Euphoria Season 2
Synopsis
Euphoria is an American television series loosely based on the Israeli television miniseries of the same name. The story follows the lives of a group of high school rebels and cliches who take you on a joyride through their experiences with identity, mental health, addiction, trauma, complex relationships and a whole lot of philosophy. The show makes a grand and epic comeback after almost three years with the introduction of a new character. The makers did make it easy though by releasing two beautifully written and produced mini-specials in between to help with the FOMO. You can check out my review of the first season and take a “trip” down the memory lane.
My Take
“I wish you could see yourself the way the rest of the world does.”
The cinematography and colour grading of Euphoria is the most colourful and trippy visual experience that I have ever witnessed but I see every character of Euphoria representing a shade of grey. And with the second season the colour gets darker and even more hypnotising. The crux of the story remains the same where Rue is still battling with addiction but this season takes a step forward in analysing the moral compass of the other characters and their intertwined lives. The season also delves a little deeper into the story arcs of characters like Lexi, Cal, Fez and Ash and brings forward a whole new set of conflicts and issues.
Every episode is a masterclass in screenwriting with top notch editing and an excellent soundtrack. But this season also featured two of my favourite episodes from the entire series – episode 5 & 6. It was quite clear from last year’s awards season that Zendaya completely owned the “small screen” with her mind blowing performance in the first season but I was a little surprised to see her out of action in the first few episodes of the second season, which gave space to the other actors to shine in their respective roles and performances. And then came episode five !
It was exactly the kind of build-up that both Rue and Zendaya needed. The episode went out to prove again what a great actress Zendaya is and how she owns every role that she takes up. The fifth episode also served as a great insight into the emotional ordeal of an addict’s family and friends, and the trauma they have to go through. The episode felt like a personal and heartfelt depiction of Sam Levinson’s own journey as a former addict. And then came the sixth episode, which was probably meant to neutralise the intense and rather brutal preceding episode but I felt it was way more than that. The episode depicted the mothers’ of Euphoria – their poignant journeys, perspectives and equations with their troubled kids. What could’ve been a rather preachy episode became an empathetic and sensitive portrayal of the adults and their struggles.
Every episode has its moments like the previous season and the mini-specials but a special shoutout to Sam Levinson, Angus Cloud (Fez) and Javon Walton (Ash) for giving us one of the most cinematically thrilling finale sequences ever made. It will take you on a heartbreaking and gripping ride within a span of four minutes. It’s hard to describe the sequence in words but let’s just say that for a lot of us the season ended with that particular sequence.
Even though the show was met with harsh criticism for promoting violence, addiction and nudity but I failed to see any issues with the show because it’s more than Rue’s journey with addiction. It’s a larger than life depiction of some very real and concerning issues being faced by young adults who are struggling and battling with mental health issues under the increasing influence of technology.
Disclaimer: The above review solely illustrates the views of the writer.