Another Euphoria long post about family dynamics! Let's breakdown Gia and Rue's sibling relationship and how this spiral of Rue's has 90% broken it.
This post isnt to say that Rue doesnt have any goodness in her or that she doesnt love Gia or that any true rationing of hatred makes her harm Gia. But it's clear that harm has happens in this relationship and that it is coming solely from Rue. Rue manipulates both her love for Gia and the admiration/hope/love Gia had in her.
In season 1 the first thing Rue does when she get put of Rehab is sprint out to hug Gia.
The first thing Rue does when she is let out the hospital is spots a worried Gia and proceeds to dance down the hallway and hug Gia close then goof in the car all to get Gia smiling up at her.
One of the few times we see Rue truely be uncomfortable about the facts of her addiction and the actions from that is when Ali points out to her about how she tramaized and hurt her sister by ODing and that resulting in Gia be the one to find her.
At the Fair, Rue stood all toes down, not letting the taunting of the twins get to her and takes care of Gia when she get high for the first time. This links with Rue going Big Potectivr Sister Mode and puts Roy in his place for trying to take advantage of Gia at the Halloween party.
This evidence point to the image of a sober Rue on her good days being the best big sister to Gia. Rue adores Gia, literally from the moment the girl was born as we see in this flashback.
Gia achingly longs for that version of her big sisters just as much as she is TRAUMATIZED and haunted by the addict version of Rue who is constantly suicidal.
Gia has always been team Rue, she's never lost sight of wanting her sister healthy, good and sober. What little we see of her, we see her defending Rue agaisnt their mother, defending Rue against the McKay twins, even defending Rue against Rue mental illness.
(It kinda foils with Ashtray. Yall finna get a separate post about that, also check out my breakdown of Ash&Fez anyway~)
The cracks of their relationship have started to show this season and it all starts with Rue's addiction revamping to a more intense state and leading to her doing something very OOC to both out viewer perspective and Gia's perspective by Rue going out to actively hurt and maliciously manipulate Gia.
The moment that is the beginning of the end is when Rue set up Gia with that weedstory as a fail safe for is she gets caught high. Making Gia a target of blame if she gets caught by their mom
Over the course of the episode you can physically see the empathy and motivations to support Rue from Gia slowly turn off. That dead look Gia gives Leslie at the last car scene is critical to the point.
Gia has: heard her sister cycle through all the excuses and emotional manipulation she used on her with their mother in rapid sucession, watched Rue trigger the blame game failsafe on her about being caught, watched Rue tear apart Gia's room with no regard to her, Gia physically and emotionally being forced out of the conversation once again, Rue physically hurting her AGAIN.
That last outburst of Gia screaming for Rue in traffic was it.
Akin to how Ali's youngest daughter despised him. Any hope for that sober and happy version she glimpsed from Rue is gone. Too much has happen at once for Gia to keep holding onto it.
I know we saw in the next trailer the scene of them sleeping in the bed. While Rue was looking at Gia with all this care and sorry. Gia just ignored her looks. She know her sister will just manipulate her.
I predicted that Gia will just be going through motions with Rue from now on. Rue will lose one of the core people who supports and loves her unconditionally. Especially after Gia learned that their dad was really the only one's love that mattered to Rue.
This is a side effect of Gia having to fight interbattles with Rue and that Gia isnt physically fighting a problem she can only offer rationality and constant support. When Leslie and Rue fought in S1 Gia had to get in between and offer rationality about Rue's behavior to their mom.
Its Gia who remind Leslie about how Rue's mistreated mental issues need to be address to help Rue.
Its Gia who see that Rue being in love with Jules may be a fix to Rue staying Sober and tells Lexi (and Jules did have Rue sober for a good chunk of time let's not forget!)
The moment Roy disrespected Rue Gia got up and left them.
Gia makes herself and her room a space Rue can come into and just be a person in. We see this in episode one when Rue waltz in and just collapses into her little sister. Gia never starts an argument or brings up issues with Rue addiction/soberit.
(Any fight the sister have Rue starts. Gia even tried to level fights or shut downs and takes the brunt of Rue)
I thinks she makes a deliberate point to do that to counter Leslie constantly bring up Rue addiction journey with Rue.
Its that part that left her vulnerable to Rue manipulating her with the Weed cover story. Rue manipulated the trama of Gia finding her half dead to make Gia comes to her and swear a secrecy to not tell their mama about Rue getting high again
Gia has realized that one of the main ways she supports Rue was used against her to hurt her. Rue is not against physical and emotionally hurting her.
Also think of the neglect Gia must face due to Leslie having to constantly pour all their resources and emotional support into Rue and how even that isnt enough. Gia also has the added pressure of not fucking up.
Rue points this out this episode by saying Gia HAS to compensate for both of them (Gia you gotta be a doctor or astronaut so mom doesnt see how much of a fuck up she it)
Gia is most likely not allowed to slip up without major repercussions. Lesile is sitting there waiting in fear for Gia yo turn into Rue. When Rue is in the right state she fights so Gia doesnt end up like her. Gia is living in a house that is constantly tense waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Gia is a good supportive sister and Rue is about to lose her. It maybe the faults of how her addiction and mental illness effect her but reasoning is not an excuse.
Gia is realizing she doesn't want to nor deserves to be hurt by loving Rue anymore.
