Euphoria ended with the death of Ruby Bennett (Zendaya), the show's central character, in what creator Sam Levinson and HBO presented as a finale without advance warning.
Fans have reacted with frustration to how Rue's exit unfolded. According to Rolling Stone, other characters' reactions were notably muted. Only Ali shed real tears; everyone else offered little response. Cassie dismisses Rue as just another "drug addict" with a "nice smile," and there is no funeral or family grieving scene.
The overdose itself raises questions. Did Rue take multiple fentanyl-laced Percocets, or just one pill from Alamo? The bottle was still mostly full when Ali found her, leaving the details unclear. Fans expected answers instead of ambiguity.
Character arcs also fell short. Jules has minimal screentime in Season Three, spending most of it in her sugar daddy's apartment painting. That's not the character from earlier seasons. Nate underwent a drastic change—the volatile hothead with questions about his sexuality became someone passive, pushed around by Armenian gang members and losing limbs without resistance.
The series left viewers with more questions than answers, and the response online has been decidedly negative.
