Warning: Spoilers ahead. Do not proceed if you have not watched ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Episode 8.
Zendaya’s Euphoria character Lou Bennett dying in the Season 3 finale was the most “honest ending” for the show, creator Sam Levinson claimed after the tragic scene aired.
In an HBO interview after the final episode, the showrunner declared, “People like Lou will never succeed.”
The 41-year-old added that he was motivated to kill off the beloved character in honor of the late Angus Cloud, who died in July 2023 at the age of 25.
“People relapse. They get confused. They’re not ready to get clean,” Levinson says. “There’s no reason to bring it to the surface. I wanted to tell this story for Angus and for those who weren’t given a second chance.”
Bennett, in particular, suffered an accidental overdose, as did Cloud, in tragic scenes broadcast Sunday night.
Zendaya’s character took a pill with a string given to her by Alamo Brown, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, during the episode titled “In God We Trust.”
Cloud’s character, Fezco, appeared in the episode during Lou’s death scene.
“Lou is kind of looking back on her life,” Levinson explained to Esquire over the weekend. “So this is actually the moment she pulls up to the old convenience store where Fezco used to work. She’s looking up at the sign and has a flashback memory of when she and Angus were together.”
This scene is from a test reel, which the director shared with the press.
“This is footage that never appeared on the show,” Levinson pointed out. “I thought, oh, it would be great to use that footage to see him again and see them both.”
He continued, “I really wanted to jump into that this season and tackle fentanyl and the effects of it and how it robs young people of second chances. When I was growing up and doing drugs, sure you could OD on something, but it wasn’t like now where one wrong move could kill you.”
Levinson similarly said on HBO’s after-show segment, “I can tell you, if I had gone through what I went through now when I was younger, I wouldn’t be here either, because of the influx of fentanyl into this country.”
As for Zendaya, in an emotional farewell to the staff, she called the role “a joy and an honor,” as a behind-the-scenes episode shows.
“I just want to say thank you,” exclaimed the drama star. “I’m so grateful to each and every one of you. Many of you have been here from the beginning and watched me grow.”
Rue’s death comes on the heels of the gruesome death of Zendaya’s co-star Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi, in last week’s penultimate episode.
Other original cast members from the series’ start in 2019 have survived on the show, from Kathy Howard as Sidney Sweeney to Jules Vaughn as Hunter Schaefer.
Levinson cryptically addressed the Season 4 rumors in an interview with Esquire, saying that while there’s “nothing left on the field,” he approaches “every season like it’s the last” and hasn’t officially closed the door on Season 4.
If you or a loved one is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
