Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Rue and Jules reconnect at a New Year's party, but Rue continues taking drugs with Elliot and concealing the extent of her relapse. Fezco meets Lexi that night before violently attacking Nate. Cassie begins a secret relationship with Nate, betraying her friendship with Maddy and becoming increasingly desperate for his attention. Lexi watches the people around her and turns their shared history into a school play, giving her an outlet beyond the sidelines.
Rue obtains a suitcase of drugs from Laurie under the claim that she will sell them. Elliot tells Jules about the relapse, and Leslie disposes of the supply. Rue lashes out at her family and Jules, runs away from help and exposes Cassie's affair while seeking relief. Withdrawal takes her back to Laurie, whose apartment becomes a place she must escape. Later, Rue repairs her connection with Ali and begins rebuilding relationships damaged by her use.
Lexi's play provokes Nate's departure and Cassie's angry intervention onstage, where Maddy confronts her. Rue finds comfort in seeing her memories expressed through Lexi's account. Fez never reaches the performance: Ash kills Custer, then refuses to surrender during the police raid. Fez is wounded and arrested, while Ash is killed. Nate gives police his father's recordings, leading to Cal's arrest. Rue thanks Elliot for helping expose her relapse, kisses Jules goodbye and says she remained sober through the rest of the school year.