Euphoria: Season 2

The season two premiere of Euphoria was highly anticipated. The first season enthralled the majority of Gen Z and even drew in older audiences, making it HBO’s second most-watched show behind Game of Thrones. Season one left watchers wondering about the reconciliation of main characters Jules and Rue that was needed after their separation at the end of season one. 

This season introduces new characters such as Faye (Chloe Cherry) a new friend of Fez, Elliot (Dominic Fike) another drug user that befriends Rue and Jules, and probably the unexpectedly scariest character yet: Laurie (Martha Kelly).

It could be said that the cinematography and visuals are bolder than the first season, mostly due to the fact that they switched from digital to film for this season. Instead of the vivid purples and cool tones from the first season, this season feels more raw and grounded, creating the visual of some sort of memory. 

Season two follows the mold of Season one in the sense that it begins with a messy storyline involving all the characters. As Rue relapses back into drug use, the love triangle between Cassie, Maddy, and Nate is created. Lexi’s developing relationship with Fez and her play coming together also becomes an important plot line, especially in the finale once the play is actually revealed. Lexi’s play served as a big character reflection for most, revealing everyone’s storyline in a way that fits Lexi’s personality. The only thing that may have been more underdone than it should’ve been was Kat’s storyline. Kat had major character growth last season and one of the more dominant storylines. Whereas this season, she is completely sidelined and she has no character development as she faces issues in her relationship with Ethan. This emphasized how this season had a little too much going on and might have been a little bit more overwhelming than necessary.

At least we did get some extremely visually pleasing scenes in this season, especially Cassie’s scene as she’s crying surrounded by a gorgeous arrangement of flowers. Overall, the cinematography and talented acting (especially by Zendaya) are what keeps Euphoria from being another cheesy teen show. Let’s hope that the wait time for season three is much less than the two years that it took for season two to be released, and that it answers all of the unanswered questions that left the audience to their imagination.

by BERTA CASANOVA