‘Euphoria’ Fans Are Calling The New Special Therapeutic Because It’s So Real

While the wait for Season 2 of Euphoria continues, the HBO drama gave fans a special treat to help for the holidays. On Friday, Dec. 4, a standalone Euphoria episode called "Trouble Don't Last Always" became available to stream on HBO Max a few days ahead of its airing on HBO on Sunday, Dec. 6. Fans were excited to check back in on Rue, and these tweets about Euphoria's special episode praised the much more serious tone of the pared-down episode.

"Trouble Don't Last Always" was a notable departure from Euphoria's usual tone and structure. Rather than featuring the whole ensemble cast, the special centered entirely on only two characters: Rue and her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Ali. Set entirely at a diner booth, the episode depicted a tough conversation between Rue and Ali after Ali realizes that Rue has relapsed and begun using drugs again. As fans will recall, Season 1 ended with Jules leaving Rue behind as she left the city, and a big musical number suggested a devastated Rue had relapsed because of Jules' departure.

Since the entirety of "Trouble Don't Last Always" was a heavy, philosophical conversation about life, death, and how people want to be remembered, fans noted how it felt like a therapy session. On Twitter, viewers agreed that watching Rue and Ali hash things out was not only therapeutic for the characters, but also for everyone watching.

The special episode arrived over a year after Season 1 ended last fall, and as the hype around Season 2 has only continued to grow. In September, Zendaya made history as the youngest person to ever win the Best Actress in a Drama Series trophy at the Emmys, and fans pointed out that her raw performance in the new special proved even more why she deserved that award.

Following "Trouble Don't Last Always," Euphoria will release another special episode later this month, although HBO has yet to reveal when the second special will premiere. Since this first special focused on Rue, fans are assuming the second one may be about Jules' new life in the big city. Look for the second special episode of Euphoria to air on HBO sometime in December.