Euphoria Season 2 Leaves Fans In Awe

Ellie Zamir, Photo Editor

In a show like Euphoria, something unexpected is always there to surprise you. The second season of Euphoria is a must-watch, but with caution. 

This young adult drama touches upon many topics that other films and shows choose not to include—drug abuse, love, trauma, abusive relationships, sexual relationships, toxic friendships, sexuality exploration, and more. It isn’t always easy to watch due to that, but it allows opportunities to expose the reality of some teenagers today.

The mature topics covered in Euphoria causes viewers to forget that these characters are just teenagers. We are taken along for the crazy ride. 

The realism in Euphoria’s cinematography is next level. It has a way of making you feel connected to the stories being shared throughout the series. It’s easy to say that Euphoria is a well-crafted show. It seems as if the producers of Euphoria wanted to do something that no one has ever done before. You could watch the show in silence and see in beauty or even listen to the music alone. 

Each episode goes in-depth on the characters’ life struggles. Throughout this season, we see our favorite characters grow, and some even become people we would have never imagined. Many may say Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) went off the rails. Rue (Zendaya) plays out a powerful storyline that focuses on her as a recovering drug addict. I think it’s easy to say that Zendaya gave another Emmy-worthy performance this season.

The creator, Sam Levinson, abandoned the format that the first season is known for, focusing on a character for each episode to emphasize different perspectives throughout the show. That was one of the best things about Euphoria, because the viewers learn more about the characters as individuals. This story structure is not as prominent in Season 2, and I would have loved to learn more characters like Ashtray, Gia, or Rue’s mom. 

Another thing I noticed was that some of the main attributes of certain characters were basically eliminated by no longer being mentioned this season. It was also upsetting to see that some of the characters had very little character development. I do feel as if the original narratives of certain characters like Kat went out the window. The show lost sight of a lot of the things that are main parts of the plot during the first season.

I do believe that the intended audience is young adults. I think that high schoolers and those who are older would be the appropriate audience for this show. 

That being said, no other show is as daring as Euphoria. It definitely is one to lead a conversation about serious issues. It’s a show people will continue to talk about until the next season.