HBO Max's "Euphoria" leaves audiences unsatisfied after season two release
Season two of the critically acclaimed HBO Max exclusive TV show, “Euphoria,” has been a tumultuous ride that ended Sunday, Feb. 27, when the finale aired. The season, jam-packed with characteristically emotional plotlines as well as the usual glitz and glitter reminiscent of the iconic show, picked up pretty soon after the events of the first season. The end of season one left us, and Rue, hanging when Jules decided to run away to New York on a whim, an event which preceded Rue’s relapse. The season then ended with a bang, an entire processional-like sequence beautifully choreographed to original music by Labrinth, sung by Emmy-award-winning actress Zendaya, featuring a marching band, a chorus and a crowd of wonderful dancers. It’s hard to follow an ending like that, especially with the cliffhanger of whether Rue overdosed or not. Two specials were released in between the seasons: solo episodes of Rue and Jules’ Christmases. Season two started right after with the characters celebrating New Year’s.
“Euphoria” is, at its core, a show that is not afraid to take risks. From full-frontal male nudity to graphic depictions of sex and violence, creator Sam Levinson is not hesitant about pushing the envelope. While there are fans who criticize the writer for depicting an unrealistic version of high school, others have applauded the portrayal of the rawness and roughness of addiction in young people, commending the show for also depicting the lows. Following her relapse at the end of the last season, Rue definitely hits a new low. Her story in this season was one of the best-written character journeys of the entire series, and the consensus amongst fans was positive in that respect. But beyond that ... there are mixed reviews.
The main characters of “Euphoria” are a diverse and varied group, which was a draw in season one. Rue is a young Black girl suffering from major depression as well as addiction; Jules is a trans girl still figuring out her identity and exploring her sexuality. Kat is a fat girl who has taken agency of her identity by embracing her sexuality; these are just a few of the characters that had fans coming back every week and waiting anxiously for the second season. Season one established many interesting storylines and dynamics between the main characters, connecting them all despite being from different social circles and friend groups. However, in what seems like an attempt to shake everything up, Levinson wrote away a lot of the plot points and dynamics that were established in season one, leading to many of the characters’ stories in season two feeling inauthentic.
Other than Rue’s storyline, fans were unsatisfied with many of Levinson’s choices for the characters. It is generally agreed upon that Nate Jacobs is not a character anyone is rooting for, and the love triangle between him, Cassie and Maddy caused a Twilight-esque shipping war between fans, with people either siding with Team Cassie or Team Maddy. Cassie’s character regression was built upon unaddressed insecurities from season one, manifesting in her ultimate downfall in this season. When Cassie stormed onstage, interrupted her sister Lexi’s, play that was inspired by her life and friends, and said “I can play the f---ing villain,” it was almost a moment where she broke the fourth wall, as if Levinson had her addressing the viewers that had watched her self-sabotage the entire season. It was almost cathartic when Maddy stormed the stage, chasing Cassie around the school and beating her up, because the audience was rooting for Maddy after Cassie (Maddy’s former best friend) pursued Nate (Maddy’s on-again-off-again boyfriend).
However, fans were not in favor of the choices Levinson made with some of the other characters, specifically Kat (played by Barbie Ferreira), Jules (played by Hunter Schafer) and new character Elliot (played by Dominic Fike). All three of these characters suffered bad writing: recycling issues that were overcome previously, behaving in uncharacteristic ways, having no agency beyond furthering the story of other characters – the list goes on.
Season one ended on a crescendo of emotion served by beautiful storytelling that made fans ravenous for more. And for all that season two sated the fans’ appetite, the hunger remains.
