On June 16, 2019, HBO released one of the biggest television series of this generation. Starring big names like Zendaya, Jacob Elordi and Hunter Schafer, Euphoria became an instant hit.
Season 1
Rue and Jules
Season 1 of Euphoria follows a teenage Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya. The show begins with Rue freshly out of rehab for addiction when she meets a girl named Jules, played by Hunter Schaefer. The two begin a “doomed yuri” type of friendship, blurring the lines between platonic and romantic. We watch as Rue struggles through her past with addiction and depression, both amplified by her late father’s passing.
At the same time, Jules is going through her own personal struggles with Jacob Elordi’s character, Nate Jacobs. On her first night in town, Jules decided to hook up a with an older man, who she later found out was Nate’s father, Cal Jacobs, played by Eric Dane. She later decides to join a dating app where she meets a man named “Tyler.” She hits it off with Tyler instantly and decides to meet up with him, only for it to be revealed that it was Nate the whole time.
Jules then decides to visit a hometown friend, with whom she ends up sleeping. During that, she imagines both Rue and Nate. After Jules comes home, Rue suggests she is in love with her hometown friend. Rue then suggests to Jules that they should run away together, and when the time comes, she bails, leaving Jules at the train station. The season ends with Jules boarding the train and a cinematic sequence of Rue relapsing with Labrinth’s “All For Us.”
Nate
This season walked us through Nate’s struggles with his father. Nate was 11 years-old when he found a plethora of tapes of his father having sex with men and trans women. This caused an immense amount of damage to their relationship. Even after Nate wins his last football game, Cal continues to criticize Nate’s performance. Nate can be seen being very violent throughout the season, from him choking his girlfriend Maddy to him hitting himself repeatedly after his father’s criticism.
Maddy
Maddy is a woman who “has known who she was from a very early age.” She grew up going to the nail salon with her mother. She divides women into two classes: the ones sitting in the chair and the ones sitting in front of it. She strives to be the one sitting in the chair, like her mother. After Nate’s “Tyler” impersonation, Madddy finds explicit male photos in his phone. She confronted him about this, and he choked her. She spends the rest of the season contemplating her tumultuous relationship, leading to their eventual breakup.
Kat
Kat began the season in conquest to lose her virginity. She talks about her search for validation. She is a well-known fan fiction writer who writes under a pen name. So, while she has the likes and vitality, nobody knows it’s her. She eventually lands in turmoil when she finds out that the man she lost her virginity to was recording. She denies the claims that it was her publicly. This sets up her season 2 arc and where she will go as a character.
Season 2
Rue and Jules & Elliot?
Season 2 begins with Rue and Jules broken up. Rue meets a new friend, Elliot, played by Dominic Fike. Elliot turns out to be an enabler for Rue’s addiction. Jules and Elliot begin to explore each other romantically. At the same time, Rue gets involved with a drug dealer named Laurie. Laurie is a small, unassuming woman who loaned Rue $10,000 worth of pills. Elliot then told Jules about the fact that Rue had relapsed and begun using again. Jules, in a fit of hurt, told Rue’s mother about the fact that she had been using. While Rue was unaware, they threw out the suitcase loaned by Laurie. This sets up what seems to be the major conflict of the upcoming season 3.
Nate and Cassie
Another big conflict of this season was Nate and Cassie’s blooming relationship. Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, is Rue’s best friend, Lexi’s little sister and Maddy’s best friend. After Maddy and Nate’s breakup, Cassie begins to get really close to nate leading to them hooking up at a party with Maddy on the other side of the door. We watch as Cassie spirals, trying to choose between her best friend and her ex-boyfriend. Nate, on the other hand barley gives Cassie the time of day in the daylight. This is amplified in a chilling scene of Nate shoulder-checking Cassie as he walks right past her, ignoring her presence. We can visually see Cassie falling apart as she starts dressing differently and is constantly on the verge of a breakdown.
Fezco and Lexi
Fezco or Fez is Rue’s drug dealer. He begins to fall for Lexi. Their bond is one of the purest in the show. They don’t exude the toxicity that most other couples in this show do. They are different. Lexi decides to write and produce a play about the lives of those around her. The play opens on the last episode of season 2. Cassie is particularly angry about the play as she feels she’s portrayed in a bad light. Throughout the play, we see Lexi looking at an empty seat meant for Fez. He never showed up.
At the same time as the play, Fez is at home with his little brother Ashtray. They are in a bone-chilling situation. The cops received a tip about Fez, leading them to try to flush away all the evidence. In an act of courage, young Ashtray decides he will stand up to the cops, leading to him being fatally shot.
Is This Play About Us?
The season concludes with Rue choosing sobriety and letting go of Jules, Ashtray and Fezco in turmoil, and Maddy confronting Cassie in the school bathroom. This season left us with many questions about what these characters will do to get out of these situations.
The Drama
Labrinth
Labrinth is the creator of the season one and two soundtrack. His original score makes the show truly great. The songs add tension and meaning to every moment. Especially in the season 1 finale, where the song perfectly encapsulates Rue’s decision to use again.
On March 12, Labrinth shared a post to his Instagram stating, “I’m done with this industry, F–k Columbia. Double f–k Euphoria. I’m out. Thank you and good night x.” This post has left many fans worried about the
Cal Jacobs and Fezco
Nate’s father, Cal, has a noticeably bigger role in season 2. We see some insight into his past. There was a boy in high-school who he was truly in love with. We watch as Cal battles his sexuality and failing marriage. Cal gives us many memorable scenes, like him coming out as gay to his family, calling out each member of his family and saying they are all messed up. On Feb 19, 2026, Eric Dane sadly passed away after battling ALS.
Another obviously notable character is Fez. After the season 2 rollout on July 31, 2023, Angus Cloud sadly passed away. The sudden death due to an accidental overdose left the fanbase in heartbreak.
No Kat?
After years of waiting, Euphoria season 3 began production, but at what cost? One notable name missing from the cast is Barbie Ferreira. After many frustrations with showrunner Sam Levinson, Ferreira has decided to leave the show for good.
Season 3?
The question I have about season three is, is it worth it to try to progress this story forward? With two of the most notable characters’ unfortunate passings, Barbie Ferreira’s fight, and Labrinth quitting, is it worth it to try to keep the show alive? My biggest worry is that the show will lose its signature style. These four people add magnitudes of greatness to the show. Whether that be Eric Dane’s stellar performance in tandem with Jacob Elordi or Labrinth’s great execution of sound to amplify a moment. The show will be missing pieces that made it what it is. While I will keep an open mind while watching, I worry that it might be better to let the cliffhanger be a cliffhanger.