Warning: major spoilers for the final episode of Euphoria season two.

After weeks of fan theories, character arcs, budding romances and betrayal, Euphoria season two finally concluded with a bang. 

The unexpected part two to Lexi’s play, we didn’t quite know what would be in store for the anticipated final episode of Sam Levinson’s hit HBO drama, but we needn’t have worried – if there’s one thing Euphoria is known for, it’s surprises aplenty.

We already knew last week’s comedic injection was going to be short-lived – why wasn’t Fezco at Lexi’s play after he donned a suit and bought flowers? – but we weren’t quite ready for an episode filled with police arrests, two deaths, an onstage fight and some pretty stark revelations.

The thing that underpinned this entire final episode of season two, though, was emotions finally coming to the fore.  

Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) literally ran onstage ready to call out Lexi (Maude Apatow) in front of everyone, but in true high school fashion, it backfired. The audience couldn’t quite believe real-life Cassie (and not Hallie, as she was referred to in the play) would betray her best friend in such a way. Almost as quickly, Maddy (Alexa Demie) stormed the stage in an epic showdown that, to be honest, we’ve been waiting for all season.

But truly, the most devastating moments of the finale came within the small confines of Fez (Angus Cloud) and Ashtray’s (Javon Walton) home.

Where just the other week it was the backdrop of Lexi and Fez’s blossoming romance, this time round that very sofa became a crime scene all too quickly. We’ve always known Ash has Fez’s back like any loyal brother should, but we knew from the way he was staring Custer (Tyler Chase) down that it wasn’t going to end well.  

While the brutal stabbing to Custer’s neck was a surprise, that was just the beginning of what turned out to be a tear-inducing brotherly scene. 

Fez immediately took charge – something we’re not used to seeing as he usually remains cool, calm and collected – and placed Custer’s phone (aka the secret recording device) into a drink, took the knife and wiped Ash’s prints off. “Just go out there and surrender. It’s all on me,” he says. “I’ll tell them you had nothing to do with this shit. Listen to me – I did this shit.”

The lump in our throats really came, though, when Fez was pleading with Ash in the bathroom. “Come on, come out, Ash. Open the door.”

Ash nearly always has a gun in his hand, but armed with automatic weapons and enough ammunition to take on an army, Fez tried to calm him down. It seemed like there was a ticking countdown clock that we weren’t quite aware of, but Fez’s suspicions were right: no sooner had Ash locked himself in the bathroom, armed police raided the house in an epic showdown. “Don’t shoot, there’s a kid in here,” Fez shouts with his arms up.

While we didn’t quite know what Ash was hoping to achieve from shooting blindly from the bathroom, there’s no denying that his fierce loyalty and defence of Fez is worth air time itself. But in the utter chaos of it all, Fez was shot. Our hearts dropped with him on to the floor, but we needn’t have worried about his stomach wound – Fez continued to shout out for Ash. 

The ending to such a scene was never going to be positive or cheery, but it was certainly dramatic. In a cheekier moment of the finale, Ash tricked police officers into thinking he was shot and lying still on the floor. It’s something that was utterly believable as bullets tore the bathroom completely apart. “Ash? Answer me,” Fez cries out.

But we needn’t have doubted the quick-thinking child. As the officer calls out, “He’s down,” Ash loads a gun and shoots the officer. In an eerily silent twist, another sniper trains his laser on Ash – first at his chest and then slowly to his forehead. As you hear the gunshot, look at Fez’s pained expression and hear the recognisable funeral church organ music in the background, Ash’s fate was sealed.

Then, in an unexpected but entirely excellent sequence, we flashback to Rue’s father’s wake. It’s a scene we’ve seen before and a speech we’ve heard Rue (Zendaya) make before, but this time, it felt like a eulogy for the season also.

After seeing Rue make momentous waves in her addiction recovery, the speech seemed more poignant. But with Ash’s death and Fez’s arrest forming the final scenes of the dramatic episode, it seemed like a fitting ending too.

It’s a scene that Lexi uses in her play as its epic last scene, and while you’d think such a personal reflection would anger Rue, it brings her peace instead. Even leading her to kiss Jules (Hunter Schafer) on the head at the end – could Rue have space in her heart to forgive Jules after all?

While the final episode of Euphoria’s second season sealed many a fate, it also opened up a sliver of hope we haven’t really had before. Rue’s finally on the straight and narrow, and with news of a third season coming in 2024, we can only hope that it picks up on a similarly lighter note.  

All episodes of Euphoria season 2 are now available to watch and will also air weekly on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW. Stream Euphoria with a NOW Entertainment Membership.   

Images: Eddy Chen/HBO