Warning: This article contains spoilers for Euphoria’s season 3 finale, now streaming on HBO Max.
NEED TO KNOW
Zendaya’s mom reacted to Euphoria’s season 3 finale
The final episode revealed the fate of her daughter’s character, Rue Bennett
“Lots of messages in my DM’s from people about last night’s episode,” Claire Stoermer wrote on Instagram
Zendaya’s mom is sounding off on the end of Euphoria.
On Monday, June 1, Claire Stoermer shared a message with fans on her Instagram Stories after the drama’s season 3 finale aired on HBO Sunday, May 31.
The season wrapped with the heartbreaking death of Zendaya’s Rue Bennett, who overdoses on laced painkillers given to her by Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Series creator Sam Levinson has since confirmed season 3 will mark the show’s last, and he said Rue’s fate “felt like the honest ending.”
“Lots of messages in my DM’s from people about last night’s episode,” Stoermer wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I’m gonna keep my thoughts to myself. Definitely made me sad….and other emotions as well. But just gonna leave it right there…”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Claire Stoermer shares reaction to ‘Euphoria’ season 3
Credit: Claire Stoermer/Instagram
Zendaya’s work as Rue has earned her two Emmys since the series premiered in 2019. The actress, 29, scored the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in both 2020 and 2022, becoming the youngest person ever to win the award after her initial win.
In a post-episode behind-the-scenes breakdown, Levinson, 41, explained his decision to kill off Rue in the finale.
“The honest ending is that people like Rue don’t make it,” Levinson said. “People relapse. They f— up. They’re not ready to get clean. And they weren’t dying like they are now, with the influx of fentanyl into this country,.”
“I can say with absolute certainly that if I was going through what I went through when I was younger now, I wouldn’t be here either. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. I wanted to tell this story for Angus [Cloud] and for people who weren’t granted a second chance,” he added, referring to the fellow series star who died of an accidental overdose on July 31, 2023, at age 25.
Levinson also discussed the show’s ending in his Popcast interview on Monday, June 1, calling it “a tragic one in the end — but it’s also the truth.” He also called it a tribute to Cloud, who makes a brief appearance in the finale with never-before-seen footage. “It was a way of honoring Angus and saying a prayer for the future,” Levinson said.
“In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me,” he added in the interview.
Zendaya and Claire Stoermer
Credit: Claire Stoermer/Instagram
In the third season’s behind-the-scenes breakdown, Zendaya offered an emotional goodbye to her colleagues on set. “I just want to say thank you,” she said. “I’m incredibly grateful for every single one of you. Many of you have been here since the beginning and watched me grow up. It’s been such a pleasure and an honor. Thank you so much.”
Rue wasn’t the only character who learned her fate during Euphoria’s third season. The show also said goodbye to Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs, whose money troubles found him buried alive in a coffin and coming face-to-face with a rattlesnake. “I had to go into this coffin. My shoulders were touching the side, and I couldn’t move my arms, and then they would drill the lid on, and it would get dark,” Elordi, 28, said during a post-show segment that aired May 24 on HBO. “It was really nice, actually. It was quite peaceful in there.”
Ultimately, Elordi called it a “cool way to go.”
“Nate is someone who’s made so many mistakes and made so many dark choices. It’s cool to see it all come to what it’s come to,” Elordi said of the character.
All three seasons of Euphoria are available to stream on HBO Max.
Read the original article on People