Euphoria Season 3 Episode 6 “Stand Still and See” on HBO ends with Rue Bennett (Zendaya) believing that she has been given proof at last that God exists. Not only did she narrowly avoid death in the episode’s opening — thanks to convincing Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) that she could get his money back — but she also cheated death again on the highway. When she gets out of her car, she sees a burning bush, like Moses did in the Bible, that she takes as proof God is real. (In fact, the inspiration behind this episode’s title is Moses proclaiming “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” in Exodus.)
However, Rue’s repeated moments of religious grace — and her call with her mother Leslie Bennett (Nika King) might not be the positive signs she thinks they are…
**Spoilers for Euphoria Season 3 Episode 6 “Stand Still and See,” now streaming on HBO Max**
While Rue repeatedly expresses her thanks to and belief in God throughout Euphoria Season 3 Episode 6, there might be far sinister forces at work beyond what she can see. Yes, she managed to impress the federal agents who have been using her as a mole, and, sure, she had a beautiful call with her mother Leslie in a church. However, Bishop’s (Darrell Britt-Gibson) warning to Rue toward the end of this week’s Euphoria make us wonder if the mystical signs she’s seeing aren’t quite what they appear to be — save for that burning bush at the end?
You see, as soon as Rue happily delivers the 3D printed key to Laurie’s (Martha Kelly) safe to Alamo, he turns the tables on her. “You need it more than I do,” he says. “It’s your plan. Don’t you want to see it through?”
It turns out that Alamo wants Rue to infiltrate Laurie’s base and break into the safe herself, putting her in a state of extreme danger on the eve of the DEA’s operation to arrest everyone. What’s more is that suddenly a rat is dangled in her face. You know, because Alamo’s team still thinks she may be a rat. And because Alamo’s python needs to be fed.
Bishop and Rue feed the snake and Bishop tells Rue the lore behind the creature. There used to be a dancer at the club named Sugar who loved the snake and used him in a kinky routine. Every night she would sleep with the serpent and he would lovingly coil around her body. One day, the snake stopped eating frozen mice. She switched to live ones. The snake still wouldn’t eat. Worried, Sugar took the animal to the vet who informed her that he was absolutely healthy: “The reason it wraps itself around you at night is because it’s sizing you up. And the reason it ain’t eating is because it’s preparing for a much larger meal.”
Sugar told Alamo about this and he thought it was hysterical and offered her a vast sum of money for the python. Why? As Bishop says, “Because it’s a reminder. You never really know a motherfucker’s true intentions.”
Then, after Rue assures Bishop that she won’t let Alamo down, he says, “Good. It’d be real awkward if I lied to your mother… Leslie. Nice lady. Told her how well you’re doing.”
This revelation not only warns Rue that Alamo will hurt her mother if she messes up, but it also reframes a monumental scene in the episode. One that ties into that Biblical final scene…
Euphoria Season 3 Episode 6 Ending Explained: Why Did Rue’s Mother Really Call Her?
Euphoria Season 3 Episode 6 “Stand Still and See” features a gorgeous long-take scene wherein we watch Rue, in a church, have a tender heart-to-heart with her mother over the phone. Rue is in the church because she has to waste an hour while the dupe key is printed and is honestly surprised her mother is calling. Not only did Leslie refuse to answer Rue’s calls earlier in the season, but Rue herself assumes “Mom Cell” is the DEA line.
However, as soon as Rue realizes her mother has reached out, she tells her where she is and that she believes in God. The idea of God is appealing to Rue because if He exists, so does redemption, and from there, salvation. She begins to explain that she wishes she could undo all of her wrongs.
“I want to start over and I want to be forgiven,” Rue says. She apologies and promises that she’ll be home soon.
For only a few seconds, the camera cuts to Leslie, who simply says, “I love you, Rue.”
It’s a beautiful scene, that when buttressed by the final image of Rue kneeling before a burning bush, seems to suggest that maybe God is real in Euphoria and maybe Rue will make it out alive.
Here’s the problem with this optimistic take: Up until the snake story scene with Bishop, we have no reason to suspect why Leslie called besides she missed her daughter. Now, it seems as though Bishop’s visit to Leslie was probably the instigating factor. Which means there is a sinister undercurrent to that otherwise lovely church scene. Mom’s reaching out because one of Alamo’s goons paid her a visit.
When you add the metaphor of the python feigning love to pounce and the cold open flashback to Alamo’s own mother (Danielle Deadwyler) including him in her evil, elaborate con, and you have to be wary of all these positive signs that Rue is seeing that tell her God is looking out for her. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Maybe a dry bush in the desert caught flame from a spark caused by Rue’s accident.
There are only two more episodes left in Euphoria‘s run.
New episodes of Euphoria come out on Sunday nights at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.
