We are coming up on a year since the season finale of season two of ‘Euphoria,’ and after rewatching a couple of episodes from the latest season, my opinion has not changed. I never like to hop on a bandwagon of hating or loving a show based on criticisms or controversies, certainly if I have never seen the show. However, the conversation and controversy surrounding Sam Levinson’s magnum opus are completely warranted.
The first season garnered critical acclaim but was actually modest in it general popularity. It took quarantine and TikTok trends to help spike the popularity of the first season. I remember finally giving in to watching the show in the summer of 2020 after scrolling through so many ‘Euphoria’ edits and makeup videos on TikTok. I actually liked the first season: the plot was intriguing, the performances by the actors were outstanding, the music was great, and it was beautiful to look out. However, I think the amazing visuals blinded me from some fundamental problems of the show.
To be frank: I hated the second season. By the time the second season rolled around, it felt like almost everyone was tuning in every Sunday to watch the newest episode while tweeting their thoughts about it. This means that ‘Euphoria’ would be watched and criticized by a whole lot more people, and boy was it criticized.
I was pretty excited about the second season but knew I was going to be completely let down by around the fourth episode. Narratively, the structure of the season dropped plot lines, introduced unnecessary characters, sidelined character development, and instead favored flashy tangents, graphic violence and sex scenes while coming off as egotistical. ‘Euphoria’ knows its popularity and prominence, and the show-runners aren’t afraid to shove that fact it its audience’s face.
Despite my problems with the show I still tuned in every week. Usually, if I don’t like a show I quit it right in the middle. I realized that the only reason why I still watched the show was to react and be able to understand discourse, memes, and reactions to each episode on Twitter. I am not the only one who despite having deep issues with the show got mixed up in the gossip and the internet’s obsession with the show. If the only thing that is keeping the audience intrigued is everything happening outside the actual show, you know that there is a huge problem ‘Euphoria.’
Bottom line is, the show’s flashy style, lack of character development and general messiness had become both exhausting and boring; It is important to note that I did find the Rue-centered episodes solid. See Sam Levinson, this is what happens when you tell stories that reflect your experiences, not someone else’s you’ll never relate to!
Why does the only plus-sized character get sidelined? Why does the only black male main character only show up for one episode? Why have female actresses been told that they have to be topless in scenes? Why is Sydney Sweeney’s body exploited the entire season? Why is one white man writing several plotlines having to deal with issues he will never experience? It seems that the creatives or in this case, the creative behind ‘Euphoria’ is making a spectacle out of these social issues.
In the words of Zendaya and Labrinth’s song for ‘Euphoria’ – I’m Tired.