'Euphoria' season 3 finale pays tribute to Angus Cloud’s Fezco O’Neill

Euphoria paid tribute to Angus Cloud and his character Fezco O’Neill during the season 3 finale, offering a poignant moment that acknowledged the actor’s lasting impact on the HBO series.

Cloud, who portrayed Fez throughout the show’s first two seasons, died in 2023 at the age of 25. At the start of season 3, creator Sam Levinson addressed the character’s absence by revealing that Fez was serving time in prison.

Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, was shown speaking to him by phone and promising she would be there for him when he was eventually released.

That promise returned in the season finale during a dream sequence involving Rue. After staying at Ali’s home while recovering from injuries, Rue falls asleep and dreams about Fez. In the dream, she sees a television report about an escaped inmate and discovers that Fez has broken out of prison.

“I have to go get him,” Rue tells Ali. “I promised him that if he ever got out, I would go pick him up. I have to go.”

The sequence then revisits one of the series’ most recognisable locations. Rue travels to Fez’s convenience store, which appears boarded up and abandoned. The dream concludes with a scene showing Rue and Fez together, sharing a happier moment.

The episode later reveals that Rue’s vision occurred as she was overdosing after taking fentanyl she believed to be pain medication.

Within the context of the story, the dream represented one of her final thoughts before being brought back from the brink.

The finale’s tribute served as a reminder of Fez’s significance to the series and his close friendship with Rue. Levinson previously explained why he chose to keep the character alive in the show following Cloud’s death.

“I fought very hard to keep him clean when he was alive, and losing him was really tough,” Levinson said. “I felt like if I couldn’t keep him alive in life, then, I could in the show.”

The finale’s closing tribute ensured Fez remained an important part of Euphoria’s story while honouring the legacy of the actor who brought the character to life.