Does Rue Bennett Die in 'Euphoria' Season 3? Exploring Her Fate After Episode 5

Rue Bennett (Zendaya) has been through countless dangerous situations in Euphoria, making it a miracle she's still alive. Her life has been threatened several times throughout the series, and the latest episode leaves her fate hanging in the balance.

The HBO series follows Rue's struggles with drug addiction after returning from rehab, as she attempts to stay sober and try to find her place in the world.

In the third season, Rue leaves Laurie's drug operation and finds a new employer: Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje). She later becomes a DEA informant, with Alamo growing suspicious of her loyalty.

'Euphoria' Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: Did Rue Die?

In the fifth episode, titled 'This Little Piggy', Magick (Rosalía) convinces Alamo that Rue is a snitch, arguing that she should have recognised the voices of the robbers, considering that they work for Laurie.

Later, while Rue and Maddy (Alexa Demie) meet up at a diner, Alamo suddenly appears and sends Rue off to a ride with G (Marshawn Lynch) and Bishop (Darrell Britt-Gibson).

Alamo keeps Maddy company, and the latter agrees to do business with him, picking Magick and Kitty (Anna Van Patten) as her two new girls.

Meanwhile, in the middle of nowhere, Alamo's guys make Rue dig a hole and then bury her up to her neck in dirt. In the episode's final moments, Alamo rides toward her on horseback while swinging a polo stick. As Rue panics, the screen suddenly cuts to black.

When the trailer for Season 3 was released, some fans speculated that it hinted at Rue's death. Rue also does not appear in the preview for Episode 6, leaving fans questioning whether the character survived.

However, there is still a strong possibility that Rue survives, especially considering that she's the show's main character. Some viewers also believe Alamo's conversation with Maddy may ultimately convince him not to kill her.

During their conversation, Alamo asks Maddy about her friendship with Rue, asking her if they're close. Maddy says, 'Yeah, as close as someone can be to her.' He then asks, 'So, you trust her?', to which Maddy responds, 'I do. She's a little crazy, but she has a good heart.'

That conversation may influence Alamo's decision, and the ending could be another attempt to intimidate Rue, like what he's been doing in the previous episodes. Alamo also appears to be impressed by Maddy, which could play a role in keeping Rue alive—at least for now.

Speaking to DECIDER, actor Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje said, 'It's a new era for him as someone from the older generation. So they're both teaching each other, you know, traits from their generation. He's teaching her traditions and the old school and they're teaching him this new frontier through social media and how that can really propel his empire.'

'So he's really intrigued by that, and to be quite honest, is probably the main reason Rue survives. Yeah, because she's useful,' he added.

How Many Episodes Are Left in 'Euphoria' Season 3?

Only three episodes remain in Euphoria Season 3, and with Rue not being in the trailer, fans will have to wait until the sixth episode next week to see how the story unfolds.

Euphoria Season 3 consists of eight episodes. Here's the release schedule for the remaining episodes:

• Episode 6 – 'Stand Still and See': Monday, 18 May, UK (Sunday, 17 May, US)
• Episode 7 – 'Rain or Shine': Monday, 25 May, UK (Sunday, 24 May, US)
• Episode 8 – 'In God We Trust': Monday, 1 June, UK (Sunday, 31 May, US)

The Season 3 finale will have a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes, making it the longest episode in the series.