15 Most Memorable Quotes From The Jules Special

15 Most Memorable Quotes From The Jules Special

Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the HBO show Euphoria, as well as discussions of drug addiction, abuse, self-harm, and suicide.

While waiting for season 2, fans satiated their Euphoria cravings by watching two specials that featured Rue Bennett and Jules Vaughn. One of the best things about the show is definitely Jules. Not only is Hunter Schafer’s character a massive step forward in trans-representation, but the show also didn’t reduce Jules to her gender identity. She’s one of the most likable and complex characters on the show, so it was definitely interesting to see a therapist pick her brain during her special episode, called “F*ck Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob.”

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RELATED: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Jules (& 5 Times We Hated Her) In Euphoria

Viewers typically experience the narrative from Rue’s point of view, which is by default unreliable. It was really interesting to see just what life was like for Jules during season 1. After watching the special, a lot of things fell into place, for example why she got so drunk at Halloween and how she felt about Rue all along.

Updated on March 11th, 2022, by Hannah Saab: Jules’ powerful quotes from her special episode really helped put things into perspective for the second season of Euphoria. Those who have never seen the episode may not have fully understood her actions in the show so far. It’s definitely a special that’s worth rewatching just to better grasp what’s going on in Jules’ mind and the thought process that is going into how she continues to change in the series.

“I’ve Had A Really Hard Six Months.”

Jules in Euphoria special episode

During her therapy session, Jules realized what was pretty obvious to the viewers all along: she had a really hard time adjusting to her new environment. Not only that, but she is also the character with the saddest backstory.

She continued saying that “a bunch of s**t happened at once” without explicitly telling the therapist about Nate’s blackmailing. She probably doesn’t trust the therapist enough just yet, and it’s not clear if she’s continuing to see her during season 2. Fans can only hope that she is, as just a single session has unearthed so many things about her life and traumas.

“I Think I Want To Be As Beautiful As The Ocean.”

jules lying on the beach in euphoria

Jules has a deep-rooted relationship with the ocean, starting all the way back from her trips with her grandmother. She marvels at its perpetually moving glory and aspires to become as beautiful as the ocean at some point in her life. Little does she know that she already is, simply by existing and being herself.

This quote is memorable on its own but even more so when viewers recall a line Rue delivered in her special episodes about how she feels regarding the ocean. For Jules, the ocean is a stunning representation of how both masculinity and femininity can create something so gorgeous and powerful.

“It Was Just Pure F****** Imagination.”

nate and jules in the euphoria special

The Jules special offered a lot of insight into the ways in which Jules thinks. After telling the therapist that sexting with ShyGuy was the best sex she ever had, she explained that “it was just pure f*cking imagination,” and there’s nothing that an Aquarian like Jules loves more than freedom of expression and the power of imagination.

Some fans believe that Jules doesn’t truly love Rue, otherwise she wouldn’t be crushing on her anonymous online friend. This episode beautifully explained why falling for ShyGuy was so easy: it was the ultimate escape from her emotionally messy reality. Judging Jules for that is very short-sighted and counter-productive.

“At Least For Me, Being Trans Is Spiritual.”

Euphoria Jules episode

What’s it like being trans? Jules didn’t spend a lot of time talking about it, as she had bigger fish to fry. Besides mentioning that she’d like to go off her hormones, she described that to her, being trans is spiritual.

RELATED: 9 Things To Know About Zendaya And Hunter Schafer’s Friendship

Jules explained being trans as something that belongs to her. It’s deeply personal rather than something “religious.” As she put it, it’s about “staying alive” and is obviously a process that’s hers and hers alone, even if it means she might lose Rue in that journey.

“Somewhere Along The Way, I Feel Like The Femininity Conquered Me.”

Jules On Halloween In Euphoria

Jules explains at one point how her “entire life” she has been “trying to conquer femininity,” but now it feels like femininity has conquered her. She went on to explain what she meant by this profound statement: “Well, most girls when you first talk to them, they like automatically analyze and compare themselves to you, and then you know, they search for where you fit in their hierarchy and then they treat you accordingly,” defining the hierarchy as “how close you are to what they all collectively want to be.”

She has come a long way and realized that femininity can’t be boxed in like that. It’s not just the trendy clothes and glamorous makeup that makes one feminine, and it’s certainly not the judgment of one’s peers.

“I Think That Gap Was Closing.”

jules and her therapist euphoria special

Jules is no stranger to self-harm, as was made obvious in two episodes of Euphoria’s first season. She slit her wrists open without batting an eye, freaking out Nate and the rest of the party. When the therapist asks her whether she thought of hurting herself, Jules replied that there is a difference between thinking about it and wanting to do it, but as she eloquently put it, “that gap was closing.”

Jules put such a complicated mental state into very simple words, hitting the nail right on its head. She also quickly follows it up with a recollection of her running away at the train station to escape that closing gap, which helps fans understand her state of mind at that time.

“Real Life Is Always Such A Letdown.”

jules on the train euphoria

Jules shared how she felt about real life – she thought it was always such a letdown. The world in her head, however, was different. Jules explained that it’s easier to talk to people online since you can be more honest, open, and vulnerable. And while Rue had her suspicions about Jules opening up to a stranger online, Jules felt seen and validated.

Jules understands why real life seems like such a letdown to her: it’s because half of every relationship exists solely in her head as a fantasy. It’s easy to imagine that thousands of others may feel like this, especially considering how so many people present themselves differently online.

“Without The Self-Criticism, I’d Be Lost.”

euphoria jules special

Those who think that their inner critic is a necessary companion in life probably felt as if Jules was reading their minds when she told the therapist that in her opinion, self-criticism is necessary. Without it, she says she’d be lost.

RELATED: 10 Best Quotes From Season 2 Of Euphoria

The therapist suggested that rather than lost, she might be free. She also told her that she is being too hard on herself and that it’s important that she realizes that. Jules is yet to find the balance between healthy introspection and unwarranted self-criticism. She perhaps expects too much from herself and doesn’t yet realize how amazing she already is.

“I Feel Like Her Sobriety Is Completely Dependent On How Available I Am To Her.”

This quote supports the statement that Rue and Jules are not good for each other. The therapist lightly suggested that Jules feels the same way about Rue as she does about her mother: “The same person who saw you, who truly saw you, the same way your mom did when you were a baby, was also incapable of seeing how her addictions affected you.”

Jules carried a burden no person should carry: she felt responsible for Rue’s life, wondering whether she’d relapse if Jules did something as trivial as refusing to sleep over on a weekday.

“I Feel Like I’ve Framed My Entire Womanhood Around Men.”

Jules and Elliot in bed in Euphoria.

Jules thought a lot about what it means to be a woman and who decides that, which is perfectly summed up in this quote. She felt embarrassed about it and even admitted to struggling from an impostor syndrome, feeling like a fraud.

The truth is that a lot of people frame their womanhood around men and what they think men desire – Maddy and Cassie are glaring examples on the show. Hopefully, Jules will bring this topic of conversation to her friends as well. It’s certainly worth discussing.

“What Men Want Is So Boring And Simple.”

Jules stands nervously in the liquor store in Euphoria

Jules describes “what men want” as boring, simple, and “not creative,” which speaks volumes about her interactions so far with men on the show. She finds it embarrassing to think about how she has spent a large part of her life dressing, acting, and changing for men, when she should have been doing so for herself.

It’s incredible to hear Jules realize all of this about herself, and even more remarkable to think about how she’s actively taking steps to be more true to what she wants and not what others expect from her.

“Rue Is The First Girl That Didn’t Just Look At Me, She Actually Saw Me.”

Jules' eye with Rue's reflection in Euphoria.

Considering everything she has said about how other girls are constantly judging her in a “f*****g terrifying way,” it’s easy to see why Jules was so taken by Rue the first time they met. She recounts how Rue “actually saw” her and the version of her “that’s underneath a million laters of not” her.

RELATED: 13 Couples From Euphoria, Ranked From Worst To Best

Rue fell in love with Jules because of who she really is, not who she pretends to be in front of others. She loves all the messy parts and flawed aspects, which even Jules may have trouble accepting at times.

“A Mom Sees You Before You’re Anything.”

Jules Dad Kisses Her Head In Euphoria

Perhaps the biggest revelation in her special is the fact that Jules was dealing with some complicated issues about her mom coming back into her life. She doesn’t seem to realize she’s referring to her own problems when she mentions to her therapist how “a mom sees” their babies before they’re anything, and they just have to “sit there and exist.”

The pause before she answers the therapist’s question about if that’s how she hopes her mom saw her speaks volumes about the pain that’s still there because of her mom. She yearns for that innocent connection between a mother and child that was ripped away the moment she was locked into a mental health facility for her gender identity.

“I’m Allowed To Be Skeptical.”

Jules at Rue's intervention on Euphoria

A flashback showcases a conversation between Jules and her dad, where David is telling her about how her mom has been clean for several months and wants to make amends with her. Jules doesn’t take this well and reminds him she’s “allowed to be skeptical.” Jules’ mom has been a consistent source of disappointment and hurt for her throughout her life, so why should this time be any different?

There’s also that unforgettable trauma that her mom caused after leaving her in a facility where she attempted to die by suicide for the first time as a young child. Her mom didn’t accept her for who she was then, so she’s not wrong to question why she should accept her now.

“How Could None Of It Have Been Real?”

Jules crying as Nate touches her face in Euphoria

Fans already know that Jules’ feelings for Nate’s fake online persona are real, but it’s only through the special that they could fully grasp just how much that situation has impacted her life. Jules confesses that she’s “still in love with Tyler” and that she doesn’t know “when that’s gonna change.” It “felt so real” to her and she still struggles to wrap her mind around how “none of it” actually was.

It’s yet another example of how damaging Nate’s actions have been on Jules, and considering how it’s not even the only way nor the last time he manages to hurt her, it makes him an even more unlikeable character in the teen drama.

NEXT: The 10 Worst Things Nate Has Done So Far In Euphoria

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Anja Grcar
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A wordsmith by day and cinephile by night, Anja is a globetrotter who writes for ScreenRant, TheTravel, and TheThings.

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