Euphoria Season 3 Episode 5 Review: Cassie’s “Go Ask Alice” Spiral, Rue’s Nightmare & Maddy’s Hustle
Can I be honest? Outside of the first 10 to 15 minutes of recycled fetish kink, oversized Cassie, fake ding-a-lings, and pure debauchery, I actually did not hate Euphoria Season 3 Episode 5, “This Little Piggy.” Did I love it? Absolutely not. Was it good-good? Also no. But compared to the last episode, this one at least had a clearer perspective.
A nasty perspective? Yes. A questionable perspective? Absolutely. But a perspective nonetheless.
In Euphoria Season 3 Episode 5, Cassie’s adult-content career explodes, Maddy steps further into her manager/madam era, Nate continues to spiral financially, Rue gets caught between Alamo, Laurie, Bishop, Magic, and the DEA, and the episode ends with Rue buried up to her neck while Alamo approaches with a polo mallet.
And honestly? We need to talk about what this episode is really saying.
Cassie Hits 50K and Enters Her “Go Ask Alice” Era
Cassie’s storyline is the centerpiece of “This Little Piggy.” Her subscriber count rises, her fame grows, and visually, the show makes her larger than life — literally. The image of Cassie becoming Godzilla-sized immediately made me think of Go Ask Alice and Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”: one pill makes you larger, one pill makes you small.
Cassie is in her own Wonderland now, but instead of drugs being the entry point, it’s attention. Fame is the pill. Validation is the high. The male gaze is the world she’s trapped inside.
The sad part is that Cassie thinks she is finally becoming powerful, but she is still giving pieces of herself away for other people’s benefit. Nate benefits. The platform benefits. Maddy benefits. The men watching benefit. Cassie gets bigger, but she does not necessarily become freer.
That’s the tragedy of this version of Cassie: she is blowing up, but she still has no real control.
Maddy Gets a Bag — But at What Cost?
Maddy is probably the most interesting character in this episode because she is watching the chaos and seeing a business model. She is sharp, strategic, and more focused than Cassie. When Cassie starts letting other people get in her ear, Maddy already has an ace in the hole.
Maddy is no longer just the girl who wanted to be taken care of. She is creating opportunities. She is learning how to manage talent, make money, and move in rooms where power matters.
But the question is: why does her evolution have to come through the exploitation of other women?
That is where the episode gets uncomfortable. Maddy may be getting a bag, but she is also getting closer to Alamo, and that makes me nervous. Alamo does not look at people like people. He looks at them like assets. So while Maddy may think this is business, Alamo may see her as another piece on the board.
Rue Is Still Powerless
Rue feels strangely passive for a lot of this episode. At times, she feels like she is just there, watching everyone else move around her. But by the end, it becomes clear that Rue is in serious danger.
She is caught between Laurie, Alamo, Bishop, Magic, and the DEA. Her attempt to help the DEA with Laurie goes nowhere, and Alamo starts questioning whether Rue was involved in setting him up. Current recaps confirm that Rue is operating as a DEA informant and that Alamo’s suspicions put her life directly at risk.
The ending is one of the strongest visuals of the episode: Rue buried from the neck down, trapped in the dirt, while Alamo approaches with a polo mallet. It is disturbing, dramatic, and very much “we are not in high school drama anymore.”
Rue may have plot armor, but emotionally and physically, she has no control over her life right now.
Nate Is an Unpaid Invoice With Cheekbones
Nate Jacobs used to feel like the threat. Now he feels like the debt.
Cassie is sending him money, humiliating herself online, and trying to help him stay afloat, but he still cannot get himself together. He is not paying what he owes, and the consequences keep coming for his body one piece at a time.
This version of Nate feels almost disconnected from the character we knew in earlier seasons. The old Nate was calculated, dangerous, and terrifying. This Nate is broke, desperate, and letting Cassie destroy herself while he still fails to handle business.
Come back to us, Nate. Not because we like you, but because this version is giving final notice.
Lexi Is Back in Cassie’s Shadow
Lexi is one of the most frustrating parts of the episode because she should represent a different path. She is not selling herself. She is not chasing the male gaze. She is trying to build something through writing, creativity, and talent.
But once again, the show pushes her back into the role of Cassie’s jealous, judgmental sister.
Cassie gets the part. Cassie gets the attention. Cassie becomes the spectacle. And Lexi is left watching from the sidelines, embarrassed and overshadowed.
After Lexi’s growth in Season 2, this feels like a step backward.
Jules Still Doesn’t Understand Love
Jules’ storyline continues to show that she does not fully understand love, freedom, or safety. She wants desire, chaos, devotion, and independence all at the same time, but the life she is living still comes with strings attached.
When Ellis checks her about having people in the apartment and reminds her that he has a family, the illusion cracks. Jules may have more freedom than some of the other women on the show, but she is still dependent on a man who can cut that freedom off whenever he wants.
That moment was harsh, but it was also revealing.
The Bigger Problem: Is Euphoria Critiquing Exploitation or Participating in It?
This is where I keep getting stuck with Euphoria Season 3.
Some people may argue that the show is telling a cautionary tale about sex work, exploitation, fame, addiction, and the male gaze. But at a certain point, I have to ask: is the show critiquing exploitation, or is it participating in it?
Because so many of the women this season are being sold, managed, used, watched, or profited from. Cassie, Maddy, Rue, Jules, Faye, and the women at the Silvery Slipper are all trapped in different versions of the same system.
And yes, that may be real for some people. But the way the show presents it often feels less like a thoughtful critique and more like spectacle.
That is my issue.
Seasons 1 and 2 were also graphic, but there was more emotional grounding. There was a story being told. This season often feels like it is more interested in shock value than character evolution.
Final Thoughts on Euphoria Season 3 Episode 5
Overall, “This Little Piggy” was not my favorite episode, but I do think it was stronger than the previous one. Cassie’s rise, Maddy’s hustle, Rue’s danger, Nate’s downfall, and Alamo’s growing threat all gave the episode a stronger sense of direction.
But the lens still bothers me.
The episode wants to explore exploitation, but I am not fully convinced the show knows the difference between exposing exploitation and indulging in it.
So my final question is this:
Is Euphoria Season 3 showing us how these women see themselves, or is it showing us how the show sees them?
Because those are two very different things.
Rating: 2.2🫛 out of 5 Sweet P’s
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