Jan 9, 2022

Things You Missed in the First Episode of Euphoria

From Rue's new friend to Lexi's budding romance with Fez, here are all the things you missed from the season opener.

All the things you missed from the first episode of season 2 from Euphoria. — Photo: HBO Max

Rue's New Friend is Dominic Fike

At the New Year's house party, Rue meets a guy named Elliot in the laundry room. Described as a possible "homie" of Rue (Zendaya) and Jules (Hunter Schafer), Elliot is played by Dominic Fike. He is a Florida-born artist and musician who found fame by posting his music on SoundCloud. When his debut album, Don't Forget About Me, Demo went viral, he was signed to Columbia Records. While Elliot was introduced as a friendly face who helped Rue at a moment in need, the season two trailer also hints that he might stir some drama in Jules and Rue's relationship.

Rue proves again she's not a reliable narrator

During the first season, every episode was narrated from the perspective of Rue. As an omniscient narrator, she plays God, and we're quick to assume that everything she tells us is true. However, a subtle detail in the second season reminds us that Rue's perspective is not one we can always trust.

While sitting in the backseat of Fez's car, Rue has a conversation with a girl who's doing heroin. She tells her that her girlfriend left her stranded at the train station, to which the girl responds by bashing Jules. While it's not entirely a lie, Rue just tells half the story, placing all the blame on Jules. It's a reminder from the creator that when it comes to Rue's words, there's always more to the story.

Lexi Will Be a Foil Character for Fez

In literature, a character who is presented as a contrast to a second character is called a foil character. When they're talking on the couch, Fez tells Lexie she needs to stop apologizing for herself and to stop acting like she's nothing special. While subtle, this dynamic speaks volumes. Lexie tends to speak her mind, which is filled with doubts and self-deprecation, while Fez is very quiet and laid back, but concludes the episode by nearly killing Nate. I don't know about you, but this is foreshadowing a very explosive relationship.

Why Did Fez attacked Nate?

If you remember from season one, Nate (Jacob Elordi) got into an argument with Fez (Angus Cloud) after he told Nate to stay away from Rue, and also warned him to stop being so violent against women. Seeking revenge, Nate called the cops on Fez, which forced him to flush away all the drugs he was going to sell to Mouse (the drug dealer his brother, Ashtray, kills at the beginning of the episode). Left in a serious amount of debt, and as we saw at the beginning of the episode, this gets Fez and his brother in a lot of trouble. While fans might have cheered seeing Fez get back at him, this scene reveals a darker side to his character that we might see again in the season.

Kat's relationship with Ethan will suffer

Kat (Barbie Ferreira) finding love at the season one finale was a silver lining. While shit was hitting the fan in the last few episodes, Kat's relationship with Ethan (Austin Abrahams) was blooming. However, we get a somber look at their romance in the first episode that is foreshadowing some heartbreak.

The first thing you should notice is that Kat and Ethan appear to be in really good terms. Not to be pessimistic, but a couple that begins the season in a really good place is bound to experience some rocky stuff in the upcoming episodes. Not to mention, the last glimpse we get of them as the New Year countdown begins sees Kat staring out in the distance while Ethan is staring at her. This is hinting that while Ethan is head over heels for Kat, there's something for her that is missing.

Also, what happened to the creepy deep voice from Kat's web cam shows? We bet that will come back in this season.

The soundtrack foreshadows trouble

During the first season, each character became associated with a song from the soundtrack. There's Forever, which represents how Rue puts Jules in a pedestal fueled by infatuation, but not true love. There's Nate's song, which reflects the chaos and noise going on his head. There's All for Us, which plays whenever Rue relapses. This time around it's no different. We see Nate noticing Cassie outside as his song begins to play. This is foreshadowing that Nate is about to drag her into his chaos.

Euphoria airs Sundays at 9 PM ET on HBO Max. Follow @themudmag for the latest news and updates on the second season.