Euphoria Recap: Book of the Dead

A character death is anticipated to keep viewers engaged, with Nate positioned as the likely sacrificial victim. Additional deaths are expected around a major confrontation between Laurie and Alamo’s crews, contingent on Rue surviving. The episode returns to earlier, more novelistic tones and runs over seventy minutes, beginning with a backstory focused on Ali’s recovery. Ali’s role in the episode’s main events is limited, and he cannot prevent Rue from going to Laurie. Rue’s religious journey is framed as God speaking to her and as a calling tied to the Miller family’s homestead in El Paso. Ali’s flashback centers on his struggle with crack in a motel room.

"Need more? Sign up for Euphoria Club, a newsletter overanalyzing season three of Sam Levinson's HBO fever dream, for subscribers only. From the way things were going, it was obvious that one of Euphoria's central characters had to die. Gillie tipped us off last week when she told Lexi that a character has to die periodically to keep the viewer engaged. That the sacrificial lamb would be Nate was also obvious, given that he hardly had a line of dialogue that wasn't "ow," "no," "please," or "stop" since his wedding."

"But it's also reasonable to expect some more deaths at what will almost certainly be a centerpiece confrontation between Laurie and Alamo's crews next week, if Rue can make it out alive to see that happen. After returning to the novelistic tones of earlier seasons for a few episodes, tonight's Euphoria is all ramped-up action. Sam Levinson continues his effort to merge his ensemble's storylines, and the result is like a pile-up on the freeway."

"At over 70 minutes, "Rain or Shine" at least begins with that more novelistic tone. We get another vintage Euphoria backstory, this time detailing Ali's road to recovery. Levinson is at his strongest when we see Ali as we have never seen him before, but it's bizarre to open on a character that ultimately has nothing to do with the major events of the episode. In fact, Ali's say over the outcome of the story is so limited that he can't even convince Rue not to go to Laurie's."

"More than that: Ali doesn't have anything to do with Rue's religious journey. She only tells him that God has spoken to her, and though Ali has undeniably been a force for good in her life, she seems to credit her Christian awakening to the Miller family in El Paso, whose homestead she interprets as her promised land, the place God is calling her to. It's a shame because Colman Domingo's performance is a highlight of the show. In his flashback, we see him smoke crack in a motel room with a prostit"

Read at Vulture