'Euphoria season 2' ending explained: Will Cassie & Nate get back together?

Another season of Euphoria running with eight episodes has finally come to an end. The HBO teen drama created by Sam Levinson has experienced wild success in its sophomore outing, more than doubling its viewership over season 1, which first aired in 2019. The entire team of the show has been experiencing massive success since the show originally premiered. 

Now Euphoria season 2 proved to be quite the divisive season of television, though, with both rumored behind-the-scenes drama and a story that confused audiences. The story of the teen drama picks up with the East Highland high schoolers at the dawn of the New Year. Actor Zendaya's character as Rue has relapsed and she and Jules are estranged. 

While the characters come together briefly for a New Year's Eve party, they spend the majority of the rest of the season separated as they worked through their own various issues. Keeping all suspense and controversy intact, season 2 found Rue navigating a drug relapse, interesting love triangles developed and plenty of the ’90s bops played. 

What happens at the end of Euphoria season 2?

With fans who haven’t watched the season yet, this might come as a spoiler. The ending of the season comes with Fez's undecided fate. East Highland's resident drug dealer is left wounded after a SWAT team descends on his house, with Ashtray facing off against the cops in a fatal gunfight as a fading Fez watches on. Although Faye attempts to convince him that terrifying dealer Laurie is the murderer, the cops are already on their way. Ash impulsively stabs Custer in the throat and engages in a Scarface-style shoot-off that leaves Fez wounded and Ash dead.

Why Euphoria season 2's ending ultimately falls flat

Euphoria is one of the best shows as it's inherently confident in its storytelling. From the way it whiplashes between timelines and character arcs to its visual and musical style that adds a dimension that many other shows lack, the teen drama feels as if it knows where it's going and what it's doing. 

Image: Instagram/@euphoria