One thing we never really got much of in Euphoria was scenes between Rue and Nate. We got plenty of Rue talking about Nate and plenty of Nate affecting Rue’s life indirectly, but very few actual conversations between the two of them.
That’s why this scene in the season 1 finale hits a little harder than people realize. It almost feels like the first time these two characters truly acknowledge each other directly. It also shows just how attached Rue is to Jules because she’s willing to confront someone as dangerous and abusive as Nate despite knowing exactly who he is.
What makes the scene even better is that Nate does what Nate always does: he finds the one thing that will emotionally destroy the person standing in front of him and says it. He basically tells Rue that her relationship with Jules is temporary and won’t last, which completely gets inside her head because deep down that’s already one of her biggest fears.
That’s what makes Nate such an effective antagonist. He understands people’s insecurities almost instinctively and knows exactly where to apply pressure.
What’s interesting though is that Rue doesn’t fully understand Nate’s own feelings toward Jules. From Nate’s perspective, there’s almost a layer of jealousy underneath everything he says. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he’s emotionally invested in Jules too. So part of the scene almost feels like Nate saying: if I can’t have Jules, neither can you.
#euphoria