Euphoria just delivered its Uncut Gems-style episode, taking fans on a wild, unpredictable run that left us with a serious case of emotional whiplash.
Of course, we’ve got about a week to stew on all the insane plot twists thrown our way in Season 2, Episode 5‘s “Stand Still Like The Humming Bird,” but fans are already theorizing on what’s next for the show’s most at-risk characters. We’ve rounded up some of the more intriguing theories about where the show is heading in the back-half of its season, and we feel it’s only fair to warn you now: If you thought watching Rue’s withdrawal-fueled downward spiral was hard to watch, buckle in because things are going from bad to worse.
Here are the best Euphoria fan theories we’ve seen after episode five.
Maddy’s Got “The Tape,” And She’s Going To Use It: The tape — yes, that tape — hasn’t really been mentioned much this season save for a passing comment by Nate after his dad questioned him about that brutal confrontation with Fez. Nate revealed he knew Cal was sleeping with Jules, leading his dad to believe Nate had the secret tape he filmed during his hotel rendezvous with the teen. Of course, Nate doesn’t have the tape anymore — Maddy took it when they were still together. It’s likely she’s watched the thing but before now, the possibility of her using it against Nate seemed fairly low. She’s friends with Jules after all and, unlike most of the other kids on this show, Maddy’s actually a decent human being. That said, she’s also out for revenge after learning her best friend has been boinking her ex-boyfriend behind her back. That level of betrayal can push even the saintliest of women to do terrible things. In the promo for episode six, Maddy can be heard threatening to literally kill Cassie — which, fair — but she ominously hints that she’s got other plans for Nate before the camera cuts to the burned CD. Someone warn Jules, please.
Nate Will Hold Maddy At Gunpoint: Again, this sex tape is causing all kinds of trouble in next week’s episode. In the promo, a very determined Nate can be seen working out and prepping himself to do something … serious. He warns someone he’s “not going to apologize” and though the camera pans to Cassie’s face when he says this, the background of the scene looks to be in Maddy’s room — the pink, floral wallpaper is pretty recognizable. There are also clips of Maddy crying along with a shot of the gun next to the CD, both sitting on what looks like a leather car seat. So, here’s the theory: Nate is going to threaten Maddy to get the tape back. Some fans think the only reason Nate was trying to get back into Maddy’s good graces is because he wanted video but now that that bridge is burned, he’s going to take drastic measures.
Nate And Jules Will Reconcile: Euphoria’s second season seems to be obsessed with the idea of redemption, especially for its problematic white men. They’ve spent a lot of time diving into Cal’s journey as a closeted gay man, and Nate has morphed from a violent abuser of women to a more quietly-menacing lovesick idiot. In the latest promo, Jules can be heard asking if someone can “became a good person.” The assumption is that she’s talking to Rue, who seems to be trying to get clean again, but she could also be talking to Nate. Jacob Elordi posted a photo of himself and Hunter Schafer in the front seat of Nate’s car. Could Nate be returning the tape to Jules and trying to make amends for how terribly he treated her in season one?
Fez Is In Trouble: There are no new glimpses of Fez or Ashtray in the promo for episode six but we do see a shot of Faye taking out the trash at Fez’s house. Faye’s staying there to avoid attention from the police after pushing that hotel manager off the balcony which means she’s been observing everything going on in that house in the background. She knows about Mouse’s murder. She knows about Fez dealing drugs. And just a couple of episodes ago, her boyfriend Custer came to Fez freaked out because Mouse’s baby mama was asking questions. Fez has a lot of heat on him right now coming from many different sides and it feels like his storyline is a bit of a ticking time bomb. Sorry Lezco fans.
Watch the promo for episode six below: