The second season of HBO's hit teen drama, Euphoria, finally aired its last episode until 2024. Euphoria may be a show about the high school experience and teenage relationships, but the mothers of the main characters have gotten some pretty good development as well.
Besides having some of the best quotes on the show, the moms of Euphoria have quickly become fan-favorite characters overall, with Leslie Bennett, mother to Rue and Gia, and Suze Howard, Lexi and Cassie's mom, as the main recipients of the fanbase's affection. Both on-screen moms have points in their favor when it comes to who is the best.
Leslie Bennett
Strong In The Face Of Adversity
Leslie has truly been through a lot on the show, and viewers have gotten to see her deal with high-stress situations. After losing her husband to an incurable sickness, the aftermath of his death immediately launched her daughter into what would be another life-threatening situation. She hasn't gotten a break for many years.
And still, Leslie tries her best to be strong for her family. The only time audiences ever really see her crack is when Rue, who she's dedicated years to ing, turns violent or hateful toward her because of her struggles with addiction. One of the worst things Rue ever did was put drugs over her family, but even after tearing their home apart, Leslie put on a brave face for Gia and kept her composure.
Believes In Forgiveness
Leslie has many reasons not to trust Rue. After her overdose in season 1 and her heartbreaking relapse in season 2, Rue has consistently lied to Leslie and acted out. Their relationship for most of the show has been severely strained because of Rue's deeply hurtful words and actions.
However, Leslie has repeatedly shown her capacity for forgiveness. In the pilot episode, Rue immediately buys drugs after rehab and is out all evening, slamming the door in Leslie's face when she asks where Rue was. The very moment Rue apologizes, Leslie tells her that she forgives her. The same happens, albeit not as immediately, after Rue's withdrawal-induced rage in season 2.
A Hard Worker
After Rue's father's death, Leslie was left alone to take care of her two daughters. She works long hours and multiple jobs in order to keep them afloat. She cooks and cleans for everyone and barely has any time for herself. Even as Gia and Rue are asleep in season 2, she was wide awake and on the phone, trying to get Rue back into rehab.
It's clear that Leslie believes in the value of working hard at something and never giving up, as she shows that attitude with Rue and her recovery as well. Instead of thinking more critically about the mental and emotional side of addiction, Leslie wants to power through and have Rue go through the motions until it sticks. This proves to be both helpful and unhelpful at times for Rue.
Words Of Wisdom
The ability to give sage advice is a gift that some moms just naturally have, and Leslie Bennett is one of those mothers. Even when she's so anxious and stressed that she has to hide her tearful panic from her kids, she offers words of wisdom - and sometimes tough love - to her daughters.
When Rue was diagnosed with a myriad of mental health issues in her youth, Leslie didn't hesitate to let her know that many great people struggled with the same things she was being faced with, and her encouragement quickly became one of the best-ranked quotes in Euphoria.
Tough Love
Sometimes the only way to get someone to choose recovery is to put them face-to-face with the consequences of their actions and give them a bit of reality and tough love. Leslie tried being overly ive and forgiving to Rue up until the end of season 2, but then finally let her daughter know that she "broke" her.
Leslie tells Rue that Gia has been struggling as a result of Rue's addiction and if she has to choose to save one daughter or neither, she'll choose to save the one. With a somewhat harsh tone, she lets Rue know that if she wants to kill herself with drugs, there's nothing she can do about it, so she's going to stop trying. This really seems to resonate with Rue, and the effectiveness of Leslie's words can be seen on her face.
Suze Howard
Relaxed, Wine Mom Vibes
Suze is rarely seen without a glass of red or rosé in her hand. She's never drunk or belligerent, just sipping on some Mom Juice in the most chill, relaxed way a mom can. She even gets along well with Lexi and Cassie's friends and they're able to joke with her while respecting her simultaneously.
Suze has had it equally as hard as Leslie; her husband struggled with drugs and, as fans saw in one of the many amazing scenes in Lexi's play, he even put her daughters' lives in danger before abandoning their family entirely. For as many hardships as she's had, Suze is cool as a cucumber and always leads with a kind word.
Responsible Fun
Sometimes when parents try to restrict and control their children too much, it can backfire with the kids rebelling and doing something far worse instead.
Suze, with her understanding of this risk and knowing that her daughter's best friend just overdosed because of hidden drug addiction, parents with a philosophy of "as long as it's under control and under my supervision." Not all parents will agree with her decisions, but they can't say she's not prioritizing her daughters' safety.
Honesty
Suze loves her daughters, but she's never going to sugarcoat things to them or make excuses for their actions. When she finds out about Cassie and Nate's relationship, she lets Cassie know exactly what she thinks - even if Cassie doesn't like it. It's more important to Suze that Cassie learn to take ability.
That honesty is present in all relationships in Suze's life. She cares about her daughters' friends like they're one of her own - especially Rue, considering she and Lexi have one of the best non-romantic relationships in Euphoria. When Rue comes to the Howard house with obvious withdrawal, Suze doesn't hesitate to call Leslie to come and get her and hold an intervention.
Observant
On the topic of Rue's intervention at the Howard home, Suze was one of the first people to even notice how rough Rue was looking that night. The second she saw Rue, she immediately looked concerned. Suze has shown that level of observation with everyone that she cares about.
When Cassie wasn't telling anyone about all of the stress she was under because of her relationship with Nate, Suze knew something was up. Lexi explained it away as Cassie being upset about being single or struggling with depression, but Suze argued that it was something deeper and she was 100% correct.
ive Of Both Her Daughters
Suze was one of the most enthusiastic audience at the premiere of Lexi's play. She loved Ethan's interpretation of her as a character and couldn't stop talking about it to those around her. She remained completely ive of Lexi and her art.
A huge theme in Lexi's play was the way she has felt overshadowed by Cassie for much of her life. The moment Cassie furiously stormed onto the stage to humiliate Lexi in front of everyone, Suze ran up after her. She tried to stop Cassie and take her offstage to stop her from ruining Lexi's moment and embarrassing herself at the same time, showing how much she cares for both daughters.