an aesthetically pleasing testament to the two, Euphoria fans across social media made connections among many of the references leading to an upsetting conspiracy: One member of the pair will end up dead, and given the assigned positions throughout this montage, the fear is that it will be Rue. Read on as we break down what happened and what that could mean for the couple.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1981 Rolling Stone cover
John Lennon and Yoko Ono were famous for their shameless demonstration of affection, as seen in their Rolling Stone cover, but also their intense and toxic love for one another. This is similar to the ups and downs of the Euphoria couple’s romance. Rue lays impersonating John Lennon, who was tragically shot in 1980.
Frida Kahlo’s “Self-Portrait as a Tehuana”
This unique self-portrait of Frida Kahlo’s demonstrates a dark side of another historic and unideal love. Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, was known for being abusive. This painting represents a desire to possess or control who normally controlled her. In the show, Jules acts as Frida Kahlo and there is an image of Rue where Diego Rivera is on her forehead. This mirrors the fact that Jules is repeatedly manipulated by Rue and wishes she could have a healthier relationship. Frida Kahlo famously died the day after her husband, after remaining in an undesirable state with him all throughout their marriage.
HBO; Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection
Ghost
The 1990 film depicts the pair of a banker (Patrick Swayze) and artist (Demi Moore) so madly in love that when the man is murdered, his ghost lives on to save his girlfriend from his killer. Rue plays the partner who lost his life in a risky business deal for his profession. Rue risks her life as her drug addiction continues, staying in contact with unreliable people and getting into dangerous situations. She battles with which part of her life she cares for more — her girlfriend Jules or dependence on drugs.
Titanic
Few love stories pull at heart strings the way that Titanic’s Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) do. With their infamous ending — the death of Jack and sinking of the boat — Rue posing as Jack embracing Jules with her arms open wide is understandably unsettling for fans.
Snow White
Jules lying down impersonating the sleeping princess Snow White, awaiting Rue’s waking kiss shows how reliant Jules is on Rue. This is problematic because Rue’s lifestyle makes them unhealthily co-dependent. Without the prince’s kiss, Snow White would stay in slumber forever, or in some versions of the story, die. Although the character roles are reversed in this example, Rue and Jules often feel like they must be together in order to stay alive — metaphorically, and physically in Rue’s case of frequently verging relapse.
Brokeback Mountain
The forbidden love of Brokeback Mountain cowboys Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis (Heath Ledger) runs a tumultuous course, as the pressure to live heterosexual lives infringes on their desire to be together and their ability to live up to social expectations. This dynamic is reflective of Rue and Jules, as the two bond over being outcasts for different reasons. Conflicts such as Rue’s drug addiction make their being together difficult, and Jules worries that drugs could take Rue’s life. Viewers aren’t necessarily consoled from this fear when Rue is presented as cowboy Jack, who in the movie is presumably murdered for being gay.
The ending of Episode 4 unfortunately doesn’t give fans any more hope. After Rue snaps at Jules for being on her case about drinking, Rue goes home and takes more pills. The next scene has Rue in a church, embracing her late father, surrounded by a singing choir.
Given the hints of this early montage and the ambiguous ending, viewers are fearful that this could be the last episode with a living Rue. Whether she lives or dies, this emotional cliffhanger definitely has us eagerly awaiting the February 6 episode.
Euphoria, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO
