Ever since season one of “Euphoria” came out in 2019, fans have been extremely eager to see what crazy tales and drama the next season will hold. So it is fair to say that fans were very enthusiastic when the first episode of season two came out on Jan. 9, 2022. Episodes are released each Sunday on HBO Max. Each new episode causes a brand new set of conspiracy series, memes and drama to circulate around social media; it is nearly impossible to go on any social media platform without seeing “Euphoria” spoilers. However, if you have managed to avoid the craze around the show, I suggest not reading this article because there will be spoilers ahead!

This new season has proven to be much crazier than the first. As of now, six episodes have been released, and each one has been packed full of even more jaw-dropping drama than the others. Many social media users have come forth with their fan theories surrounding the show. Some of the most popular theories are about Ashtray’s real parents. Since Fezco’s grandma lived a sketchy gangster-style life and was given Ashtray as a form of collateral, his true family is a mystery. Some fans believe that Ashtray is the third brother in the Jacobs family that is mysteriously never mentioned or shown except for in the family portrait hung in their home. Others speculate that Ash is Laurie’s kid. During Rue’s interaction with Laurie, she told Rue that she used to have kids, a career and a life but she gave it all up to become a drug lord. This has led people to believe that Laurie knew Fezco’s grandma and gave her child up to start her life in drug dealing. 

However episode five, “Stand Still Like a Hummingbird,” has created an enormous amount of attention and by far the most fan theories. After Rue had a “great” idea to get drugs from Laurie and start selling to high schoolers, she was finally faced with the effects her addiction has created in her life. Rue told Elliot her idea and he agreed and called her “brilliant.” However, Elliot quickly told Jules that he and Rue were doing drugs together after a connection began to form between them. Jules decided to tell Rue’s mom which led to a large series of dramatic and anxiety-inducing events. Even though Elliot knew that Rue had been supplied the large suitcase full of drugs from a very powerful and scary drug dealer, he still stood by and said nothing as Jules and Rue’s mom flushed the drugs. Rue then freaked out on Jules and yelled, “You don’t love me, you just love being loved,” in her face. Then Elliot left the house and simply said, “I liked Rue the way she was.”

It’s hard to tell where Elliot’s priorities are. Maybe he thought he was doing something good by snitching to Jules even though he was doing drugs as well. Maybe he just fell in love with Jules and didn’t care about Rue anymore or the consequences that could occur after flushing a powerful drug dealer’s drugs down the toilet. However, many fans believe he is actually working with Laurie and that is why he did what he did. He could have snitched so that Rue would run to Laurie apologizing, which she did. Laurie then told her that a woman could pay off a debt in more ways than money. She then gave Rue morphine to help her with withdrawals but stabbed her with the needle several times. This seemed extremely suspicious to all viewers. When Rue wrote up in an unfamiliar bed with many marks on her arm it was unclear how many days she had been there. She then escaped while avoiding all the birds in cages that seemed to act as security alarms. Many fans also noticed that when you listen closely to the close up scene of the bolt lock on one of Laurie’s door, scratches can be heard. TikTok users made assumptions that the birds were metaphors for the women Laurie has trapped and possibly sold to sex slavery. This could be what Laurie had planned to do with Rue since she mentioned that women can pay with more than money and then drugged her. 

When Rue escapes Laurie’s house and runs down the alley, viewers can hear birds chirping peacefully. In the first season, Rue commented on how much she loved hospitals because it did not matter if she was a good person or not. She also says it is very peaceful and that when she focuses hard enough the beeps of the monitors sound like birds chirping. This led fans to believe that Rue may not have made it out of Laurie’s and was instead in a hospital. While this is a profound insight, it was proven wrong when episode six was released and Rue was at home and not in a hospital. 

Episode six was also missing a big component that most fans were looking forward to: the fight between Maddy and Cassie. During Rue’s intervention at Cassie and Lexi’s house, Rue dropped the bombshell that Cassie was sneaking around with Nate. Maddy was extremely infuriated by the news of Cassie seeing her abusive ex-boyfriend and attempted to fight Cassie but was held back by her friends. However, in the new episode, Maddie and Cassie were not even in a scene together. 

Although episode six left barely a bread crumb of what had actually happened in the mind-bending episode that was episode five, it did include a scene between Nate and Maddie that provoked anxiety among fans. Nate showed up with a gun to Maddie’s house and demanded the disc of his dad and Jules back while holding the gun against his own and Maddie’s heads. It can be predicted that the relationship between Nate and Maddie will never be repaired and neither will Maddie and Cassie’s. 

Hopefully the rest of the season gives more answers that were left unsolved during episode five. How long was Rue at Laurie’s house? Is Elliot working with Laurie? Where is the third Jacobs brother? Who are Ashtray’s parents? Will Rue go to rehab and stay clean? Since the show is about addiction, it is kind of fitting that the show had a hold on us and left us disappointed and wanting more. “Euphoria” has left all their viewers baffled yet impatient for answers and new episodes. All that viewers can currently do is make assumptions on social media while anxiously waiting for next Sunday in order to binge the next episode and receive answers. However, it is clear that “Euphoria” has created a hold on most of society and changed the way we view addiction and how it is portrayed on film.