TV Show Review: Euphoria

By Kate Rose ’24

The show Euphoria follows a group of students as they navigate high school amidst the dramas of teenage life. The storyline follows a 17-year-old girl named Rue Bennett and her peers Nate, Jules, Maddy, Cassie, McKay, and Kat. 

Each character faces a slew of personal and social dilemmas throughout the show. Rue is a recovering addict recently returning from rehab. Jules Vaughn is a trans woman new to the neighborhood and looking to find lasting friendships. Maddy Perez and Nate Jacobs are a couple in a toxic relationship that seems to be on its last legs. Cassie Howard is the “pretty and popular” girl, who struggles with being objectified and used by the men at Euphoria High. Kat Hernandez is a quiet girl looking to find confidence and self-love. Chris McKay is an aspiring football star trying to get off the bench. Other supporting characters such as Lexie, Cal, Fezco, and others help shape the show into the hit it is today.

I find Euphoria riveting. The plot’s constant twists and turns have me hooked, and the suspense in each episode makes it hard to press pause. Watching each character work through their personal dilemmas and attempt to find fulfillment is captivating. The complexity of each character was truly amazing, and I love how the show dives into each character’s background. 

Euphoria’s soundtrack is perfect for the slightly mysterious and dark vibe of the show, yet perfectly represents the youthful vibe as well. The music is one of my favorite parts of Euphoria, with the various sounds and genres making each scene special. Some of my favorite songs from the show are “Mount Everest” by Labrinth, “Right Down the Line” by Gerry Rafferty, and “Formula,” also by Labrinth.

However, though Euphoria is intended to be representative of the high school experience, I find that at times the show can be extremely unrealistic. The sheer amount of sexual encounters between characters is not natural. There is also a lot of focus on these events, which is not such an important aspect of high school. There has been great controversy over these scenes, with several of the Euphoria actors and actresses, such as Sydney Sweeney, playing Cassie Howard, speaking up and requesting fewer sexual scenes in the upcoming season. There are quite a few nude scenes that seem unnecessary towards the plot of the show.

My second critique of the show is its obscene amount of substance abuse. Most of the main characters consume drugs at some point in the show, and several have addiction issues. Euphoria glorifies drug use in a society that has already normalized teenage substance abuse. There is also a shocking amount of violence in the show. There are several physical fights throughout Euphoria and the presence of guns and gore are common. The characters in the show are also rarely seen in school, in class, or even doing their homework. They seem to be at parties and getting into various kinds of trouble every night. 

Although there are quite a few unrealistic aspects of Euphoria that can normalize things like sex, drugs, and violence to viewers, it also has some realistic elements to it. The character development in Euphoria reflects the development of teenagers in real life. Each character changes drastically from the first episode to the last. They are all slowly figuring out who they are. From the first day of high school to the last, we become completely different people. This was an aspect of the show that I greatly enjoyed. I also enjoyed the different relationships in Euphoria. The constant ups and downs and the toxicity of several of them truly made me think about my own relationships. 

In my opinion, this show was a new and fresh idea of what high school looks like in some terms today.  The plot was enthralling, and the performances by some of the actors such as Zendaya, Alexa Demie, and Sydney Sweeney were incredible. 

Although the show caused several different controversies, I think that the director, Sam Levinson, deserves exceptional praise. Euphoria has become extremely popular, became a hit when released in 2019, and amassed around 3.5 million viewers. It has received nine Emmy award nominations since the first season. The full first season is currently out on HBO Max, and the second season premiered on Jan. 9 and is dropping a new episode weekly. I would highly recommend watching the show if you love themes of suspense, romance, and friendship. However, I would not recommend watching this show around your parents…