10 'Euphoria' Theories That Are So Wild, They Just Might Be True

This theory has been explored in great detail, and for the most part, it's pretty darn convincing. The idea is that Rue, who serves as the show's seemingly omniscient narrator in addition to having her own storyline, has actually been dead the entire time, and has been speaking to audiences from beyond the grave. In addition to Rue's dangerous drug habits, clues that support this idea include the number of times characters have alluded to her death, as well as Rue's knowledge of secrets about characters that she should have no way of knowing, unless there is some post-mortem mysticism going on.

Convinced yet? Well, here's a twist: On July 11, HBO announced that Season 2 of Euphoria is officially happening, and when Zendaya tweeted her excitement about the news, fans began to give Rue's death theory another thought.

If Zendaya tweeted about the renewal, that means she'll still be part of the show for Season 2, and therefore Rue can't die at the end of the first season, right? Right?? Seems like only time will tell for this one.

Well this is a much happier alternative for Euphoria's main character. And, bonus: It's actually based on fact. A post on Reddit explains the theory, which has to do with the real-life experience of Euphoria's creator Sam Levinson:

I don’t understand why everyone is saying Rue is gonna be dead by the end of the season. Zendaya has confirmed that Rue is based off of Sam Levinson’s life which can most likely mean Rue gets her life together and becomes sober.

Levinson, who is open about his history with drug abuse, has stated multiple times that he pulled from moments in his own life to make the show. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said: "I just write myself and what I was feeling and what I was going through when I was younger and I was dealing with addiction."

Some fans think this theory takes Levinson's words a little too literally, and that just because the series' creator got sober doesn't mean his main character will. But hey, Rue stans can dream.

Zendaya's character just can't catch a break! Though those in the "Rue is def dead" camp largely believe she will die from a drug-related incident, there is another contingent that thinks her death will be at the hands of another character — namely, Nate. The troubled jock has already proven himself to be both physically and emotionally abusive, so it's not too much of a stretch to believe his cruelty might manifest in this way. A theory posted on Tumblr lays it all out, explaining that Rue could end up dying while trying to protect Jules from Nate.

The original poster even took the theory a step further, throwing in an interesting prediction for the upcoming season:

And then I think Cal, Nate’s dad, will take the blame for the murder and give a jumping off point for season 2.

In Episode 4, Jules finally had her rendezvous with "Tyler," the guy she was chatting (and falling in love) with over the phone. Unfortunately, she soon found out that her dream guy was actually a nightmare, in the form of Nate, who had been posing as someone else in order to get to her. Nate was initially affectionate and seemingly genuine during their face-to-face meeting, but it turned dark quickly. He revealed that he had been compiling evidence to get Jules in trouble for creating and distributing child pornography — in the form of nudes she took of herself and sent to him, or rather, "Tyler."

However, as Nate painted a very grim future of Jules being treated "like an animal" for winding up on a sex offender list, it's possible that he could have been foreshadowing his own fate. Viewers know that there is a slew of dick pics on the dude's phone, and it's possible that some of those photos were taken of minors. Further, as one user on Reddit pointed out, Nate is part of the group who showed McKay the video of Cassie having sex; if that video is on Nate's phone, he could get into big trouble for possessing (and probably distributing) child porn.

There are a lot of adjectives that can be used to describe Nate, but one of them is certainly not "simple." His complicated persona is especially apparent in his relationship with Jules. As of Episode 4, it's still not quite clear whether he actually likes her, or his affections are just an elaborate ruse to intimidate or hurt her. This theory is based on the latter idea.

A fan on Reddit hypothesizes that Nate habitually tracks down all of the people he sees in his father's homemade sex tapes. "I think Nate tracks down each person his dad hooks up with, baits them, and then gives the same threat he gives to Jules," the post reads. "It would explain why there’s so many dicks in his phone, so everybody who uses the app wouldn’t figure out which pictures were his bait."

Of course, there's the question of how, exactly, Nate would be able to find all of these people, especially if he is using a hookup app to communicate. But honestly, the dude is so unpredictable, it's not totally out there to believe that he would find a way.

OK, this one is a bit of stretch, but hear me out. Earlier in the season, viewers saw a portrait of Nate's family, which included Nate, his dad, his mom, and two other boys. One of those turned out to be Nate's older brother, Aaron, but there was no mention of who the other one could be. One theory on Reddit suggests that Fezco could be the other brother.

The theory originally suggested that the two boys accompanying Nate in the photo were Euphoria's lovable drug dealing duo Fezco and Ashtray. However, because viewers know that one of the boys is Aaron, and because Ashtray is significantly younger than the rest of the cast, proponents of this theory could rule out the younger dealer and focus on Fez. The idea is that Fezco ran away from home, dropped out of high school, and started selling drugs to get by.

However, in Episode 1, viewers saw Fez selling drugs to Nate in what seemed like a pretty average interaction. If they are somehow long-lost brothers, wouldn't their relationship be a bit more strained?

Many fans have speculated about what Euphoria's narration style actually means. While some believe Rue's storytelling indicate that she is dead and speaking directly to the audience, another theory brings to light a different perspective.

In Episode 3, Rue met Ali when he called her out for lying about her sobriety at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Ali, who is in recovery, told Rue to call him when she was serious about getting sober. At the end of the episode, when she was feeling particularly low, Rue indeed called him, and the start of Episode 4 saw the two of them talking over pancakes.

Their meeting sparked an idea in at least one viewer, who posted on Reddit:

I wonder if all the narration is going to be Rue confiding in Ali at pancake meetings.

This theory still doesn't explain how Rue knows so many private details about her classmates, but if it means Rue isn't dead after all, I'm on board.

One of the most troubling relationships on the show — and there are a lot to choose from — is the one between Maddy and Nate. Though Nate claims to love Maddy, he has been both physically and emotionally abusive toward her, and in Episode 5 when he was questioned for his alleged violence toward Maddy, he cunningly painted her in a negative light for investigators. Rue explained in the episode's opener that Maddy will love Nate despite all his flaws, some fans believe she will eventually turn on him. A fan on Reddit wrote:

Since Rue's narration in this week's episode made a point of saying Maddy is able to get what she wants out of Nate, I wouldn't be surprised if her going back to him and being all apologetic is just a ruse in order to f*ck him over even more.

The theory also points to a detail in the show's Season 1 trailer for further proof. In the video, Maddy is briefly shown dancing with Jules. This could mean that the two will bond over their experiences with Nate, and potentially band together to get back at him. You go, girls!

Lexi is seemingly one of the most level-headed on the show. As of Episode 5, there has been no sign of major conflict in her life, though as Rue's childhood friend and Cassie's younger sister, there are plenty of peripheral issues for her to deal with. As the series has progressed, fans have grown more and more invested in Lexi's relationship with Rue. Originally introduced as Rue's childhood friend, Lexi's lingering looks at Rue have led some viewers to believe there are more than friendship vibes going on.

However, other fans are pretty sure the secondary character is simply lonely, and wants to be there for her friend. Considering the show's tendency to focus on different characters each episode, it's possible viewers will soon learn more about the inner workings of Lexi.

With so much sex on the show, it would be easy for one of the characters to end up pregnant. Theories on Reddit point to Cassie as the one likely to get pregnant, though others believe it might be Kat.

However, many fans have said that a teen pregnancy storyline is overdone, and would be too easy for a complicated show like Euphoria.

To find out which of these theories prove true, fans can watch Euphoria on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.