![]() There, we learn just how morally bankrupt the monotone, pajama-clad drug pusher really is: “You want to know a funny thing about me?” she asks Rue. Shading humor into “Run, Rue, Run” - let alone the unrelentingly bleak “Euphoria” itself - pays dividends, especially when the fleeing central figure reaches her final destination: Laurie’s apartment. ![]() (Levinson even follows the rule of threes when it comes to canines, starting with the tamed guard dog, moving to the junkyard rottweilers, and ending on a pair of yipping little puppers, politely ushering Rue off their lawn.) He’s hiding behind some bushes as Rue cuts through her first backyard he’s inside a home where the only occupant is a cat crossing a long table while Rue scoots past the pool outside and, my personal favorite, he tilts the frame up to discover Rue on top of a garage before tracking her jump down, using the closing door as her makeshift slide. From there, Levinson’s camera gets creative. Once Rue loses her lunch in front of a suspicious patrol officer, the chase is on - there’s even an overhead zoom on Zendaya booking it down an alley, cop car close behind, reminiscent of police pursuits captured by local news helicopters. It’s also when Levinson’s frenetic energy is put to best use. (Part of me wants to believe the entire episode is an ode to Kramer’s quest to find an open restroom on “Seinfeld,” but even if not, Zendaya’s hunched running style must be.) Storm Reid in “Euphoria” Eddy Chen / HBO Of course, she gets busted, and her initial odyssey - driven by dueling desires to ingest drugs and relieve her digestion - takes a darker turn. Then she slides under a closing garage door, like a hat-less Indiana Jones, so she can steal enough luxury items to pay back her debt to Laurie (Martha Kelly). Next, she visits Fez (Angus Cloud) and has to be forcibly removed when she goes looking for pills. (The staging of that moment, however, leaves a lot to be desired it’s hard to believe Leslie would pay any attention to those bickering girls, let alone yell after them long enough to let Rue leave unnoticed.) ![]() The focus shifts, and Rue takes advantage of the distraction to elude her mother’s aide once more. ![]() (Sweeney, it must be said, is having a stellar season.) The adults try to keep the focus on Rue, who they’re trying to convince to go back to rehab, but the bomb she dropped is too big. Cassie can barely speak, trying in vain to deny the allegation even though the fear on her face is all the confirmation anyone needs. Their reaction is about what you expect: Maddy starts threatening her now-former best friend. Most notably, Rue unveils the most critical secret of Season 2, telling Maddy (Alexa Demie) and the rest of her friends that Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) has been sleeping with Nate (Jacob Elordi). The visceral journey they create reflects the kind of raw, swirling energy “Euphoria” specializes in, and the added conflict Rue sparks across town should bring about a dramatic second half to the season. Zendaya commits just as thoroughly, even performing a few stunts (or appearing to) that add to the near-constant tension of her desperate evasions. Writer/director Sam Levinson throws all he has into her attempted flight, establishing a thrilling chase that culminates with a terrifying escape. “Stand Still Like a Hummingbird” is a perfect title for an episode devoted to Rue’s constant motion, leading nowhere. ‘White House Plumbers’ Review: Woody Harrelson & Justin Theroux Make Fine Stooges in Watergate Farce
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