Euphoria star Zendaya said that portraying Rue in season 2 of the HBO drama grew painful for herself and others on the show to experience. The show, an adaptation of the 2012 Israeli series of the same name, features teenaged characters navigating intense topics and experiences surrounding sex, drug addictions, and relationships. Zendaya's character, Rue Bennett, enters the series with mental health issues and struggles with drug addiction over the course of season 1.
Before the Euphoria season 2 premiere, audiences last saw Rue grappling with the reality of her drug addiction in the show's two Christmas specials released in 2020. Rue admits that she is suicidal in a meeting with Ali (Colman Domingo) and makes an unannounced visit to Jules' (Hunter Schaefer) house, where the two characters unsuccessfully attempt to reconcile their feelings for one another. Rue's path doesn't get any easier to start season 2: she nearly overdoses again in the season premiere, "Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door."
Although Rue and Jules do finally makeup in the episode, it appears things won't get easier for Zendaya's character just yet. The 25-year-old actress told RadioTimes.com ahead of the season's premiere that rock bottom awaits Rue in Euphoria season 2, although she feels confident that series creator and showrunner Levinson won't leave the character toiling in a dark place for long. Zendaya said:
"This season, more specifically, she goes to the rock bottom. When we get midway through, that’s when the rock bottom hits, and that’s where it became extremely painful for all of us to watch. And to portray her going through it hurt me."
Zendaya said that she believes Rue is in some ways a stand-in for Levinson, who draws from real-life experiences while writing Euphoria, and that fans will get to see a sense of hope for the character in spite of the "extreme low" that awaits. Given that Rue kicks off Euphoria season 2 by indulging in more drugs with new character Elliot (Dominic Fike), it seems likely she will continue to struggle with addiction. A trailer for upcoming Euphoria episodes shows Elliot running into Rue and Jules at school, potentially putting another wedge between Rue and Jules' relationship.
Since Zandaya promised Rue's rock bottom arrives in the middle of season 2, there's reason to hope her character emerges in a better place on the other end of the eight-episode season that awaits. According to Warner Media, Euphoria opened to a series-high 2.4 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max on Jan. 9, making the controversial teen drama more popular than ever in 2022. Although Rue confesses her season one relapse to Jules when the pair reunite in the most recent episode, it seems her newfound interest in Elliot will keep Jules suspicious of Rue's ability to get (and stay) sober throughout the upcoming episodes. What role Elliot will play in the rest of the season remains to be seen, but given his immediate impact on Rue, it's doubtful he will lend a helping hand in Rue's path out of that dark place.
Source: RadioTimes.com
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