15 Most Memorable Quotes From The Rue Special

15 Most Memorable Quotes From The Rue Special

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

“Trouble Don’t Last Always” is a Euphoria special that came out on December 6th, 2020. While it didn’t give any answers to the most urgent questions from season 1, it was instantly regarded as one of the best episodes of the series so far. It took place in a diner on Christmas Eve where Rue Bennett was talking to her sponsor, Ali Muhammad. They had a genuine conversation about the realities of addiction, loss, and hope.

RELATED: 15 Most Memorable Quotes From The Jules Special In Euphoria

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To reduce Rue to just an addict would do her a great disservice. She is a girl, caught in a profound existential crisis. She doesn’t see any hope in the world where people lie, cheat, and hurt each other. The only thing that makes her feel temporarily good is drugs. It also became clear just how much she hates herself and Ali wanted her to see that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Updated on March 11th, 2022, by Hannah Saab: Rue’s special still continues to be a popular topic of discussion and debate among fans. Some of Rue’s famous lines are from that episode, and they’ve helped viewers understand her actions and decisions better. Of course, Ali’s best quotes in Euphoria also come from that diner scene and serve as important lessons about the disease of addiction. As audiences wait for the teen drama’s next season, it’s the best time to look back at some of the quotes from Rue’s special that have helped provide context about her character and story arc in the series so far.

Ali Muhammad:

“How Do You Want Your Mom And Sister To Remember You?”

rue and her sister euphoria

One of Euphoria’s most controversial scenes was definitely Rue’s overdose. It was her little sister who found her lying on the floor, assuming the worst.

In the special, Ali asked Rue how does she want her mother and sister to remember her since she’s planning on dying soon. “As someone who tried really hard to be someone I couldn’t,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “I got faith in you,” Ali said and it’s the most profound moment of the entire episode, far surpassing all the emotional scenes from season 1.

Ali Muhammad:

“Chinese Muslims Are Sewing These Kaepernick Sneakers For 7 Cents An Hour, And You’re Telling Me My Black A*s Matters.”

Colman Domingo in Euphoria

Aside from discussing addiction, Ali spoke a little about modern revolutions. He talked about Malcolm X and how these days, revolutions come and go so fast that change is never implemented. Rather than being spiritual, revolutions are fashionable. Messages of important movements, such as Black Lives Matter, can be used as selling points. He saw a sign in the Nike store that said “Our People Matter.” It was there to make people feel good and they clearly did, but that’s not enough to bring about any systemic change.

“If rap music wasn’t mainstream, if Nirvana was still the most popular band in America, they’d be out there saying “Depression Matters” because that’s what would move sneakers,” Ali concluded.

Rue Bennett:

“To Tell You The Truth, Drugs Are Probably The Only Reason I Haven’t Killed Myself.”

Zendaya In Euphoria

Rue told Ali that if it wasn’t for drugs, she would have killed herself already. When she’s sober, she is thinking about suicide. Drugs gave her something to look forward to and they altered her reality just enough to keep her interested in staying alive.

It’s important to note that Jules, too, is a drug to her and the word “drug” in this quote could just as easily be replaced by “Jules.” Even though there is no doubt that these two girls love each other, it’s clear that Rue and Jules are not good for each other.

Ali Muhammad:

“You Didn’t Come Out Of The Womb An Evil Person.”

rue as a little girl in euphoria

Rue is clearly wallowing in self-hatred. She called herself “a piece of s**t” and Ali explained to her that she is “a piece of s**t because she is a drug addict” and not the other way around. He reminds her that she “didn’t come out of the womb an evil person,” she “came out of the womb a beautiful baby girl, who unbeknownst to her, had a couple of wires crossed.”

RELATED: 7 Times We Felt Bad For Rue (& 7 Times We Hated Her) In Euphoria

Ali went on to explain that addiction is a disease, but most people don’t know that. Others see her as selfish, weak, and cruel, and they aren’t willing to give her their time and energy.

Ali Muhammad:

“Sobriety Is Your Greatest Weapon.”

rue as an investigator in euphoria

Ali addressed the notion of sobriety very early on in their conversation, but Rue kept evading the topic. She still hadn’t come to terms with giving up drugs. She still thought that somehow, she could have both: a healthy relationship and drug use. That’s why she was still using in the opening sequence, in the fantasy in which she lived with Jules.

Ali reminds her that she has her “issues” and that she’s “gonna be struggling with those issues for the rest” of her life. He tells her that sobriety can be a great weapon against those, but Rue didn’t really want to hear it (yet).

Rue Bennett:

“Everyone’s Just Out To Make Everyone Else Not Seem Like Human And I Don’t Really Wanna Be A Part Of It.”

Zendaya as Rue in Euphoria

Rue’s special offered insight into her thought processes. Otherwise, she is shy and reserved, unsure of herself and others. Her voiceovers are some of the weakest points of the show since they don’t really add much to understanding who she is as a person. She is a very sensitive person and is deeply affected by seeing how poorly people treat each other and by all the anger. It’s as if she lost faith in humanity.

Considering how tragic Rue’s past is, it’s no wonder that she eventually only started noticing the bad things in people. Life taught her that if something is going well, it’s probably too good to be true.

Ali Muhammad:

“You Don’t Know How To Live Life. You Don’t Have The Tools.”

rue in a diner euphoria special

Ali sees right through Rue. He recognizes that she’s not a bad person, it’s just that she never learned how to live her life. She got into drugs at a very young age and has since then relied on them to escape what she views as a harsh reality.

Rue never had the chance to develop tools – which could be coping mechanisms, social skills, or more – to live her daily life in a healthy way. Instead, when things get too much for her, she turns to her addiction, which is the only “tool” she’s ever known.

Ali Muhammad:

“You’ve Got To Believe In The Poetry Because Everything Else In Your Life Will Fail You, Including Yourself.”

Rue told Ali that she is struggling with the second step of NA: believing in a force greater than oneself. Ali urged her to name such things and Rue listed the ocean (was she just copying Jules?) and Otis Redding songs. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to cut it if she ever wants to get better. He urges her to “believe in the poetry.”

RELATED: The 10 Most Powerful Scenes In Euphoria, According To Reddit

Ali’s message had a double meaning. It could apply to Rue as a drug addict or to society as a whole. She, as well as the entire society that breeds drug addicts and spiritually hungry individuals, needs to undergo a profound transformation.

Ali Muhammad:

“Drugs Change Who You Are As A Person.”

Rue told Ali about the time Jules left her at the train station and cheated on her. She thought she deserved all that, after all, Rue has done some pretty horrible things, for example hitting her mom. “Drugs change who you are as a person,” Ali kept reminding her, telling her that she is not beyond forgiveness.

It’s not Rue’s fault that she’s an addict, and while she needs to be accountable and responsible for her horrific actions, she’s also just a teenager who desperately needs help with her drug addiction.

Miss Marsha:

“Baby, Trouble Don’t Last Always.”

MISS MARSHA IN EUPHORIA SPECIAL

The title of the episode came from one of Miss Marsha’s quotes about how “trouble don’t last always.” When Ali turns to her for advice for Rue, she explains that there is no way she could ever get clean if she was also dating somebody at the same time since she needed to focus solely on her sobriety.

This part of the episode wasn’t written by Sam Levinson, but rather by Marsha Gambles herself. She is a former drug addict in real life and the crew met her while filming season 1 in one of the churches (according to The Dipp).

Ali Muhammad:

People Keep Doing S**t That We Deem Unforgivable, And In Return, They Decide There’s No Reason To Change.

Leslie and Rue in bed talking on Euphoria

After Rue admits to Ali that she threatened to kill her mother, he empathizes with her but reminds her not to fall into the trap of thinking she’s “beyond forgiveness.” His monologue about how people who do things they “deem unforgivable” is one of the most powerful parts of the special, as he rants about how “the world keeps getting worse” precisely because of that mindset.

Ali sees that “the sentence” Rue has given herself is too convenient and too easy. Since she won’t even try to redeem herself, there’s no reason to her to break out of the cycle and get better.

Ali Muhammad:

You’re Too Busy Running Around, Trying To B******t Everybody Into Thinking You’re Hard, And You Don’t Give A F**k, When In Reality, You Give So Much Of A F**k, You Can’t Even Bear To Be Alive.

euphoria season 2 rue zendaya

Rue makes the terrible mistake of saying “whatever, man” when Ali gives him some useful advice. He reminds her that he was “shooting dope before” her “mama’s egg dropped” so it would be wise of her to take his advice. More importantly, he says he can see that she’s trying to “b******t everybody into thinking” she’s “hard” and doesn’t care, when in reality she gives “so much of a f**k” that she “can’t even bear to be alive.”

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why Euphoria Is Controversial

They’re hurtful but necessary words to hear, as deep inside, Rue hopefully knows that the reason she is so desperate to escape reality all the time through drugs is that she’s in pain. She’s still hurting, and instead of confronting those feelings, she would rather run away.

Ali Muhammad:

The Hardest Part Of Having The Disease Of Addiction, Aside From Having The Disease, Is That No One In The World Sees It As A Disease.

Jules' eye with Rue's reflection in Euphoria.

Ali schools Rue and audiences on the “disease of addiction” when he details just how messed up people’s perception of it can be. He explains to Rue that it’s “a degenerative disease,” “it is incurable,” and “it is deadly.” What’s more, there’s no rhyme or reason when it comes to who gets it, it’s just the “luck of the draw.”

“The hardest part” for Ali, and for Rue, is that those around them can’t truly understand that they’re not trying to be hurtful or selfish, they’re just struggling to live with that disease. It’s his way of telling her he understands because he knows what it’s like to be in Rue’s position.

Ali Muhammad:

Once You Get Back In That Cycle, You Know, Using And Abusing, It’s Inescapable.

Euphoria Ali in Rue special

A shocking quote from Ali in Euphoria happens in the middle of the special episode, when he admits that he was sober for 12 long years before he relapsed and started using again for a year. Rue couldn’t believe it, and Ali has to help her understand by reminding her that the cycle of “using and abusing” is inescapable if addicts are tempted to get back into it.

It’s a jarring but necessary point about how drug addicts have to learn to cope and take care of themselves for the rest of their lives. One slip-up could lead to a disastrous year of going back to all the horrible things they thought they had already overcome.

Rue Bennett:

So, You’re Saying The Reason My Dad Died Is Because God Didn’t Believe In Him?

euphoria season 3 rue relapse hint

One of Rue’s best quotes in Euphoria is also one that speaks volumes about how much pain her dad’s death is still causing in her life. When Ali starts talking about the importance of believing in God, Rue becomes offended and launches into a rant about how she hates it when people tell her that those things happen “for a reason.”

She asks why they would think that others’ lives have a purpose but not her dad’s and argues that her “dad’s purpose was to raise” her and Gia, but he can’t because “you know, he’s dead.” Ali is understandably stunned into silence, as it’s a moment of brutal honesty from Rue who is being incredibly vulnerable in front of him. It’s clear that her dad’s death has more to do with her actions in the present than fans may have initially thought.

NEXT: Rue’s 15 Most Iconic Quotes 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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