On Euphoria, Ali tries to give Rue’s family some support of their own

“Stand Still Like The Hummingbird” was practically a perfect episode of television—stripped down and focused on Rue. In its beginning and end, “A Thousand Little Trees Of Blood,” is similarly satisfying, but the episode is saddled with a frustrating middle section.

As the hour begins, we find Rue sitting at the kitchen table, presumably the morning after her harrowing night. She hovers at the table in tears, trying to open a Jolly Rancher, before Leslie helps her get into a bath to break her fever. Rue then calls Ali to apologize for using his past against him. This opening sequence gives insight into how going through withdrawal can create a sense of clarity. Rue is apologetic and understands the error of her ways almost ​​immediately. Her remorse manifests physically in her hunched-over stance, and puffy eyes, as well as her desire to be forgiven to her inner circle.

This week, there’s more levity to cut the intensity. Ali drops by and cooks dinner for Rue, Gia, and Leslie. They laugh and joke together while also discussing Rue’s sobriety, and their optimism is palpable. Ali, Gia, and Leslie have all appeared at their wit’s end with Rue at different points, but they have yet to give up. This is the Rue—sober, even jovial—they’ve been hoping to see.

“A Thousand Little Trees Of Blood” spreads the focus among the other main characters once more. Nate deals with the fallout from his father’s explosive exit from their family. He realizes that Cal’s sex tape may come back to haunt him later, and decides to get it out of Maddy’s hands by holding her at gunpoint.

Nate likes to be in control of everything around him, but also only knows violence as a way of communication. Sam Levinson, who is once more writing the majority of episodes, treats Cal’s backstory and Nate’s moments of anger as character development for the latter, but they don’t establish much. The relationship between a parent and child can tell you a lot about someone but it cannot explain them in their entirety. Cal felt stifled in a prison of his own making and unable to express his emotions. He’s bitter now, but Cal was excitable as a teen. In contrast, Nate has been cold and bitter his entire life. Euphoria raises questions about how bitterness can linger even when the source of pain is physically gone, but it doesn’t do the work to really dig into them.

Maddy has already seen Cal’s sex tape, yet has never been mentioned beyond that. But why did she take it in the first place? Was she planning to keep it for herself? If she was planning on getting back together with Nate, I would assume being in possession of his dad’s sex tape would be an issue, but the show doesn’t address this. Nate’s motivations are clearer than those of Maddy, who has never been given the same amount of screen time. There was a Maddy-centered episode in season one, but season two hasn’t connected those dots to where we find her today.

After he recovering the tape, Nate gives it Jules. They have a somewhat earnest conversation, but it’s a bit of a letdown. We are already halfway through the season, and we have learned nothing about how Jules is dealing with the chaos around her beyond reacting to it. Jules just helped her (ex??) girlfriend’s mom flush drugs down the toilet and her only appearance this week involves Nate trying to make peace with his sins.

Meanwhile, Kat and Ethan’s storyline continues to feel like an afterthought. They go on a dinner date, where she tells him she has a brain disorder that may be terminal, and she wants to break up with him. Ethan accuses Kat of gaslighting him and leaves. It’s clear that Kat has issues with communicating and receiving romantic affection because of her internet usage as a younger teen. She was dealing with depressive symptoms and figuring out her relationship with herself. But this still seems like an odd note on which to end this relationship. Kat has a history of not being forthright with those she cares most about, but this feels like an unnecessary and rushed regression.

Speaking of terrible relationships, Cassie is dealing with the fallout of being exposed by Rue. Cassie insults her mother and Lexi while trying to explain why she is not at fault for sleeping with Nate. I finally felt like I got an insight into Cassie’s relationship with her mom. Cassie’s mother allows other adults to speak to her daughter in such jarring ways because of how she views her daughter—she sees Cassie as selfish and has given up on her. So when Nate calls Cassie, she packs a bag and moves in with him. There is no debate from either Nate’s mother or Cassie’s mother, who both seem to have accepted this is a train that is moving without them.

We then come back around to Rue, Ali, Gia, and Leslie, who are eating dinner together. Ali advises Leslie to extend love to Rue because she needs it. He allows Gia to feel her frustration about the situations her older sister has put her in. It was great to see Rue’s support system all together, trying to find solutions and comfort. I love that Ali has found his way into being a helping hand for the Bennetts. For most of the series, Leslie and Gia have been Rue’s core support and have been trying to figure out how to best help her through addiction with no road map. Ali finally provides the solace that they need.

This week’s episode was not as immersive or poignant as the previous one. Though it wasn’t fully formed, I could see the theme of familial pain developing. But I’m glad that Rue’s support system has all become one unit.