Euphoria: A Review
By: Mallory Johnson
Euphoria is a television show on HBO Max that premiered in 2019. I recently watched both seasons and really enjoyed it. The show follows a group of teenagers (and their families) as they grapple with love, sex, addiction, and social media. I want to emphasize that while this show follows teenage characters, it is strictly 18+ because there is a lot of sexual content, nudity, and mature themes discussed. The show stars Zendaya (Spiderman: No Way Home, The Greatest Showman), Hunter Schafer, Angus Cloud, Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth trilogy), Alexa Demie (Waves, Mid90s), Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, Everything Sucks), Maude Apatow (Knocked Up, This is 40), Barbie Ferreira (Unpregnant, The Afterparty), and more. Before I go any further: SPOILER ALERT. Also, the show is heavy and intense at times. Major trigger warnings include addiction, nudity, violence, blood and gore, sexual violence, pedophilia, domestic violence, death, mental illness, and sexual content. These triggers are unavoidable while watching, so please watch with care. Minor trigger warnings for: cancer, homophobia, an overdose, suicide (there is one graphic scene shown and general discussion), hazing, stalking, gaslighting, self-harm, murder, gun violence, choking, cheating, vomit, a mental institution, flashing lights, abortion, ableism, transphobia, fatphobia, incest, a car crash, catfishing, threats, and drugging without consent.
Euphoria does not shy away from the brutal truths about addiction, and it is emotional. The show represents Rue’s (Zendaya’s character) hard battle with her addiction and how hard it is for her to stay clean. It also shows how traumatizing her addiction is for her loved ones. Most of the show is hard to watch, so it is nice that the character Fezco, Rue’s drug dealer and best friend, is a comedic relief character. He is my favorite character for this reason, and one of my favorite scenes is when he calls Jules “Jewel” and refuses to correct himself. One of the villain characters, Nate Jacobs, is portrayed so well that you assume the actor, Jacob Elordi, is like that in real life but he is the exact opposite. Another one of my favorite characters is highlighted more in season two. She is the chaotic Cassie’s sister, named Lexi. She is a writer like me, and I love that about her. I loved the music, costumes, and makeup throughout the show, it adds to the cinematography and overall vibe of the show. Season one, episode five was one of my favorite episodes of the show because it is so chaotic. A critique that I have of the show is that some of the actions of the teenage characters would make more sense if they were a few years older. I liked how the show portrays trauma and intergenerational trauma. Euphoria truly shows off Zendaya’s acting chops and I am so glad she is getting the recognition she deserves!
Overall, I love Euphoria and really enjoyed both seasons. I love how casual the LGBTQ+ representation on the show is. At least so far, there has not been any big coming out scenes and characters do not explicitly label themselves. They just exist and it is refreshing. If you do watch the show, make sure you do not forget to watch the two special episodes! I want to reiterate that while the show is about teenagers, it is an adult show and is 18+. I give it a 9.75/10 and cannot wait for season three, but I am disappointed that I must wait until 2024!