The second season of Euphoria has largely focused on other characters like Cassie and Cal, so it's been easy to forget that this is supposed to be Rue's story.
But Zendaya told Entertainment Weekly that the shift in focus can be partly attributed to Rue's drug addiction, which has distorted her view of reality. So while Sam Levinson wanted to highlight other stories, she said, "It's kind of also Rue as an unreliable narrator, in the sense that she's just trying to skate by without people noticing that she's doing what she's doing, and trying not to get caught."
In other words, we as viewers haven't fully grasped the extent of Rue's addiction because we've been distracted by the Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Nate (Jacob Elordi) and Maddy (Alexa Demie) love triangle, as well as Cal (Eric Dane's) breakdown.
But by the time episode five rolls around, Rue can no longer hide from the consequences of her own actions, especially after Jules (Hunter Schafer) tells Rue's mom about her relapse. What follows is an intense intervention, a police chase and Rue being drugged by Julie (Marie O'Neill).
To portray how Rue has "lost all control of who she is," Zendaya said they felt the need to swiftly change the tone of the season. "We cut right into an intervention," she explained, "and it's Rue just ripping her life apart and setting her life on fire and kind of tearing everything to the ground to basically come to hopefully what feels like rock bottom for her."
It was an emotionally and physically taxing scene for Zendaya and co-stars Nika King (Leslie Bennett) and Storm Reid (Gia Bennett) to film, with the Dune actress sharing, "it was a very tough day. I mean, I beat myself up. I still have some scars on my legs, and got quite a few bruises."
In one harrowing moment, Rue kicks down the door to Gia's room as Leslie shields the youngest daughter from the violence. Social media users applauded the acting, with many people remarking that this will earn Zendaya her second Emmy award.
But Zendaya wouldn't be able to achieve such accolades if she didn't have the support of her co-stars. "I'm very grateful that I'm in a space where I feel comfortable and safe, and with actors and actresses that I'm obviously very close with," she shared. "After every take, we're hugging each other, we're talking through it, we're embracing, checking in, because obviously it's like a war zone."
Though the chaotic episode ended on a cliffhanger, Zendaya asked that fans not give up hope on Rue just yet. She may be a flawed person, Zendaya said, but "it's really important that there's light at the end of the tunnel for her, because I think she has a lot of beauty inside of her."
Euphoria airs on HBO Sundays at 9 p.m.