'Euphoria' star Zendaya says she knew that Rue would survive the season 1 finale because she has 'more seasons to do' of the HBO show

• Zendaya spoke to Insider about reprising her Emmy-winning role as Rue for season two of "Euphoria."
• The star said that she knew Rue would survive the season one finale because she has "more seasons to do."

Zendaya said that she knew her character, Rue Bennett, would make it out of the dramatic season one finale of "Euphoria" alive — unlike fans who worried the HBO series' main character was dead.

"We knew she was gonna survive because I have more seasons to do," Zendaya told Insider, referencing how the gritty teen drama, which premiered in June 2019, was renewed the following month.

The finale, released in August of that year, shows Rue breaking her three-month streak of sobriety after Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer), with whom she developed an instant relationship at the start of the season, leaves town.

Distraught, Rue returns home and a mesmerizing fantasy sequence ensues, in which Zendaya performs Labrinth's track "All For Us." As she steps outside, she's enveloped in a large choir wearing maroon robes.

They lift her through the air and after Rue climbs to the top of the group, she looks up at the sky and falls backward. The screen cuts to black and the credits roll, leaving many fans wondering if Rue was alive, having previously survived a drug overdose.

Viewers didn't get to see the teen addict again until a special bridge episode was released in early December 2020

In the episode, Rue is revealed to be alive after her season one finale relapse. She meets up with her NA sponsor, Ali (Colman Domingo), at a diner on Christmas Eve for a nearly hour-long conversation. Ali spends the time trying to impart wisdom on the teen while also sharing details about his own struggles with addiction.

In January 2021, another special episode was released, co-written by Schafer and "Euphoria" showrunner Sam Levinson.

It's told from Jules' perspective over the Christmas holiday as she recounts her life and her whirlwind months with Rue during a session with a therapist (played by Lauren Weedman). The episode concludes with Rue and Jules briefly reuniting.

The two episodes, not part of season one and also not part of season two, were meant to function as a bridge to tide viewers over as the new season was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Zendaya was 'very grateful' to have the opportunity to film those extra episodes, which laid the foundation for season 2

"I think it expanded upon not just Rue's sobriety and Rue's story of addiction and the beautiful work that was done by Colman in that episode, but also with Jules and giving greater insight into Jules' side of the story, the "Spider-Man: No Way Home" star said.

"Often, Rue is the main narrator and — as she said — is not always reliable in that way," Zendaya added. "So that was really nice and also gave us the comfort and understanding that Rue is very much with us, but she still has a lot of work to do."

On the season two premiere of "Euphoria," released on Sunday night, Rue and Jules run into each other at a New Year's Eve party.

The two characters admit that they missed each other and Rue, taking advice from her diner conversation with Ali, overtly says that she wants to be in a relationship with Jules. Then, they kiss as the clock strikes midnight.

The season 2 trailer teases that Rue, as well as her blissful relationship with Jules, will be challenged by her relapse

In the trailer, Rue tells her friend Fez (Angus Cloud) of an "amazing plan" involving a suitcase of drugs, the teen is seen running through traffic, and glimpses of new characters are added to the mix.

"She thinks that she knows what's best for herself and in the beginning of the season, we give her everything she says that she could ever want, but we all know that you can't have your cake and eat it too," Zendaya, who won an Emmy for her portrayal of Rue, said.

"And that ultimately, what she's doing is hurting herself and it's eventually going to implode," she added. "We know that. It's just about how long she can get away with it until eventually, something happens."

Zendaya said that as an audience, it's "brutal" to watch facets of Rue's life disintegrate as she struggles with her addiction.

"It's painful to watch because you just want them to make the right decisions so bad, you know?" she said. "But they're kids. And it happens that way."

"Euphoria," also starring Hunter Schafer and Jacob Elordi, airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.