Euphoria has faced criticism for its 'constant Coca Cola product placement' in the series finale, as fans argued the brand appeared more than one of the main characters. Hunter Schafer's character Jules' only appearance in the episode was in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in her New York apartment painting. In comparison, fans noted that the brand was spotted more than a dozen times during the extended episode, which had a run time of 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Fans Express Disappointment Over Jules' Limited Screen Time
Fans of the show were left disappointed Jules didn't receive a satisfying ending, after barely appearing in series three despite previously being an integral cast member. Viewers noted when Rue returned beaten from the compound where she was being held at the start of the episode, drug dealer Alamo gave her a bottle of Coca Cola with a Percocet painkiller tablet, claiming it would help with her injuries. A bottle of the fizzy drink also appeared in the cup holder in a van with two traffickers, and during their conversation, the camera shot zooms into the Coca Cola bottle.
Accusations of Product Placement
After noticing these moments and others, fans accused the show of 'product placement' or the episode being sponsored by the brand. One fan said: 'That Coca-Cola placement in Euphoria was so obvious I half expected Zendaya to turn to the camera and say "thirst knows no drama".' Another commented: 'Rue just got dragged by a horse and Alamo is pouring her Coca Cola???' Others added: 'Coca Cola was a paid actor in this last episode of Euphoria' and 'The amount of Coca Cola bottles being shown. It's already screaming product placement and that the series finale is sponsored by Coca Cola.'
Noting Jules' lack of screen time compared to the popular beverage, others said: 'Coca Cola having more screentime than Jules' and 'Jules showed up for like 1 minute throughout the entire season of Euphoria and she was always painting horrible pictures.'
Finale Plot Overview
The finale kicked off with a chaotic heist, as Rue broke out of a compound belonging to her former drug boss Laurie (Martha Kelly). In the previous episode, she was sent there to retrieve items stolen from her current boss's safe. She escaped while Laurie's associate and relative, white supremacist drug dealer Wayne (Toby Wallace) and his girlfriend - and Rue's former friend - Faye Valentine (Chloe Cherry) were supposed to be watching her. After slicing Wayne's leg and punching Faye in the face, Rue bolted with a bag in her hand, narrowly escaping as a pursuing Wayne started shooting at her. The getaway took a bizarre turn when one of Wayne's henchmen temporarily snatched Rue by lassoing and dragging her behind a horse, only for him to be taken out by a sniper bullet from one of Rue's friends, allowing her to escape.
Rue brought the bag to her boss, strip club magnate Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), who told her: 'You was right all along. You and me, we was meant to be.' The bag contained no money, only IDs, which heavily implied that Alamo was involved in sex trafficking. He then told her she was his 'employee of the year' and to take a break from work and 'heal up.' Alamo - who was accidentally tipped off that Rue was working for the DEA - also gave her Percocet for her injuries.
Later in the episode, the DEA descended on Laurie's compound, ambushing her in the middle of a massive drug deal just as a border-crossing ambulance packed with fentanyl arrived. Having realised ahead of time that they were being set up, Faye and Wayne managed to make a quick escape. As a panicked Laurie was heard saying 'I can't go to prison', she took her own life by hanging herself as she jumped from the roof. However, Alamo's henchmen Bishop and Big Eddy switched ambulances, so the DEA only found a dead rat under the floor of the vehicle.
Rue's Tragic End
Rue then went to her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor and mentor Ali Muhammad's apartment to recover. She took more Percocet and started listening to the Bible on her phone. In a dream-like sequence, Rue was pictured driving past herself as a kid, alongside her mother and sister. The drive was prompted after Rue hallucinated that her close friend Fezco escaped from prison. 'I have to go get him,' Rue told Ali, adding, 'I promised him that if he ever got out, I would go pick him up. I have to go.' In a callback to the first season, she visited his convenience store, which was now boarded up and abandoned. In another throwback scene, Rue and Fez were seen looking happy.
She later ran into a police blockade, before breaking into her childhood home. There, she encountered her mother Leslie (Nika King), who was seen reaching for her hand. The viewers were then shown that in reality, Rue was on the floor after taking too many pills, and was reaching out her hand into the air. Ali found her dead on his couch in the morning. He later took a sample of the Percocet to test it, and found out it was laced with fentanyl. It turned out Alamo killed Rue as revenge for her working with the DEA.
Later, at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, Ali talked about the disease of addiction, and how he thought 'that if you can empathize with an addict, you can empathize with a dealer.' However, he admitted he no longer believes that, and said the 'real disease is people no longer know the difference between right and wrong.'
Jules and Other Characters' Fates
Rue's old girlfriend Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) channeled the loss into her art, painting Rue in bright yellow as she cried. Meanwhile, Cassie was left a widow following her husband's death. Nate had been in heavy debt to gangster Naz (Jack Topalian), who put him in the coffin with a breathing apparatus as a pipe. The plan was to keep Nate in the coffin for a three-day period while his spouse Cassie would try to raise the funds, but a rattlesnake made its way down the pipe and fatally bit him. After finding Nate's body, a disheveled Cassie was seen with tear-streaked makeup and still wearing the same dress while having breakfast with her manager, and former best friend, Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), who was also reduced to tears. 'What do I do?' Maddy asked her. Cassie then sat next to her and put her head on Maddy's shoulder. 'We'll figure it out together,' she said, as Maddy gave her a tender kiss on the head.
Cassie later told her sister Lexi (Maude Apatow) that she and Maddy would be turning her home into an influencer/OnlyFans house. Lexi asked Cassie if Nate was ever coming back, revealing that she didn't know he died. Meanwhile, Maddy went to meet Alamo at the strip club, where he told her he wants the American dream and for them to have 'four beautiful coca-colored babies' together.
At the same time, Ali, wearing his military uniform, entered Alamo's Silver Slipper strip club with a shotgun. Following a lengthy standoff, Ali fatally shot the strip club owner after a cowardly Alamo attempted to use Maddy as a human shield. At the end of the episode, Ali visited a religious homestead that Rue stopped at back in episode one. He told one of the girls living there that Rue was his daughter, and explained that she is now in a 'better place.' The family asked Ali to lead them in grace. 'Father, I pray today for those whose eyes have grown weak with sorrow, whose soul and body are weighed down by grief, and whose strength is failing. Lord, pour out your mercy upon them. Let your face shine upon them and save them in your unfailing love. Thank you Rue,' he prayed while looking at an empty chair where Rue previously sat. 'Let her memory be a blessing,' he added, before seeing a vision of a smiling Rue sitting in the chair. 'Amen,' she said, before adding, 'May God bless us all,' as the final credits rolled.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse in the US, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. In the UK, please contact helpline FRANK 0300 123 6600.
