'Euphoria' Season 1, Episode 6 Recap: Jules' Dilemma, McKay's Backstory, Nate's Plan

On "Euphoria" Season 1, episode 6 ("The Next Episode"), viewers see Rue, Jules, and others attend a Halloween party where fractures begin to separate the characters in various ways due to what has previously transpired. We also get a true look into McKay's backstory with football and his dad, which is where the episode begins.

As the HBO show opens, we are introduced to a young Chris McKay (Algee Smith) when he was beginning his football career. With his dad in his ear telling him to bottle his emotions when he cries and that the world will do anything to get a rise out of him, a picture is revealed of a boy who was taught to utilize sports as a way to get through life.

At one point his dad says, "You get emotional, you lose. If you get angry, you lose," which gives viewers a look into why McKay places so much value in the sport and tries to keep all emotional aspects of his life private.

Eventually, we see McKay get to college, at which point he does the math and realizes that since he is not the best, his chances of ever going pro are slim. This revelation leads him to question his intended path.

We are then transported to the Halloween party where Rue (Zendaya) dresses in a suit and Jules (Hunter Schafer) goes as a glitter-faced angel.

We are also taken into the existing problems between Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and McKay at the party. After seemingly hiding their relationship at the fair and following an ambush in McKay's dorm that leads to him pushing his feelings down, a wedge is driven between the two before Cassie heads to the Halloween gathering.

There, she almost hooks up with Daniel (Keean Johnson) before denying him due to dating McKay. At this point, Daniel tells Cassie that no one would ever date her because she's interesting and that all interest is only based on her appearance or sexuality. The last we see Cassie she is realizing that she may be pregnant as she sits alone in her bathroom at home after the party.

Ethan (Austin Abrams) and Kat (Barbie Ferreira) also reunite at the event, which is where he asks her what went wrong at the fair. Kat goes onto tell him that they will never be boyfriend and girlfriend, but eventually, they hook up in a room at the party. At one point, Ethan eventually steps away momentarily, but when he comes back Kat is gone. What does this mean for their relationship moving forward? Why did she leave?

At the party, Jules also begins to act out. She drinks heavily and behaves in a way we really haven't seen from her thus far, which forces Rue to be the one who attempts to correct her behavior instead of the other way around. Eventually, we learn that Jules is privately suffering due to Nate (Jacob Elordi) forcing her to lie to the police in order to protect herself.

Before the party, Nate breaks into Tyler's (Lukas Gage) apartment and orders him to go down to the police station and say he was the one who assaulted Maddy (Alexa Demie) at the fair. If he doesn't comply, Nate says, Maddy will report him for sleeping with her while underage.

Nate also waited for Jules outside of her home before the Halloween party with copies of her pictures printed out as a tool to use in order to force her into also going down to the station and saying she saw Tyler do it. They both follow through with Nate's wishes, so what will that mean moving forward for everyone involved? Will anyone reveal their secrets to those around them?

Additionally, Rue and Fez (Angus Cloud) reconcile and she apologizes for acting the way she did when he refused to sell her drugs. She also works in conjunction with Lexi (Maude Apatow) in order to protect her younger sister Gia (Storm Reid) from following in her footsteps. Rue has seemingly stepped into the mature role of protector in this episode, but how long will it last?

As the episode wraps, Nate and Maddy enter the Halloween party together as Jules looks on in both horror and frustration. Rue looks at her face, then to Nate, and seemingly begins to put some pieces together based on her expression. What those pieces are, however, remains to be seen.

"Euphoria" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on HBO.