And Salt the Earth Behind You

And Salt the Earth Behind You
Episode Information
Airdate	August 4, 2019
Written by	Sam Levinson
Directed by	Sam Levinson
Executive Producer	Sam Levinson Kevin Turen Ravi Nandan Drake Adel Nur Jim Kleverweis Ron Leshem Daphna Levin Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein Gary Lennon Mirit Toovi Tmira Yardeni Yoram Mokady
Run Time	1 HR 5 MIN
Episode Guide
Previous	The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed
Next	Trouble Don't Last Always

And Salt the Earth Behind You is the eighth and final episode of the first season of Euphoria, and is the eighth episode of the series overall. It was released on August 4, 2019 on HBO.

For the episode transcript, see here.

Synopsis

In the Season One Finale, it's the winter formal at East Highland. Rue attempts to repair her relationship with Jules and stands up to Nate. Cassie and Maddy reevaluate their relationships.

Plot

SPOILERS AHEAD

This episode begins right at the heart of the drama, following Rue as she tackles her kidney infection. She refuses to take Vicodin and blissfully revels in the lack of responsibilities she has in hospital while recovering. Life is good. Of course, this is fleeting at best as Rue is sucked back into her teen angst as Jules tells her about her time away and they both curse Nate Jacobs together.

It’s the night of the Winter formal at school and most of the teens prepare excitedly for the big night. We see each of them getting dressed up at home, including Fezco who dons a hooded jacket and eyes himself in the mirror before leaving with a loaded gun. Beautifully poetic narration from Rue’s Mum colours this portion of the episode too, discussing symmetry and balance, as we cut (presumably) forward in time.

At the Winter formal, Nate and Maddy are seen to be angered at each other, again, and begin to dance with other people to spite one another. It is revealed that a few nights before the formal that Nate and Maddy had non-sex, where Nate could not get an erection. This awkward situation escalates into an argument, with Maddy bringing up the photos of penises on Nate's phone and his confusion about his own sexuality. Nate rebuffs her and storms off. She later finds a DVD hidden between a book, steals it and watches it. We don't see what is actually on the DVD (probably Cal's sex tapes), but it has Maddy shocked and speechless. Later, Nate asks Maddy to dance and in the midst, she tells him that they may not be destined for one another and they should break up, to which Nate only responds, "I know."

Kat finally comes clean to Ethan about how she feels. They decide to leave together while Cassie and Lex wish them the best.

Rue catches up with Nate soon after and threatens him, telling him he can mess up his life but Nate bites back – telling him she doesn’t know everything about Jules. Nate knows exactly how to hit her where it hurts though, digging in to her own insecurities around her best friend and lover. This inevitably leads Rue and Jules to talk, as she asks whether she’s in love before deciding to leave town together.

As the episode reaches its crescendo, we cut between various characters as they hit breaking point. Cassie has an abortion, Rue and Jules tell each other how they really feel while Fezco robs a high-ranking official. As he stacks wads of cash into a bag, unbeknownst to him the man’s son watches on from the hallway. It turns out the robbery was essential – a play to square things with his dealer before ending in bloodshed.

Before Jules and Rue can leave town, Rue has second thoughts, deciding this isn’t the life for her. She says her goodbyes and watches as the train leaves the station – both metaphorically and physically. After her stint with drugs, everything appears to be coming into perspective for Rue and one final montage sees her understand the damage her drug addiction has had on her family. However, this happens to be a double bluff as the final scene of the episode sees Rue return to a life of drugs, beginning her slippery slope all over again.

Credits

Cast

Starring Zendaya as Rue Bennett Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard Angus Cloud as Fezco Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs Barbie Ferreira as Kat Hernandez Nika King as Leslie Bennett Storm Reid as Gia Bennett Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn Algee Smith as Chris McKay (Credited despite absence) Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard Guest Starring Alanna Ubach as Suze Austin Abrams as Ethan Elpidia Carrillo as Sonia Paula Marshall as Marsha Tyler Chase as Custer John Ales as David Mercedes Colon as Kat's Mom Allie Marie Evans as Natalie

Co-Starring Meeko as Mouse Janice LeAnn Brown as 6-Year-Old Rue Brynda Mattox as Fezco's Grandmother Bruce Wexler as Robert Caleb Coffee as Young Kid Evans Forde as Wealthy Man Anthony S. Johnson as Doctor Chuck McCollum as Surgeon Evan Michael and Mel Fair as Football Announcers Jarrett Austin Brown as Friend Roy Lee Jones as Man In Waiting Room Rebecca Lee as Hospital Nurse Stevvi Alexander as Nurse Kamilah Barrett-Forster as Station Employee Ryan Bertroche as Random Hot Guy

Trivia

• In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hunter Schafer confirmed that Rue did relapse in this episode.

Multimedia

Soundtrack

Song	Artist	Album	Scene
A Song for You	Donny Hathaway	Donny Hathaway	Montage of Rue and family after Jules leaves. Rue's dad dies, family fights, Rue puts on her dad's hoodie.
Stay Flo	Solange Knowles	When I Get Home	Jules dressing up Rue for formal.
Queen Of This Shit	Quay Dash	Queen Of This Shit	When Rue & Jules leave the bathroom after the awkward kiss proposal to go dance!
Loner	Kali Uchis	Por Vida	Maddy and Nate slow dancing and maddy suggesting they break up
Euphoria	Jungkook (BTS)	Love Yourself: Answer	Kat and Ethan talking
Blow the Whistle	Too Short	Blow the Whistle	Rue and Jules dancing.
Dangerous (Oliver Remix)	Big Data		Song playing at Winter Formal.
Mi Gente	J Balvin, Willy William	Mi Gente (Moska Remix)	Song playing at Winter Formal.
My Body Is a Cage	Arcade Fire	Neon Bible	When Cassie is getting an abortion, ice skating scene, Fez is robbing that guy.
All For Us - from the HBO Original Series Euphoria	Labrinth & Zendaya	All For Us	Rue lies on her bed after relapsing. Musical dance.

Gallery

Euphoria season 1 episode 8 promo HBO

Euphoria unfiltered zendaya and hunter schafer on rue and jules HBO

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