'Euphoria' Includes Mass Shooting Joke in Wake of El Paso and Dayton Shootings
While HBO subscribers watched the Season 1 finale of Euphoria Sunday night, many noticed a moment [...]
While HBO subscribers watched the Season 1 finale of Euphoria Sunday night, many noticed a moment that hit a little close to home after two mass shootings killed 30 people in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend.
tonight's Euphoria made mention of a hospital being the best place to be in the event of a mass shooting... pic.twitter.com/ffbMNjEUyG
— Jenna Amatulli (@ohheyjenna) August 5, 2019
"Hospitals are the best place to be if there's a mass shooting....if the shooter doesn't kill all of the surgeons." #Euphoria
— ←Plays with matches (@THEE11thHOUR) August 5, 2019
During the finale, Rue, played by Zendaya, is in the hospital for a kidney infection and lists the reasons she loves hospitals, like not having any responsibilities. But fans were especially jarred when she said a hospital is "the best place to be in the event of a mass shooting — if the shooter doesn't kill all of the surgeons."
Plenty of fans took to social media to react to the moment.
Rue's line about a hospital being the best place to be during a mass shooting hits a little too close this weekend... #EuphoriaFinale #Euphoria #EuphoriaHBO
— Sara Bibel (@deepsoap) August 5, 2019
Love @euphoriaHBO but I do wish someone at HBO had called in a favor to get that mass shooting joke in tonight’s finale edited out 😔😔😔
— Jen Winston (@jenerous) August 5, 2019
@euphoriaHBO I know you didn't know there was gonna be a mass shooting yesterday and today and that this was just bad timing but eesh
— SaintSaucey (@saintsaucey) August 5, 2019
Wonder if @euphoriaHBO thought about editing out the mass shooting reference from tonight’s finale...
— Bella's Dad (@MrMarcuss) August 5, 2019
A gunman opened fire in a crowded Walmart in El Paso on Saturday, killing 21 and injuring dozens more. Hours later, a gunman shot and killed nine people, including his sister, in a popular nightlife area in downtown Dayton. President Donald Trump condemned racism and white supremacy in remarks about the shootings on Monday.
That mass shooting line on Euphoria was very badly timed
— jc (@jcninety) August 5, 2019
The mass shooting reference 5 minutes into the Euphoria finale pic.twitter.com/L6QaMOZQnB
— FKA SpokenELLE (@ELLEvolution_) August 5, 2019
Euphoria with a mass shooting reference pic.twitter.com/qUFuudDddT
— 12Years A Side Nigga (@keemiemillz) August 5, 2019
Overall, Twitter was pretty divided when it came to the finale as a whole. Many enjoyed the cliffhanger ending and can't wait for Season 2 to return, but plenty others felt they had more questions than answers throughout the chaotic episode. An omniscient, funeral-sounding voiceover from Rue's mom spliced throughout the episode caused many to wonder if she had died and had been narrating the series from beyond — but the finale ended with a new Zendaya song and video, leaving fans to wonder if she was OK at the end of the finale.
Euphoria has been renewed for season 2, but a return date has not yet been announced.
Photo credit: HBO