Rain or Shine (Euphoria)
A fan's dark vision of what could come next.
"Rain or Shine" is a fan-written episode concept for *Euphoria*, set after the events of Season 2. It imagines a dark turn for several characters, though none of these events are canon. The episode's title draws from Bill Evans's 1959 jazz recording of "Come Rain or Come Shine."
The cold open traces Ali Muhammad's path to sobriety and his loss of every sponsor in his twelve-step program. In the main plot, Maddy Perez ends up in debt after a dangerous situation involving Cassie Jacobs. Meanwhile, Rue Bennett works her way into Laurie's drug operation.
The episode's backstory shows a man named Martin, a crack addict who abused his wife and slept with a prostitute. A heart attack leads him to sobriety, a twelve-step program, conversion to Islam, and a name change honoring Muhammad Ali. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many addicts Ali sponsors die by suicide from isolation.
In the present, Rue visits Lexi Howard, who grows annoyed by Rue's claims of finding God after her car crash. Lexi tells Rue that her mother cutting her off is deserved. Rue spots someone watching her from Cassie's apartment and investigates, barely dodging a bullet from a man who holds her hostage.
Earlier, network executives have Patricia Lance remove Cassie from *LA Nights*. Ms. Penzler fires Maddy for getting Cassie cast. Maddy slaps Cassie after learning she deleted her OnlyFans account, but agrees to keep her as a client if she follows orders. Maddy sets Cassie up with an actor. Cassie gets him drunk, takes a selfie, and they have sex. While he leaves the room, she uploads the photo to his Instagram. By morning, Cassie gains 100,000 subscribers.
Later, Rue tells Ali she plans to go to a Texas farmstead she visited after taking down Laurie. Ali fails to talk her out of it. The next morning, G drives Rue to Laurie's property, waiting with a sniper rifle. Rue fakes an injury and claims a man gave it to her.
In a coffin under his construction site, Nate screams for help, attracting a rattlesnake that slithers down his breathing pipe and bites him. Laurie, her cousin Wayne, his girlfriend Faye, and his father Harley celebrate. Naz makes Cassie call Maddy to get one million dollars. Wayne slashes Rue's palm during a tense confrontation. Maddy asks a man to help her deal with the situation.
- Series
- Euphoria
- Season episode
- Fan-written concept (not canon)
- Air date
- N/A
- Network
- HBO
- Writer director
- Fan-written
- Runtime
- N/A
- Imdb rating
- N/A
Lore & Background
This is a fan-written episode concept, not part of official *Euphoria* canon. The cold open imagines Ali Muhammad becoming sober and losing all of his twelve-step program sponsors. In the episode proper, Maddy Perez becomes indebted to a man after he helps her save Cassie Jacobs's life. Meanwhile, Rue Bennett infiltrates Laurie's drug trade.
Years earlier, a man named Martin is a crack cocaine addict who abused his wife and cheated on her with a prostitute. After having a heart attack, he becomes sober, joins the twelve-step program, converts to Islam and changes his name in honor of Muhammad Ali. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the Narcotics Anonymous addicts who Ali sponsors commit suicide due to isolation.
In the present, Rue visits Lexi Howard, who is annoyed by Rue's belief that she has found God after her car crash. Rue notices someone watching her in Cassie's apartment.
Reader's Guide
The episode is significant for its expansion of Ali's backstory, revealing his past as an addict and his conversion to Islam, as well as the tragic suicides of his sponsees during the pandemic. It also features the death of Nate Jacobs, killed by a rattlesnake bite while buried alive, and Rue's dangerous plan to infiltrate Laurie's drug operation. The episode received mixed to positive reviews, with critics noting its novelistic tone and foreshadowing of more death. The portrayal of Alamo mocking a character's ostomy system drew criticism from people with stoma bags on social media. With an IMDb score of 7.7/10, it remains the highest rated episode of Euphoria Season 3.
Did You Know?
- The episode's title references the 1959 song 'Come Rain or Come Shine' by Bill Evans.
- For Nate's death scene, a boa constrictor with a fake rattler stuck to its tail was used for safety.
- Natasha Lyonne's cameo stemmed from her friendship with Colman Domingo and Sam Levinson.
- The episode was watched by 308,000 people upon airing, according to Nielsen Media Research.
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