The HBO series Euphoria has driven fervent discussion with its daring visuals and volatile character arcs. After a major character death late in the season, speculation about the series finale has intensified. In this piece, seven Vanity Fair contributors propose varied conclusions for the remaining cast, mixing plausible plot outcomes with interpretive takes on theme and tone.
Below, the predictions explore several recurring threads of the season: Rue’s downward spiral, Jules’s isolation and art, Cassie and Maddy’s fortunes and betrayals, Lexi’s authorship, and the looming threat represented by new antagonists. Each forecast tries to reconcile the show’s emotional logic with its penchant for dramatic twists.
Possible major outcomes for Rue and Jules
Several writers focus on the relationship between Rue and Jules as the emotional axis of the show. One scenario envisions Rue making a sacrificial choice: she could either become a protector or pay the ultimate price while protecting someone she loves. Another plausible ending is institutional: Rue lands in jail or rehab after her criminal involvement comes to light, and the storyline examines consequences rather than catharsis.
Redemption, sacrifice, or institutional closure
In a redemption arc, Rue negotiates accountability and attempts to repair family ties, with redemptive reconciliation driving the final act. Alternatively, a death or arrest would underline the series’ recurring message about addiction’s toll. Critics quoted by staffers suggest an emotional payoff where Rue’s fate is both surprising and thematically resonant.
Jules’s artistic escape
Jules has been physically isolated for much of the season, waiting in a high-rise setting for a wealthy patron. Predictions include a cinematic escape in which she abandons that transactional relationship and pursues a genuine art career. The final image might be Jules unveiling a completed canvas that reframes the season, offering viewers either closure or another layer of ambiguity.
Violence, retaliation, and the fate of Cassie and Maddy
The season introduces dangerous new figures whose actions escalate into violent conflict. Writers argue the finale could deliver additional casualties: the remaining antagonists might be eliminated in a dramatic showdown, or the violence could ripple outward, claiming unexpected victims. Cassie and Maddy, who have been central to this season’s interpersonal turmoil, feature prominently in these conjectures.
Who survives the bloodbath?
Some predictions anticipate a literal bloodbath, with multiple characters meeting violent ends as power struggles resolve. Other conjectures imagine survival through cunning: Maddy might outmaneuver predatory figures and emerge changed but alive, while Cassie’s arc could end in tragedy or radical reinvention. These outcomes would emphasize the season’s darker themes of exploitation and retribution.
Lexi, meta endings, and narrative reframing
One frequently offered twist is meta-commentary: that Lexi’s long-form writing serves as an organizing device for the season’s events. A few writers predict that the finale will reveal the season as a constructed narrative—an artistic act by Lexi that reframes characters as subjects rather than autonomous people. This move would echo earlier seasons’ self-reflexive tendencies and highlight the show’s interest in storytelling itself.
Lexi’s authorship as a reveal
If Lexi is the architect of the narrative, the finale could present two simultaneous truths: the in-story consequences for characters and a layered critique of how stories are told about youth, trauma, and fame. The meta ending would allow the series to comment on authorship, accountability, and spectacle while giving Lexi a final, ambiguous victory.
Thematic threads tying the predictions together
Across the different takes, several motifs repeat: addiction’s consequences, the corrupting influence of money and power, the search for identity through art, and the moral complexity of survival. Whether the finale opts for death, rehabilitation, escape, or self-reflexive revelation, predictions converge on one point: the closing episode will aim to be emotionally striking and narratively conclusive while preserving the show’s signature ambiguity.
Ultimately, the suggested endings span a spectrum from violent catharsis to quiet reconciliation, and from literal closure to a sly narrative reframe. Each possibility seeks to honor the characters’ journeys and the showrunner’s tendency to blend spectacle with intimate human stakes. Fans and critics alike will be watching to see which of these plausible resolutions the finale chooses.