What Cassie and Maddy's Bathroom Scene Could Mean For the Next Season of “Euphoria”

Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) has been in a downward spiral throughout the second season of “Euphoria.” It starts with her hooking up with Nate (Jacob Elordi) while he and Maddy (Alexa Demie) are discussing getting back together. However, let’s not forget two very important things: Maddy is Cassie’s best friend, and Nate is an abusive nightmare. All of this is a recipe for disaster, and it comes to a (somewhat anticlimactic) head in the two-part season finale.

Cassie and Maddy’s Fight in the “Euphoria” Season 2 Finale, Explained

In the penultimate episode, as Lexi (Maude Apatow) unveils her play to the entire school, she inserts a scene implying that Nate is queer. He storms out of the auditorium in a rage, with Cassie following quickly behind. While Cassie had no idea what Lexi’s play would be about, Nate refuses to believe her – Lexi is her sister, after all. He dumps her on the spot, and she loses it. As the finale picks up, Cassie storms into the auditorium and jumps on stage to rip Lexi a new one for making a play partly inspired by her life. As Cassie parades around the stage screaming at everyone (including her mum), Maddy decides she’s had enough. She storms onto the stage to drag Cassie away and deal with her elsewhere so Lexi’s play can continue. We see Maddy shove Cassie into a wall before the fight scene cuts out.

Fast-forward in the episode, and the two are sitting on the bathroom counter. Cassie’s face is bloody; Maddy, for the most part, is spotless. Breaking the silence, Cassie tells Maddy that what’s funny about the whole situation is that Nate dumped her before she even got the chance to cause a scene in the auditorium. Maddy replies, “This is just the beginning,” and walks away. The scene ends with a single tear falling down Cassie’s cheek.

What Did Maddy Mean When She Told Cassie, “This is Just the Beginning”?

Maddy’s statement seems pretty loaded. First of all, she seems fully resigned to, well, everything. We already suspected she might be ready to leave town and start a new life, and ending things with Nate is a big part of that. Now that her relationship with Cassie is fractured (possibly beyond repair), it’ll be even easier for her to leave.

However, what Maddy is probably referencing is the roller coaster Cassie is about to be on if she chooses to stay with Nate. No one knows better than Maddy what it’s like to be yanked around by Nate – both literally and figuratively. Nate was emotionally, and at times physically, abusive to Maddy during their relationship, and and they broke up constantly. Their relationship was incredibly toxic, but they kept getting back together – they were broken people who found solace in one another. Now, Nate is Cassie’s problem, and this breakup is the first of what will probably be many if the two end up on the same path that Nate and Maddy were on.

As one Redditor wisely noted, “She spent a year or two in a tumultuous relationship with the guy. She knows this is just the beginning of another toxic, tumultuous relationship full of break ups, breakdowns, and what all this does to your self esteem and self worth. Maddy was at least strong enough to withstand it and extricate herself, Cassie however… this is the type of relationship that breaks a person like her.”

We’re hoping for better things for Cassie, but we can also see how much she still wants to be with Nate. We’ll just have to see what happens in season three.