Euphoria season 2 episode 4 spoilers follow.
Early on in the very first episode of Euphoria, Rue explains that unique sense of joy and elation that she experiences while getting high:
"Then it happens. That moment when your breath starts to slow. And every time you breathe, you breathe out all the oxygen you have. Everything stops. Your heart, your lungs, and finally your brain. Everything you feel and wish and want to forget it all just sinks. And then suddenly, you give it air again. Give it life again."
And Rue's been chasing "those two seconds of nothingness" ever since. It's all she's ever wanted across both seasons of the show to date. But now, midway through season two, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, DARE, has released a statement (via NBC News) that argues Euphoria is glamourising high-risk behaviours among teens:
"Rather than further each parent's desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO's television drama, Euphoria, chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high-school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today's world."
Is Euphoria controversial at points? Yes. How can you not be with that many dicks flapping around? And does the show court said controversy for controversy's sake? There certainly is an argument to be made there, whether you agree or not. But to suggest that Euphoria purely glamourises drug use, addiction, and all of those other things that keep parents up at night, suggests in turn that you don't really watch the show at all.
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Everyone on Euphoria is f**king miserable, even the ones who are actually in a steady relationship, and the show doesn't suggest that this happens because of outside influences. From Rue and Jules to Nate and Cal, practically every single character is the architect of their own destruction.
Of course, bad things can and do happen through no fault of their own. It's not Young Cal's fault that he fell in love with a boy in the '80s, just like its not Rue's fault that her father died of cancer. But it's the way each character deals with this pain that brings about their doom — and there's nothing intrinsically "glamorous" about that.
Even the brief moments of joy that we do see are tainted with something far darker. Take Rue's breathtaking sequence at the end of season one. It's awe-inspiring, but it also signals her relapse, to the point where many even thought this could be Zendaya's final scene before Rue dies of an overdose.
Having clearly survived season one, Rue later dances to Frank Sinatra's "Call Me Irresponsible" with a hazy smile in the third episode of season two. But even then, things go south when her little sister, Gia, asks if she's high.
Reflecting on this scene with Decider, Zendaya said:
"I think that is a moment for her, when we live inside of her brain, that's joyous and beautiful until we zoom out and remember what's happening. There's a very harsh reality to what's happening to her."
This sudden, jarring contrast is actually key to the story that's being told here, and that's something reports by DARE, and even Insider, fail to recognise, particularly when it comes to Euphoria's portrayal of drugs.
After all, there's a reason why people take narcotics in the first place. They want to escape, they want to feel something (or nothing). And by tapping into the allure of this euphoria, Euphoria itself can then show the reality of what it's like to live with these addictive behaviours.
"I think it’s crucial that film and television portray addiction in an honest way," creator Sam Levinson told Vulture. "That we allow for its complexities to play out. That we show the allure of drugs, the relief they can bring, because that’s ultimately what makes them so destructive.”
This interview came in response to critiques of season one, but Levinson's words here are just as valid now, especially given how the new episodes lean even harder into the consequences of Rue's actions.
Season two's latest chapter opens with a number of classic romance fantasies that run through Rue's head as Jules performs oral sex on her for the first time. Each scene depicts a legendary love (and some extraordinary wigs) in homages to Ghost, Titanic, Sleeping Beauty and even Brokeback Mountain. The only problem is that Rue's too numb on narcotics to actually derive any pleasure from what her girlfriend's doing.
So even in this "so amazing" moment, drugs are ruining Rue's life. And it's no coincidence that most of these romantic fantasies are doomed. Not even Rue's subconscious will allow her to enjoy this, because ultimately, she doesn't feel like she deserves true happiness.
By starting the episode with an idealised version of the love that so many fans ship online, it becomes even more devastating when this relationship falls apart by the end. "I can’t f**king stand you," Rue says right before Jules betrays her with Elliot. And while regular teen horny urges dynamics play a role here, the revelation that Rue is still using is what sets this spark off.
By the end of this episode, everyone is, once again, f**king miserable. Although everyone looks truly gorgeous through Rue's tripped-out perspective — they really do look incredible — the beauty of these final visions only enhances their suffering more.
Julies is bathed in a golden light tinged with betrayal, Kat and Ethan drive in silence through a Hollywood-style road... and then there's Cassie. Sweet, not-so perfect Cassie is trapped in a breathtaking reflection of her own making.
As Levinson puts it in that aforementioned interview, the idea that Euphoria makes all this desirable to teens is both "frustrating" and also "kind of lazy." Criticisms of this nature are "essentially about the subjective experience of watching a television show, and not the individual experience of being caught in the painful cycle of addiction."
That's the real message behind Euphoria. It's not saying, "Drugs are cool, kids!" Instead, the show asks viewers to consider if "those two seconds of nothingness" are actually worth all of the pain, destruction, and misery that ensue. But to get that warning across, you can't show these consequences without the euphoria that precedes it.
Euphoria airs Sunday nights on HBO and Monday nights on NOW and Sky Atlantic in the UK.
For more on drug addiction and dependency, including information and support, please visit FRANK or Action on Addiction.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
