the writing is horrible, and that’s from someone who LOVES this show. Sam Levinson needs to put the writing in someone else’s hands, because not only is it bad, his writing sacrifices the comfort of his actors as well. It’s caused so many problems on set
I'll give Euphoria this, it was one of the most captivating visual-audio experiences I've ever witnessed in any show. I can't say I'd ever watch it again, but I do love a lot of the show.
@@LalaDepala00True detective is a great show, but it’s nowhere near as visually innovative as Euphoria. At least they managed to keep the same level of quality for more than 10 episodes
@@LalaDepala00 we can discuss tastes like we do, without being insulting :) The only thing that we can’t take away from euphoria imho is how much work went into the visual. No natural lighting, everything is man made, it’s almost like a fashion ad at some point. With the use of anything shiny and reflecting light, neons, sparkles, heavy use of glitter to emphasize on the eyes. The only show that went this far with the lighting is the season 1 of Sky rojo.
Haha, yes. This really encapsulates how I feel about the show. Reflecting back I still really really liked the cinematography of that house party episode (I think it was season 2 premiere?). I even thought the acting was really good. The plot lines, the writing and story itself is actually laughable and ridiculously camp.
Honestly with how season 3 won’t come out for another couple years… I wish season one was a self contained story. The season one finale ending was so good.
I think it blew up more than they expected it would so they got cocky and decided to make another season which wasn’t even as good as the first one due to levinsons ego
honestly I don't think we are getting a season 3. Many of the actors are kind of too big for the show now, and the death of Angus Cloud is going to put a dark shroud over any filming or writing. I don't think they'll want to come back. Especially in a few years, it just takes all the momentum out of it. I think we may just be left with what's there.
People excuse Maddy for everything. Completely ignoring all of the horrible things she did because “slay queen”. She legit accused a guy of child rape just so she could stay with her bf and it NEVER CAME BACK AT HER.
@@babyfaceweeb8937 you had a college party MCKAY threw bc he was IN COLLEGE and didn’t even want Maddie there (gee I wonder why). Dude asked how old she was and she lied just to get revenge on Nate (remember, the guy who abused her then she got back together with?) Try to spin it ? Maddy is a monster and her loyal mob of rabid fan girls condone the evil shit she does because “omg her makeup is so cool”. As a Latina, I hate Maddie. She is a portrayed as a garbage human being and is a gross stereotype. And is never called out on for her actions. You’re probably the kind of person who will side with a female simply because “she has a vagina and is there for always right “ 🙄.
Obviously sex is going to be weird to watch or think about for people you’re not in the age group of. While it was overly sexualized, highschoolers ARE having sex. I’ve seen snaps of a classmate literally complaining about being in a full-on sexually and physically abusive relationship, guess what: they were in highschool.
@@chocolatecream5593 I lost my virginity in the 8th grade, obviously we were in high school doing the same thing. That has nothing to do with a popular show over sexualizing minors. You’re in high school so of course you don’t get it, but it’s weird to me for grown adults to watch that sh t
@@Von.Juan. I’m not in highschool I’m actually in college. Again, yes the show was overly sexual. Though that doesn’t mean people should think these things only happen to ones who are 18+. My point was, you can ignore the show but don’t ignore the problem.
When I was in highschool, videos of people I knew and were friends of friends full on doing it in public would go around and be gossiped about often. We would make fun of the kids who would do it in gross spots like by the dumpsters or skate park. I know multiple girls in highschool now who do things like in this show. It's not the sexualization of high schoolers. It's an accurate portrait of high schoolers.
It’s absolutely an issue, but to show it so graphically and so frequently is repulsive. Nobody wanted to see long, drawn-out scenes of minors doing it, and those who did are certainly on watch lists.
Rest in peace, Angus Cloud. His untimely death a week after losing his father is so heartbreaking, and it's a shame that they won't be able to explore the burgeoning Lexi/Fesco romance much further.
@iammraat3059 he was 25, dude. I get you're doing a "drugs are bad and addicts are making a choice" thing, but the guy is gone. Dying at 25 is not "timely". It's tragic.
Agreed omg. Let's be real, I doubt most teens are actually watching this show. It's a dramatisation, romantisisation, and (sometimes) sexualisation of a particular teenage experience for adult entertainment and I will never not find that completely disturbing.
What Lexi did to her sister was fucked up. I’m not close to my sibling and we fight but I would never air his shit in front of the whole fucking world just to give myself a confidence boost. It was gross.
It's was so disgusting and I will never forget everyone praising Lexi when that episode came out. In lexi's play/ flashbacks were see that she is AWARE Cassie has been Se*ually assaulted bc of he beauty but still thinks of her sister as a s**t that got life handed to her. I can't imagine getting r*p*d then having my sx tape shared without consent and then have my own sister say if only she was born with my beauty as if implying she wanted my life & I should be grateful for the things that happened to me while simultaneously demonizing me for my appearance.
@@shanlieart fr and I’m S1 they actually seemed close. S2 tried to act like they had a rivalry. And it was dumb. Then to have their mother praise Lexi for her play and absolutely no repercussions happen to her as a result ? If my sibling ever did to me what Lexi did to Cassie, they’d be dead to me. And if my parent’s supported them, I’d not speak to them either.
@@rileybear836FRRR like lexi’s entire character s2 was being a pick me. they could’ve shown what it was like growing up in your sister’s shadow and having a bit of resentment towards her for it but it lacked so much nuance in S2 it was painful. They play was so so bad and I cant believe everyone said cassie “deserved it” when literally all she did was cheat, which almost every single character also did😭😭
Kat deserved better. So tired of the big girl trope; being the left out friend or the one with low self esteem who can’t keep a relationship. It’s obvious Sam had no idea how to relate to her, he threw her in there to be inclusive and then made her have the sh!ttiest and most frustrating storyline.
Absolutely can't wait for Barbie Ferreira to be out of her NDA and find out what her take on it was. Because I very much understand the rumours of her leaving the show due to the handling of her character
@metoo3342 bestie if you're gonna be out here insulting someone's looks the least you can do is have a pfp that is you. Particularly when the person you're trying to drag is a literal professional model 💀
@@dreadwolfrising she began modeling when she still was at a normal weight and the only reason she has any job still modeling is because she doesn't easily get fat in the face so it doesn't swallow up her features.
Except there are high schoolers who experience this stuff. Problem is when people don’t get out of their own bubble, they think this stuff doesn’t happen just because they didn’t see it or go looking for it and stay naive. I feel like this show in turn, gives them the ability to recognize that these issues aren’t restricted to 18+ people in real life. Like If teens want to do illegal things that they believe may take pleasure in, they will find a way. A lot of that ties into sex, drugs, gang, and alcohol culture. And like what was mentioned, how sex trafficking underaged people happens.
@@chocolatecream5593It’s not being in a bubble tho. Reality is majority of Highschool students aren’t having sex and definitely not regularly. This show depicted bdsm style sex, very abusive scenes, and we are supposed believe this is the norm for 15-18 year olds when that’s not even how most adults interact with eachother. And it’s not that I don’t believe teens have sex and do drugs, it’s that this show and the visuals turn it into something completely unrealistic. Teens who actually do this don’t have glamorous lives like this show makes it seem. Everyone wants to get on to viewers who say it romanticizes drug use and SA and say that’s not true, but the show does. It’s music scenes just all of it. Real Highschool students who are involved in copious amounts of drug use and sex don’t look cool like that. They don’t all look models either lol, which adds to the aesthetic of this show. Average Highscore Student actually engaging in that behavior looks broken, depressed, and you can tell from a mile away that something very concerning is going on. Sorry but a tv show about an awkward teen depicts highschool more accurately and commonly than Euphoria.
@@highlyunderstated9908 exactly, it was based on a certain group of high schoolers which the main characters represented to cover specific issues. That’s why they all have a different problem. If people wound up doing those things just because they saw some attractive actors and pretty lights, then that’s on them because all of the consequences were portrayed badly and showed toxicity. Most people have noted that they saw past the glam or aesthetic, as if that’s not what they’re already supposed to do or something. Sane people should already be able see the issues in something even if it looks “cool”. When I say bubble, I mean happily ignoring anything wrong outside one’s own reality, which is fine until people start declaring the case that it doesn’t happen. Which you didn’t, but others have. Notice that all of those background characters are probably just other people doing regular things.
Rue connected me to the show too. People can pearl clutch & act like kids doing drugs is “unrealistic” but I was one of those kids & it’s rare to see such an accurate portrayal of that experience. There’s a lot of valid criticism for this show but what it got right shouldn’t be overlooked.
So I only saw S1. I'm quite surprised ppl say it's a realistic portrayal of teenage drug addiction, bc it lacks the entire materiality of it, especially in regards of money.
I always said rue was the only thing that felt real to me. I feel like theme wise it had good points and good topics but the way they went about it just was wrong, rue was what made me want to stay though. I don’t do drugs but it was heavy in my family so I’ve seen it and watching rue felt real but literally that was it
Most people were bored with the special episodes. I thought it was beautiful. I learned so much about Rue the character and it made me like the show like 10x more after.
oh my god the soecial epsiodes were soo underrated and i had no idea!!! i thought EVERYONEEE was all caught up and watched them, but so many people havent even heard of them apparently???? which is so sad because jules special especially was such a great dive into her character and i HATE HATE HATE how much they backtracked her amazing character development
literally!!@@dazey8706 . Those special episodes were absolutely amazing. I love what Jules says about how she wants to be strong & beautiful like the ocean, for some reason it has always stuck with me. It makes me mad that they nerfed her character so hard. like ik my girl in s1 era would not cheat with that goofy ass dude & play in Rue's face like that
i still ride so hard for euphoria season 1. it blew me away and quickly became one of my favorite seasons of a show ever. season 2 was certainly a let-down, and sam levinson’s most recent work is just plain bad, but season 1 will always have a place in my heart. i found it beautifully shot, well composed, and compelling.
not to mention the two bridge episodes - they made me so excited for the second season and hunter schafer’s episode is a real standout if the whole body of work.
Someone once said “The more you watch Euphoria, the more you realize it would’ve made more sense if it were set in College” and that is probably the smartest take I’ve ever heard. Maybe a few of these things are applicable to High Schoolers but the writing & everything else was incredibly adult even down to the fits.
On a very surface level, sure. The issues brought up in Euphoria aren’t relevant to every high school student, but are accurate for some. If the characters were older we would also expect more mature decision making from them than what we saw, which would cause its own problems for the story. I think the show only works because of how messy we remember our own high school decisions as adults looking back. The show isn’t really even about them being in school to begin with, that takes the background to showing the human element of people processing trauma.
@@Jummugest100%. Literally takes Rue's exact storyline and just add a few years. She can totally be a struggling teen as a junior/senior that spirals into addiction and have it set as college freshmen. Jewel's too. 17/18 year olds do the same HS bullshii so it would have been perfectly EQUAL to them being minors without the glorification and artists male-gaze cast on adults you're force-fed to believe are children. It's nasty and saying it only has as impact because it IS high school minors is a weak and surface-level take imo
its unfortunate the show has the reputation it does now, because honestly there are so many moments of this show that are probably some of my favourite pieces of media I've consumed. hopefully season 3 can be a return to form for the show but to be honest I doubt that will happen.
Honestly thats just how it goes. A show becomes popular ppl focus on the goods, time passes on and some controversy causes all the bad shit to be highlighted and the good ones to disappear, and people start acting like smart asses by saying it's unrealistic. To me, euphoria is not relatable. But its a good show and i enjoy watching it and have no personal gripes with it. Its show man, dont take the criticisms to heart if you enjoy it
knowing that Petra collins had a huge part in the casting / art direction of season 1, and then getting fired by hbo pissed me off to no end. Thats the reason why season 1 is so visually compelling and season 2 not so much. Petra is not accredited at all. If you look at her page (especially from the time they would have been filming s1, her photography visually reflects similarly to euphoria. A lot of the cast members she worked with prior. Shame on hbo for that seriously. Petra deserves her claps
You're the only real TH-cam film critic I watch anymore. Everyone else has fallen off into just "I hate everything, everything is terrible, disgusting gender politics, women are evil" and it breeds so damn much negativity. I love that you support both sides. You have substance and rarely let bias or emotions impede your writing. Thanks so much, man!
Yes but 😂 everything is getting progressively worse music movie tv shows especially if you are older every thing is just being recycled idk about the gender war 😂 I don't watch shit like that because it's divisive and opinions are like assholes everyone has had them but why should I care or even listen
Literally no one is saying women are evil, or that everything is disgusting. That's your OWN bias, your own ideologically driven worldview, making you think that. Also, gender doesn't exist. You can't keep using a term without proving that term. This isn't how any of this works. It's circular reasoning. And no, scientific concensus is not proof. Scientific concensus in the 1920s was that eugenics based on race and disability was totally acceptable
explain the 20-something-thousand percent increase in lgbt people. You can't do that without admitting it's all a fad, a cultural phase. Just as it always has been. If it were truly legitimate, we would not see such meteoric rises. A large rise, but no where near multiple tens of thousands of a percent increase...... it's also strange how most lgbt people are not older than 21? Why is that? If we're so open and honest and accepting, we should see the same rise in the older generations.
Season 1 was super strong I think. And those special episodes were just magic. Season 2 is where Sam kinda fumbled the bag. Wayyy to many plot holes and unresolved narratives. I think it’s possible for Season 3 to be good though, that writers room needs to be a lot bigger.
Yeah, agree with a lot of this. If I'm honest, I think Sam is a good director behind the camera, and I think that he makes every project he's a part of, no matter how shit it is, look very slick and stylish. However, he is a *terrible* screenwriter 99% of the time. The main reason Euphoria was actually good both in season 1 and in the Rue and Jules special episodes is most likely because of the expanded writers' room, which likely offered a vast range of perspectives from which to write the characters, and Sam taking the feedback of his actors into consideration. Season 2 on the other hand, like a lot of his other work, just feels like a vanity project. More than likely because similar to The Idol and his two feature films Assassination Nation and Malcolm & Marie, he was one of, if not, THE only writer in the show's writer's room. Because of that aforementioned pretentiousness he didn't really listen to his actors so much, wrote Kat out of the show because Barbie Ferreira disagreed with how she would be portrayed, and only really listened to Zendaya in terms of character feedback, as she helped produce the show. Characters take really weird turns and just don't have natural arcs that show them working to overcome their flaws or grow as people.
loveeee this video. my sibling is trans and has struggled with substance abuse- watching the special episodes together and talking about them was a wonderful source of connection for us during covid. those episodes are great BECAUSE they were written by people who had experience with the perspectives at hand. the way s2 eviscerated maddy, cassie, mckay, jules, and kat it was clear sam wouldn’t let anyone who cared about their experiences take the reigns again. like the audacity to waste 4 mins of the finale for a dominic fike song when we could be resolving arcs is bonkersss i also want to add what a revelation Labrinth is!!! the cinematography and score are genuinely transcendent
No, your sibling is not trans. Care to prove transgenderism exists? Because as far as I can tell, every single cell in your siblings body still contains the same chromosomal makeup that they did when they were born. Oh, gender and sex are two different things? Cool. Then why use biological terms such as trans MAN and trans WOMAN, when man and woman refer to an adult human male and an adult human female? I don't care how people feel or how people think. I don't care that this makes you "happy"; it isn't true. And your happiness will die when you have realized this truth. My feelings are irrelevant.
I feel like a major problem with season 2 is the fact that Sam Levinson worked less and less with a writing team. The shift from collaborative writing, peaking with the specials, to one where Levinson worked mostly on his own, is very evident
it just never gives you a break really, i guess fez and lexi's story is fun and more lighthearted but other than that, its just always a lil too dark. theres never that break of goodness or like a scene of them doing actual highschool things
@@huntterr9 "wt r these talk about".... those words are confusing... watch the episodes, they're really good. whatever questions you're trying to ask might be more clear after that
As someone trying to be sober and not being a good person during my addiction it felt nice seeing rue on screen. Zendaya was a great choice to show how good ppl can do bad things and I really loved that her path was not linear it felt more real and you could tell the creator had definely used some of his experiences to create the character or rue
I honesty feel like what made season one amazing was that it was grounded in reality ( obviously with problems), but unlike season two it really pulled away from the characters. Like the characters felt real to me in season one, season two just felt like the characters were two different people, anyway great video
Season one was really good season two felt like a reality show honestly what I wish they did is have the season one as a limited series and make special episodes for every character , and 2 characters could share a special episode so that it doesn't feel alot
I think what makes a lot of the scenes or elements fall apart in euphoria is taking into consideration who's behind them. Because knowing Levinson and the stuff he seems eager to put in his shows, and how he sees himself as above criticism or how he mistreats cast members when they try to give input on their characters. One starts to see "oh this is here because of this" and slowly starts to fall out of love with the show
I am someone who enjoyed season 1, not so much season 2… but overall I am just trying to understand the necessity of a season 3. I don’t feel like this show has much more to say, and we will get more redundant drama like the love triangle because of that. But I shall be watching when it comes out.
same, i feel like i’ll find it hard to love it as much i did the first season, especially with kat’s storyline basically flushed down the toilet, fez gone, half the characters AND cast hating eachother, and isn’t ashtray dead? i’m also at a very different place than i was when i watched the first season, it was so gut wrenching and deep because it was relatable and confronting. now it’s been 4-5ish years, i’m a completely different person, the part of me that related to the characters is dead and gone, and in the show barely any time has passed. i think it will be very hard to top, sam will need to have a good long time of self reflection and try to understand what made the show good was lacking in the second season. i’m not sure if it was the writers, the collaboration with the actors or use of labrinth’s songs that need to make a return, if not all, but i haven’t got high hopes really
Euphoria is something I don't see myself ever going back and rewatching, but I will say that it was def an experience. Even though it has it's problems, zendaya killed it, and her performance in the episode about her looking for her drugs, was life changing. That's one of the main reason why I don't completely discredit the show, because of the effect it had on my older brother (who is recovering from alcohol and drug addicion). It started a conversation between the two of us and started the beginning of a mending sibling relationship, so I am forever greatful for that episode.
This show is the perfect example for how social media affects people's perception. When it first came out, everyone loved it, it was super successful, people recommended it left and right. So I checked it out and really liked it, although I also saw some of the faults you mentioned. Then the special episodes came out and no one cared, which was crazy to me because Rue and Jules are by far the best characters in the whole show, and these are the most well-written and well-acted episodes altogether. Then season two came out, and suddenly the tide turned completely. Allllll the stuff from season one that people looked past were huge, glaring problems. Alllll of Sam Levinson's work is trash because there is *checks notes* consensual nudity? I think all of the issues it tackles, it does well, without glorification (if the average social media user lacks media literacy, that's on them imo). I agree with you, season two is a mess, but it's funny to me that if it was a bit more cohesive, people would have continued to look past all the more "problematic" aspects of the show.
Your comment is pretty spot on. I have loved euphoria from day 1. The special episodes were awesome. It’s crazy to me some of the stuff people say about season 2 because as you rightly point out these things were always a part of the show. I personally loved season 2 as well. I was very happy to see Lexi getting more focus. RIP Angus Cloud what a shame.
The issue is the nudity was being pressured onto the actors to perform not super consensual tbh. The filming process was super toxic and taxing on the actors and if they didn’t heed to sams beck and call they were treated how Barbie was having their characters cut off from the show and eventually let go. the director is super shady, narcissistic and misogynistic as is coming to light recently, and he is projecting his fantasies into teenage characters which is weird af. The inclusivity in the show is super performative and fake. it’s fine for you to like the show but the criticism garnered towards it had been valid as well.
If I’m not mistaken in season 2 there were moments where Sydney Sweeney didn’t feel the need for nudity and brought it up to Sam and he respected her decision and didn’t include them. The nudity was toned down in season 2 to a pretty large degree. In regards to Barbie she didn’t like the idea of the eating disorder storyline and refused to do it so I kinda don’t blame Sam for just removing that storyline altogether which reduced her screen time. She can’t exactly go around demanding he make her a whole new storyline because she doesn’t like the one he wrote. Most of this stuff is based on rumors anyway so I would just say don’t watch the show? Idk I still highly enjoy the show and am definitely gonna watch season 3 it’s just crazy the stuff people come up about a show they chose to watch. Any issues you have with season 2 were always there in season 1 so I don’t get why you would keep watching.
You know what changed between seasons 1 and 2? The number of people who knew about Levinson’s working conditions grew. People spoke out and as such, some part of the audience questioned the price of high art television, and some people lost trust in what they were viewing. No need to blame this on people being slaves to online opinions or suddenly becoming prudes.
Love season 1, adore special eps. Season 2 is just a mess and THATS where the style over substance & navel-gazey arguments do totally win me over. Not so much season 1. The beautiful image of Cassy crying w flowers around it is the perfect example. Is it beautiful? Yes. But where does it stand in the visual & emotional logic of the show, beyond it being a simplistic metaphor on femininity & suffering? The image is simply made for Instagram and twitter-social media is the target audience here, and I don't mean the PEOPLE (as in, young people), but becoming viral itself. Another good example: the play-more specifically, the dance that Kat's ex does. It's funny but beyond that, it means so little beyond its obvious message. There's no nuance, it's simply a clip for tiktok. The images and the style in season two are mostly empty in either its simpleness/flatness or in their literal emptiness so as to be empty enough to be cuttable enough to repost and viralize. Some scenes/images are very basic and merely visually mirror things we already know abt the characters: someone's loneliness, someone's vengeful mood, someone's dispair, blah-very collage level filmmaking with a big budget. And then some images/scenes are simply beautiful for the sake of that and literally say nothing. And yeah, obviously this is better than gossip girl, One Tree Hill, The summer I turned prettty, whatever, right? BUTTTT Levinson DOESN'T rly want his show to be like those shows-he wants it to be ARTTTT. What's most annoying perhaps is that levinson confuses navel-gazing as "dangerous" and he constantly pats himself in the back, just as he did with The Idol (ugh if I ever see that video of him at cannes saying he had the show of the summer or whatever-UGH!) But it's like... the storylines don't make ANY sense, a lot is there for shock value, the writing is often cheesy, flat and contrived, Also, not to get too identity-politics-y, but it is kinda irksome that most of Levinson protagonists are Black, and whereas he seems super interested at times in Jules as a trans woman and he's interested in understanding THAT as an identity, he completely disregards and misunderstands race. Rue, Malcolm, Marie, Tedros... none of them have any relationship with their race or even understand it. Perhaps Malcolm is the one who grapples with it the most, but as an imposition, something the world has thrusted upon him and that he wants nothing to do with. This could be interesting if SOMEONE in Levinson's filmography actually pushed back on this, but nah... Some of the peripheral representation, such as McKay, Gia, Rue's mother & Ali, is cliché and reductionist. McKay's character arc is the literally the first thing you'd think about when you think about a Black athlete: exceptionalism & the pressures of that, especially from a Black father. Gia is similarly white-coded as Rue (meaning they're white in everything besides skin), there are some mentions of Christianity with Rue's mother, which again: first & most cliche thing you'd think about when thinking abt a Black woman. And then Ali, who is just a Magical Negro of sorts, especially in the "main" seasons. & Levinson doesn't get much better with latino or asian characters, such as Maddie or Dyanne... Anyway sorry abt the rant. The man is just so annoying. He is simply a less accomplished, less visionary, less provocative, cheap and McDonalized Gaspar Noe. A good video on this: th-cam.com/video/fkpDjK4w80E/w-d-xo.html
Tbh euphoria would likely be a great show through and through if Sam levitson would let a writers room go through his scripts, and if they were just a bit more focused when it comes to the big shock value scenes (I.e Nate assaulting Maddie, Jules and Cal, etc.)
The Rue special episode is one of the best written episodes of tv I’ve ever seen. S2ep5 has flaws but it’s also incredible. Lots of things I love about a show that has flaws for sure
I was pulled in by Euphoria, I related to it. I related to the characters. I feel it's pretty special regardless of what he's made since then. Especially the first season, as you point out. I don't know if they will make any more, I'm kind of afraid because the longer shows go on, the worse they tend to get. But I would watch a third season.
I remember being engaged with the first season, but the second was such a disappointment. Bloated with no focus like the first. Too many chatacters you didn't care about and took the focus away from the main hook, which was Rue and Jules. And yeah those special episodes hit home for multiple relatable reasons. I wish the rest of the show was more like them.
I honestly loved season 1, it was a comfort show of mine, especially rues special episode, that episode means a great deal to me. I watched season 2 as it was released and I enjoyed maybe the first half but then it got so out of hand for me. I understand that its meant to be dramatised teenage experiences and they show all the different character storylines, and in the first season, i loved that. I felt a connection to all of the characters and they felt fleshed out for the most part while still having Rue be the driving force behind the show. The second season lost that touch. I lost my mother to cancer when I was very young so rues funeral speech in season 2 meant more to me than I could put into words, it was written so beautifully and had the gritty rawness that the first season had. But then, on the internet, I barely saw anyone talking about it, and when I did it was people calling it boring and saying they kept going back to it. All other commentary I heard was about the maddie and cassie drama or how attractive dominic fike is or nates dad. Maybe that was a product of the audience of the second season rather than the show itself, but Rue no longer felt like a main character in the slightest, and it became a drama sitcom rather than the commentary piece it was intended to be. I still love season 1, but ill probably only rewatch select parts of season 2 as it just left a sour taste in my mouth.
Me personally, I don’t wanna watch a show about kids overdosing and fucking. I’m 20 and doing my damndest to leave that chapter of my life in the past, I don’t wanna see it on TV and see it glorified by the masses. That’s my take on it without watching it.
i mean the characters in the show are 18/19/20 by the end of season 2, so you’re not much older than them, and the first season was really beautiful and much more than just “overdosing and fucking”. but i agree it’s a hard watch and at least half of the graphic scenes did NOT need to be there. teenagers do have sex but that can be implied, they don’t have to actually show the actor’s bodies and sex scenes. my parents, especially my dad, really liked the idea of this show and tried to watch it but having to watch scenes like that when the characters are supposed to be minors was unsettling. and like it’s very shocking and graphic drug wise, i think people should definitely talk about that more. a lot of people just focus on the drama plotlines and don’t warn about the seriousness of it all. the audience definitely either didn’t watch it all or doesn’t have great media literacy bc people just took that viral photo of rue on that random psychedelic with glitter everywhere and ran with it. they didn’t watch the episode to understand that it wasn’t supposed to be a good thing that was fun and cool. i really wish people actually got into it before spreading that “aesthetic” because the show did quite a great job not glorifying it, i’d say they like..anti? glorified it. the episodes theme is pretty much drugs are fun.. until they’re not. unfortunately people interpreted it how they wanted to
This is like saying game of thrones is just about fucking or breaking bad is just about drugs. You’re free to watch what you want, but Euphoria doesnt glamorize any of that like you seem to think. It explores the emotional trauma of its characters as they try to navigate their sexuality and struggles with addiction. The only thing more anti drug with its messaging than Euphoria is a DARE meeting.
@@mossicely Am sorry to break it up for you. But Euphoria glamorizes all the problems in the series. Instead of showing the problems what they are, PROBLEMS, they make it acceptable by aesthetics. I know teens are doing what not. But that doesn't mean they should. We don't need shows glamorizing it. Even if its doing awareness. Lots of movies and series use similar topics, and don't encourage them. Euphoria? It encourages it and NORMALIZES such behavior. Teenagers can't be doing those things. For their own sake.
@@ashantythegreat3231 What you don't understand is the behavior IS normal for many teens. It's not true for all teenagers who have parents that watch them close but it is true for many people. That's a level of realism, not glamorization. The show doesn't encourage anything and anyone who thinks it does is pretty dense in my mind because they're looking narrowly and unable to read the subtext being presented.
@@mossicely Am sorry, but this series audience glamorizes those things. It happening doesn't mean it should. 13-18 year old smoking in school bathrooms shouldn't be a thing. Those shows encourages those things by normalizing it. It shows the struggles but it glamourizes it. In the show all the characters do is glamorize everything a teenage shouldn't do. People have parents who have a eye on them. And yet they do smoke. But some people dont have parents, and they don't smoke either. It's about parenting. Which doesn't exist now, since the Internet and media is given to their children. This show is pushed to young audiences, who see comments of people normalizing and the series glamorizing those behaviors. The show shows but thats it. They show it to entertain ADULTS. They show teenagers struggling, and instead of using it as a positive thing to stop literal minors from ruining their lives. They use it for content and virality.
14:18 i swear the special episodes are criminally underrated. not only do they litterally tie into season 2, but that one line ali said "this generation has given up on redemption" or something along those lines stick with me to this day
People said season one is one of the best seasons out there, the issue is season 2 being underwritten and falling to cliche stories for the most revolutionary characters, basically erasing the development of their season 1 characters leaving a hot pile of mess and plot holes and unfinished ideas
My favourite tv scene ever has to be season ones finale with rue’s performance. It’s so emotional yet visually appealing that you really just want to watch it over and over again
I just wanna take a moment and thank you for this video. I am what feels like one of the very few people who has loved this show all the way through and have been defending season 2 ever since it aired, despite its flaws. Your video feels like a breath of fresh air because every single video out there just seems to recycle the same reasons for hating season 2. Some of the reasons given are baffling to me because they are things that have always been there from the very first episode of season 1 such as the nudity. Anyway…thanks again for that it was a good watch. Oh and Trouble Don’t Last Always is definitely one of the best if not THE best episodes of the show hands down I’m glad we agree on that haha.
i cannot stand "school dramas" it's always awkward and unrealistic, they try to relate to their target audience, also every exploratory thing that teens do is treated like groundbreaking discovery, i am young enough to remember my teenage year, it wasn't groundbreaking or even exiting it was a "well that happened" reaction and from what I've heard from others my age it's a similar situation with them
I think the appeal of Euphoria is that many teens WISH their HS experiences were as meaningful or impacting as portrayed on the show. Even the bad stuff that happens to people is still infinitely more exciting than the tedious monotony of the average high schooler's experience. It also plays into the more chaotic, hormonal emotional state of teenagers in general, playing up the melodrama of events that adults see as borderline unremarkable.
Look I was pretty dramatic in my high school years so I partly disagree, I had major drama with toxic friends and situationships and stuff lol but also euphoria it's so obviously writing by people who are not young enough to remember their high school years at the same time 😭 so I partly agree it's unrealistic sometimes
@@Reibel_As a teen I agree, like girl where are those annoying teachers that yell about the dress code, like look at what most of the characters wear lol
I watched the first special episode before the first season. Thats what got me into watching it. The whole conversation felt so raw and truly got to me. The first season was enjoyable too. I started rooting for most of the characters, hoping the best for them. The cinematography was beautiful and this is an understatement. I don't think its completely unrealistic in the way it portrays teenagers except they were sexualised more than needed. This could also be just a show of how media sexualises these teens going through trauma. Take Billie eilish for example. Someone who wrote songs bout her depression was immediately sexualised. I couldnt watch the second season as firstly i got full spoilers everywhere and secondly it just was too dark for me. Slowly i did grow a distaste to it, teenagers being sexualised is still weird and after the idol came out, it suddenly became pretty clear that sam levinson is a pervert. All these teens and young women were shown through the eyes of a pervert and it felt clear to me as a girl that there was a male influence to the female views.
I think a lot of the criticisms of euphoria, even those present in this comment section only really apply to the second season of euphoria. For example, people love to say the show has "bad writing" but from a screenwriting perspective the show (season 1) has some of the best writing probably in any teen media ever. the fact people may not agree with some creative decisions morally does not negate the quality of the show
I think Rue’s depiction of drug addiction is the most accurate I’ve seen on tv. Coming from someone who’s seen a family member struggle with this issue. Her reason behind using, her explosive outbursts and abuse to her mother, her attachment issues. They all embody the effects of a drug addiction. Even the fact that she constantly lied about being sober and excused using once or twice didn’t count as a relapse. I feel like Rue’s storyline was the main reason I continued to watch the show. They did her storyline right. Though I wasn’t a big fan of season 2’s play scenes… it was very drawn out and if this is the last season they produce I think it would be such a sucky way to end the story. The ending of season 2 was hard hitting but I can’t help but want more from the over all story.
well i personally loved your euphoria takes. It’s so satisfying to hear someone say exactly how i feel about this show. I’m going to send this to all of my friends lol. I wanted to add, just in case you didn’t know, Petra Collins worked on euphoria for five months before hbo dropped her and gave the show to sam levinson. I haven’t done enough research, but she did claim that she saw an exact copy of her work when euphoria season one came out. I still liked season two, but season one is 10 times better, to me; and i’m a little nervous that this is because a lot of the work was done by her. again, I still love watching season 2 but now that i’ve seen “the idol” and we know levinson doesn’t really write with anyone else’s takes or help, it makes sense why the writing got so much worse lol. But i also agree that the two extra episodes are beautifully written, and I think sam levinson wrote those as well so idk 🤷♀️
I also feel that the special episodes are the peak of the entire show by comparison. The latter half of s1 felt like a chore to get through, but s2 was not too bad of a watch. That said, because I was inundated by everyone meming Cassie and Nate's scenes, I skipped those scenes and my experience with s2 was pretty fine. Sure, s2 was lacking comapred to the special episodes and s1, story wise, but not the worst television I've seen to my surprise. S2 felt like watching a well shot train wreck in slow motion that was somehow entertaining throughout
They had no clue what to do for season 2, main characters became side, side characters became mains. We got 2 full episodes on a play we didn’t care for and no resolution for the mains storyline introduced this season. The music was less interesting and they pretty much fuck up the visuals
wow! what an incredibly thoughtful analysis- i’ll be honest, i just clicked on my recommendations and i wasn’t expecting something nearly as insightful as this. incredible job, and keep up the good work. i’m definitely going to go through your backlog and can’t wait to see what comes next :)
I love your take on the play. In my view I always felt that Jules tended to get the short end of the stick (except in the special episode) because Rue is an unreliable narrator, and I found the play to be a vessel for reminding the audience of that.
Not only do I love your takes, but your use of video game music in the background just makes the whole experience warm and fuzzy and pleasant. Thank you for the work that you do!
I honestly love the show, but I hate how drug centered it is. Like- I saw a interview of the guy who played Elliot where he admitted of being high on set and the show making him relapse.. And then you see Angus Cloud dying from a drug overdose. Even I a youngin have become more aware of drugs being abuseable.. even if it doesn't intend to, the show is very influential in that sense..
I was actually nervous to watch this and hear another earful of hate for a show that touched me so deeply. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the positivity of your take on Euphoria. I know it’s not a perfect show - but ultimately it was exactly what I needed at the time I ran across it and still holds up for me today in 2024. I hope they give us one more season to wrap it all up.
the thing i will be biased because i know people like each character in the show. its too relatable. also i can relate to most characters as a teenager.
honestly, I love this show. I think there are some fair criticisms to make about the gratuitous sex, but otherwise, I love the story, the acting, the cinematography. It gets a lot of criticism for not being realistic, but there are people who have had similar stories of drug use and sex during their teen years. Though this wasn't relatable to me, I like seeing different stories. And it's covered so well that I feel like I could understand the characters even if we weren't similar.
thank you for this vid! i have a lot of contradictory opinions about euphoria and how people criticize it. But your last words about this show sums it up completely: its incredibly human in all the bad and good ways. I will never be able to describe how much of an impact 1st season had on me, especially as 19 year old girl who witnessed a ton of stuff similar to what is happening in the show: the petty interpersonal drama, griping with your new found sexual urges in digital age as a genz-er, self-harm, young and inexperienced abusive relationships, extreme nihilism and loss of hope, the discovery of substances, parties and those who overuse them to cope with reality, all of it was so important for me to see especially as an outsider looking in their situations to analyze my own. The directing, lighting, acting, even makeup artistry felt so fresh and creatively liberating from the stuff i saw before, i can even say that my tastes in art direction in cinematography is formed by Euphoria. 2nd season on the other hand felt much more personal to the author, seeing how Ru's struggles were portrayed in such detail and accuracy (?), other's arcs are on the other hand were handled a lot sloppier in comparison to the first season, Kat's and Cassie's are the most disappointing imo, and jules just became a side character, and who tf is elliot lmao . Even with all the flaws i still enjoyed it, in a very different way than 1st season, the aftertaste of the 2nd season has another flavor thats for sure. I cant blame anyone who didnt have a good time with teh story considering how heavy subject matter is, but those who claim that its "too" overplayed and unrealistic with all the terrible stuff that happens to highschoolers i feel like.. just kinda never really went through it, i can understand how from outsiders' perspective all of this is kinda wild, but its something that genuinely happens to SO many people, even in more grotesque ways than in fiction of Euphoria
Euphoria coming out when I was 16/17 was perfect timing for me as kind of the taget audience. It's visual storytelling is great (even if it's story can be a little messy) and it'll be special to me regardless of how stupid it can get
The show is BEAUTIFULLY made. That being said, its content is gross. I don't like watching anything that has teenagers at the center, because it's weird to be watch and be obsessed with teenager's sex lives, even in fantasy. Especially in fantasy. They could have changed the high school element to a work place, the teenagers to 20-somethings and the target audience also to 20-somethings and it would have made sense still. And then after Angus really immersed himself in his character and lost his life, it reinforced how much these actors are humans. Humans with their own addictions, problems, fears-- and being cast on a show like this can be hella triggering.
I gotta say, I tremendously relate to Cassie in season 2. Throughout the show, she turned into a relatively calm person, trying to contain her emotions to a crying and screaming mess attacking her sister on stage. The way she spoke about her relationship with Nate also shows how ready she is to be consumed by a romantic relationship, how little she thinks of herself and how she wants to devote herself to her boyfriend, no matter how hurt she is by him. I'm no expert on personality disorders, but from personal experience I'm pretty sure she is struggling with a developing borderline personality disorder. It scared me how accurate the transition from being a shy, promiscuous girl to an emotionally unstable demon was.
The first season and the special episodes were good. It was just captivating and something really new. The special episode about Hunter was one of the best things I have ever watched. The second season though lost just any plot.
great video!! despite what you said in the beginning, i feel like you definitely made some points i at least haven’t heard before. i don’t know if you’ve watched this yet, but would you ever consider doing a review on midnight mass? the show has tons of monologues abt life and death and it’s one of my personal favorites!!
honestly for all the problems of Euphoria, I do really love how Levenson, whether intentionally or unintentionally, portrayed that you know what? sometimes people don't get better in season 2. sometimes they get worse, much worse. sometimes, they have to think they've reached rock bottom only to fall through the floor again before they have personal growth.
I really like this show and rewatch it every year, I am always confused when people hate it, especially the second season. There is no show I enjoy watching more or a show with more relatable characters or a show that describes emotions so well as Euphoria.
I watched season 1 religiously despite the fact that after every episode, I felt deeply upset, depressed, and disturbed. Then season 2 started and I felt like the intriguing storylines had fizzled, and I was just watching a trainwreck aimed at shocking and upsetting me and I realized I don’t have to traumatize myself to be entertained and stopped watching😂
i think they should make the sex at least look realistic for how it is for teenagers, sex is usually not pornographically cinematic the way the sex shown between nate and maddie for example, was
It depends, first few times yes awkward. After that no, maddie and Nate had been together for a while, it’s not too unrealistic and this is a show after all
Cinematography, editing, app that was great but the only character i really enjoyed was Fez. When he beat the hell out of Nate that was one of the few times i actually cheered out loud for a tv show. Other than that, i hate the writing and I especially hate the small sect of fans who romantacize the emotional abuse and drug abuse that characters partake in
i have complex feelings about euphoria, mostly because season 1 was so much better than season 2, and i have zero hopes for season 3. the special episodes are great, & i also love jules (which is an unfortunately unpopular opinion.) rue and jules are probably my favorite characters in the show. euphoria was def at its best when it's character-driven, and when the love triangle wasn't so upfront. cassie really suffered in season 2. the withdrawal episode was incredible tho, and even tho i'm apprehensive, i probably will watch season 3. great vid! (ps: i also LOVED the Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and the Grand Budapest Hotel and really resonated with your take on those!)
I used to love Jules. I can't anymore because of Hunter Schafer's Trans med comments. It just makes seeing Jules...hurt. I hate that she got this opportunity to tell a Trans narrative, but then turned around and told nb Trans people, that theirs isn't worth telling.
i maintain this is the only good thing Levinson has done. Even though S2 was a shitshow and a half this show will always have special in my heart for its characters and how it makes use of costuming, camera work, etc to convey emotions/inner worlds. it's his most coherent piece to me. (even though S2 made me rip my hair out.)
The fact that people still want to pretend Season 1 had good writing….like YALL. Like I’m just a little confused as to what you mean in “nuanced writing” in regards to the characters. The characters are not fully developed. Like you can’t even give me three words to describe any other character besides rue, jules, and MAYBE Nate.
The cinematography, acting and score is top notch.. Can't say that about the writing tho
EXACTLY
Agreed
the writing is horrible, and that’s from someone who LOVES this show. Sam Levinson needs to put the writing in someone else’s hands, because not only is it bad, his writing sacrifices the comfort of his actors as well. It’s caused so many problems on set
Agreed everything except the plot to me is perfect for the material
Exactly,the actors are all doing a top notch job but the writing is so trash
I'll give Euphoria this, it was one of the most captivating visual-audio experiences I've ever witnessed in any show. I can't say I'd ever watch it again, but I do love a lot of the show.
@@LalaDepala00True detective is a great show, but it’s nowhere near as visually innovative as Euphoria.
At least they managed to keep the same level of quality for more than 10 episodes
@@LalaDepala00 why do you consider true detective a visual experience? The photography isn’t different than many other shows
@@LalaDepala00 we can discuss tastes like we do, without being insulting :)
The only thing that we can’t take away from euphoria imho is how much work went into the visual.
No natural lighting, everything is man made, it’s almost like a fashion ad at some point.
With the use of anything shiny and reflecting light, neons, sparkles, heavy use of glitter to emphasize on the eyes.
The only show that went this far with the lighting is the season 1 of Sky rojo.
YESS euphoria is a experience if you watch it again it doesn’t have that umph
Haha, yes. This really encapsulates how I feel about the show. Reflecting back I still really really liked the cinematography of that house party episode (I think it was season 2 premiere?). I even thought the acting was really good. The plot lines, the writing and story itself is actually laughable and ridiculously camp.
Honestly with how season 3 won’t come out for another couple years… I wish season one was a self contained story. The season one finale ending was so good.
I've been saying euphoria should've been a limited series since day one
@@thatweirdbwah_Especially since it's symbolized in the dance scene how Rue likely overdosed again
I think it blew up more than they expected it would so they got cocky and decided to make another season which wasn’t even as good as the first one due to levinsons ego
It was supposed to be limited as it is based on an Israeli show of the same name and it had only one season
honestly I don't think we are getting a season 3. Many of the actors are kind of too big for the show now, and the death of Angus Cloud is going to put a dark shroud over any filming or writing. I don't think they'll want to come back. Especially in a few years, it just takes all the momentum out of it. I think we may just be left with what's there.
People excuse Maddy for everything. Completely ignoring all of the horrible things she did because “slay queen”. She legit accused a guy of child rape just so she could stay with her bf and it NEVER CAME BACK AT HER.
FRR
Of course. That's the sort of thing that leftists find totally acceptable As long as it's a white man being accused, the accusation does not matter.
Karma doesn’t exist in euphoria
He was in his 20s at a high school party... So no matter how you want to spin it he still did commit child rape.
@@babyfaceweeb8937 you had a college party MCKAY threw bc he was IN COLLEGE and didn’t even want Maddie there (gee I wonder why). Dude asked how old she was and she lied just to get revenge on Nate (remember, the guy who abused her then she got back together with?) Try to spin it ? Maddy is a monster and her loyal mob of rabid fan girls condone the evil shit she does because “omg her makeup is so cool”.
As a Latina, I hate Maddie. She is a portrayed as a garbage human being and is a gross stereotype. And is never called out on for her actions.
You’re probably the kind of person who will side with a female simply because “she has a vagina and is there for always right “ 🙄.
Couldn’t get past the sexualization of high schoolers and I’m in my 20’s. It’s weird to me
Obviously sex is going to be weird to watch or think about for people you’re not in the age group of. While it was overly sexualized, highschoolers ARE having sex. I’ve seen snaps of a classmate literally complaining about being in a full-on sexually and physically abusive relationship, guess what: they were in highschool.
@@chocolatecream5593 I lost my virginity in the 8th grade, obviously we were in high school doing the same thing. That has nothing to do with a popular show over sexualizing minors. You’re in high school so of course you don’t get it, but it’s weird to me for grown adults to watch that sh t
@@Von.Juan. I’m not in highschool I’m actually in college. Again, yes the show was overly sexual. Though that doesn’t mean people should think these things only happen to ones who are 18+. My point was, you can ignore the show but don’t ignore the problem.
When I was in highschool, videos of people I knew and were friends of friends full on doing it in public would go around and be gossiped about often. We would make fun of the kids who would do it in gross spots like by the dumpsters or skate park. I know multiple girls in highschool now who do things like in this show. It's not the sexualization of high schoolers. It's an accurate portrait of high schoolers.
It’s absolutely an issue, but to show it so graphically and so frequently is repulsive.
Nobody wanted to see long, drawn-out scenes of minors doing it, and those who did are certainly on watch lists.
Rest in peace, Angus Cloud. His untimely death a week after losing his father is so heartbreaking, and it's a shame that they won't be able to explore the burgeoning Lexi/Fesco romance much further.
Not untimely
prayers to his family
Very sad
@iammraat3059 he was 25, dude. I get you're doing a "drugs are bad and addicts are making a choice" thing, but the guy is gone.
Dying at 25 is not "timely". It's tragic.
@@cau1471 nah, his death had nothing to do with drugs. Look at the calender
Any nudity when depicting underaged characters is completely unacceptable in my opinion. I don’t care that the actors are adults.
That’s cool. I love euphoria can’t wait for season 3!
Agreed omg. Let's be real, I doubt most teens are actually watching this show. It's a dramatisation, romantisisation, and (sometimes) sexualisation of a particular teenage experience for adult entertainment and I will never not find that completely disturbing.
Absolutely agree this is an extremely weird show for doing that
@@jaykay1899omg you got them there! 🤓
@@madamebkrtas a teen, we were all watching this show
What Lexi did to her sister was fucked up. I’m not close to my sibling and we fight but I would never air his shit in front of the whole fucking world just to give myself a confidence boost. It was gross.
It's was so disgusting and I will never forget everyone praising Lexi when that episode came out. In lexi's play/ flashbacks were see that she is AWARE Cassie has been Se*ually assaulted bc of he beauty but still thinks of her sister as a s**t that got life handed to her.
I can't imagine getting r*p*d then having my sx tape shared without consent and then have my own sister say if only she was born with my beauty as if implying she wanted my life & I should be grateful for the things that happened to me while simultaneously demonizing me for my appearance.
@@shanlieart fr and I’m S1 they actually seemed close. S2 tried to act like they had a rivalry. And it was dumb. Then to have their mother praise Lexi for her play and absolutely no repercussions happen to her as a result ? If my sibling ever did to me what Lexi did to Cassie, they’d be dead to me. And if my parent’s supported them, I’d not speak to them either.
Lexi did nothing wrong yall hoes mad
@@rileybear836FRRR like lexi’s entire character s2 was being a pick me. they could’ve shown what it was like growing up in your sister’s shadow and having a bit of resentment towards her for it but it lacked so much nuance in S2 it was painful. They play was so so bad and I cant believe everyone said cassie “deserved it” when literally all she did was cheat, which almost every single character also did😭😭
@@shanlieartbro what are you talking about Cassie wasn’t raped
Kat deserved better. So tired of the big girl trope; being the left out friend or the one with low self esteem who can’t keep a relationship. It’s obvious Sam had no idea how to relate to her, he threw her in there to be inclusive and then made her have the sh!ttiest and most frustrating storyline.
Absolutely can't wait for Barbie Ferreira to be out of her NDA and find out what her take on it was. Because I very much understand the rumours of her leaving the show due to the handling of her character
She shouldn't have been in the show. She was an eyesore among the rest of the cast and she looked ridiculous and her plot was stupid.
@metoo3342 bestie if you're gonna be out here insulting someone's looks the least you can do is have a pfp that is you. Particularly when the person you're trying to drag is a literal professional model 💀
@@dreadwolfrising she began modeling when she still was at a normal weight and the only reason she has any job still modeling is because she doesn't easily get fat in the face so it doesn't swallow up her features.
@metoo3342 she's been a plus size model her entire career lmao
This show would make way more sense if it were set in a college.
Except there are high schoolers who experience this stuff. Problem is when people don’t get out of their own bubble, they think this stuff doesn’t happen just because they didn’t see it or go looking for it and stay naive. I feel like this show in turn, gives them the ability to recognize that these issues aren’t restricted to 18+ people in real life. Like If teens want to do illegal things that they believe may take pleasure in, they will find a way. A lot of that ties into sex, drugs, gang, and alcohol culture. And like what was mentioned, how sex trafficking underaged people happens.
@@chocolatecream5593It’s not being in a bubble tho. Reality is majority of Highschool students aren’t having sex and definitely not regularly. This show depicted bdsm style sex, very abusive scenes, and we are supposed believe this is the norm for 15-18 year olds when that’s not even how most adults interact with eachother. And it’s not that I don’t believe teens have sex and do drugs, it’s that this show and the visuals turn it into something completely unrealistic. Teens who actually do this don’t have glamorous lives like this show makes it seem. Everyone wants to get on to viewers who say it romanticizes drug use and SA and say that’s not true, but the show does. It’s music scenes just all of it. Real Highschool students who are involved in copious amounts of drug use and sex don’t look cool like that. They don’t all look models either lol, which adds to the aesthetic of this show. Average Highscore Student actually engaging in that behavior looks broken, depressed, and you can tell from a mile away that something very concerning is going on. Sorry but a tv show about an awkward teen depicts highschool more accurately and commonly than Euphoria.
@@highlyunderstated9908 exactly, it was based on a certain group of high schoolers which the main characters represented to cover specific issues. That’s why they all have a different problem. If people wound up doing those things just because they saw some attractive actors and pretty lights, then that’s on them because all of the consequences were portrayed badly and showed toxicity. Most people have noted that they saw past the glam or aesthetic, as if that’s not what they’re already supposed to do or something. Sane people should already be able see the issues in something even if it looks “cool”.
When I say bubble, I mean happily ignoring anything wrong outside one’s own reality, which is fine until people start declaring the case that it doesn’t happen. Which you didn’t, but others have. Notice that all of those background characters are probably just other people doing regular things.
some of em (rue) needa graduate high school first
half of the plot lines wouldn’t make sense if it was set in college…
The withdrawal episode of season 2 was insane, probably one of the most gut-wrenching things I’ve seen on TV in a while
and it was so realistic incredible tbh
Yes!!! Episode 5 was the best
made me cry ngl😭😭😭
Have you seen the maid?
It was the most accurate opiod withdrawel that ive seen on tv, as a heroin addict it made me sick even watching it
Rue connected me to the show too. People can pearl clutch & act like kids doing drugs is “unrealistic” but I was one of those kids & it’s rare to see such an accurate portrayal of that experience. There’s a lot of valid criticism for this show but what it got right shouldn’t be overlooked.
same here rue was such a realistic character im an addict and im very similar to her
i do a lot better at keeping healthy relationships tho
My sister was an addict and those scenes gave me ptsd, it was a really stressful time for the family when she was on drugs
So I only saw S1. I'm quite surprised ppl say it's a realistic portrayal of teenage drug addiction, bc it lacks the entire materiality of it, especially in regards of money.
I always said rue was the only thing that felt real to me. I feel like theme wise it had good points and good topics but the way they went about it just was wrong, rue was what made me want to stay though. I don’t do drugs but it was heavy in my family so I’ve seen it and watching rue felt real but literally that was it
Most people were bored with the special episodes. I thought it was beautiful. I learned so much about Rue the character and it made me like the show like 10x more after.
oh my god the soecial epsiodes were soo underrated and i had no idea!!! i thought EVERYONEEE was all caught up and watched them, but so many people havent even heard of them apparently???? which is so sad because jules special especially was such a great dive into her character and i HATE HATE HATE how much they backtracked her amazing character development
I'm so shocked, they were great.
they were my fave episodes
literally!!@@dazey8706 . Those special episodes were absolutely amazing. I love what Jules says about how she wants to be strong & beautiful like the ocean, for some reason it has always stuck with me. It makes me mad that they nerfed her character so hard. like ik my girl in s1 era would not cheat with that goofy ass dude & play in Rue's face like that
Jules special episode is one of the best episodes of TV ever in my opinion, the writing and audiovisuals are amazing
I’ve had a lot of negative things to say about Euphoria, but in terms of both performances, as well as visually it’s incredibly well done.
yeah, it was wasted on this
i still ride so hard for euphoria season 1. it blew me away and quickly became one of my favorite seasons of a show ever. season 2 was certainly a let-down, and sam levinson’s most recent work is just plain bad, but season 1 will always have a place in my heart. i found it beautifully shot, well composed, and compelling.
not to mention the two bridge episodes - they made me so excited for the second season and hunter schafer’s episode is a real standout if the whole body of work.
same! Season one has pretty innovative story-telling, gorgeous shots and BEAUTIFUL acting. I’ll just pretend s2 never happened🥲
Same!
Probably because the entire creative direction of S1 was plagiarized?
The cinematography is fantastic, the acting is brilliant that includes with the score.
But damn the writing is problematic.
Someone once said “The more you watch Euphoria, the more you realize it would’ve made more sense if it were set in College” and that is probably the smartest take I’ve ever heard. Maybe a few of these things are applicable to High Schoolers but the writing & everything else was incredibly adult even down to the fits.
It ant called pedowood for nothing
On a very surface level, sure. The issues brought up in Euphoria aren’t relevant to every high school student, but are accurate for some. If the characters were older we would also expect more mature decision making from them than what we saw, which would cause its own problems for the story. I think the show only works because of how messy we remember our own high school decisions as adults looking back. The show isn’t really even about them being in school to begin with, that takes the background to showing the human element of people processing trauma.
@@mossicelynah man college students aren’t that smart just cause they’re older. They just came out of high school still a fairly naive age to be.
@@Jummugest100%. Literally takes Rue's exact storyline and just add a few years. She can totally be a struggling teen as a junior/senior that spirals into addiction and have it set as college freshmen. Jewel's too. 17/18 year olds do the same HS bullshii so it would have been perfectly EQUAL to them being minors without the glorification and artists male-gaze cast on adults you're force-fed to believe are children. It's nasty and saying it only has as impact because it IS high school minors is a weak and surface-level take imo
its unfortunate the show has the reputation it does now, because honestly there are so many moments of this show that are probably some of my favourite pieces of media I've consumed. hopefully season 3 can be a return to form for the show but to be honest I doubt that will happen.
facts
Honestly thats just how it goes. A show becomes popular ppl focus on the goods, time passes on and some controversy causes all the bad shit to be highlighted and the good ones to disappear, and people start acting like smart asses by saying it's unrealistic. To me, euphoria is not relatable. But its a good show and i enjoy watching it and have no personal gripes with it. Its show man, dont take the criticisms to heart if you enjoy it
knowing that Petra collins had a huge part in the casting / art direction of season 1, and then getting fired by hbo pissed me off to no end. Thats the reason why season 1 is so visually compelling and season 2 not so much. Petra is not accredited at all. If you look at her page (especially from the time they would have been filming s1, her photography visually reflects similarly to euphoria. A lot of the cast members she worked with prior. Shame on hbo for that seriously. Petra deserves her claps
I didn't realize that. That makes so much sense. Season 2 didn't have that same beautiful cinematic feel
You're the only real TH-cam film critic I watch anymore. Everyone else has fallen off into just "I hate everything, everything is terrible, disgusting gender politics, women are evil" and it breeds so damn much negativity.
I love that you support both sides. You have substance and rarely let bias or emotions impede your writing. Thanks so much, man!
THANK U, im so tired of this gender war thing in everything especially commentary. "Women bad this, man bad this" etc its so annoying
Trashy show nonetheless
Yes but 😂 everything is getting progressively worse music movie tv shows especially if you are older every thing is just being recycled idk about the gender war 😂 I don't watch shit like that because it's divisive and opinions are like assholes everyone has had them but why should I care or even listen
Literally no one is saying women are evil, or that everything is disgusting. That's your OWN bias, your own ideologically driven worldview, making you think that. Also, gender doesn't exist. You can't keep using a term without proving that term. This isn't how any of this works. It's circular reasoning. And no, scientific concensus is not proof. Scientific concensus in the 1920s was that eugenics based on race and disability was totally acceptable
explain the 20-something-thousand percent increase in lgbt people. You can't do that without admitting it's all a fad, a cultural phase. Just as it always has been. If it were truly legitimate, we would not see such meteoric rises. A large rise, but no where near multiple tens of thousands of a percent increase...... it's also strange how most lgbt people are not older than 21? Why is that? If we're so open and honest and accepting, we should see the same rise in the older generations.
Season 1 was super strong I think. And those special episodes were just magic. Season 2 is where Sam kinda fumbled the bag. Wayyy to many plot holes and unresolved narratives. I think it’s possible for Season 3 to be good though, that writers room needs to be a lot bigger.
Yeah, agree with a lot of this. If I'm honest, I think Sam is a good director behind the camera, and I think that he makes every project he's a part of, no matter how shit it is, look very slick and stylish.
However, he is a *terrible* screenwriter 99% of the time. The main reason Euphoria was actually good both in season 1 and in the Rue and Jules special episodes is most likely because of the expanded writers' room, which likely offered a vast range of perspectives from which to write the characters, and Sam taking the feedback of his actors into consideration.
Season 2 on the other hand, like a lot of his other work, just feels like a vanity project. More than likely because similar to The Idol and his two feature films Assassination Nation and Malcolm & Marie, he was one of, if not, THE only writer in the show's writer's room. Because of that aforementioned pretentiousness he didn't really listen to his actors so much, wrote Kat out of the show because Barbie Ferreira disagreed with how she would be portrayed, and only really listened to Zendaya in terms of character feedback, as she helped produce the show. Characters take really weird turns and just don't have natural arcs that show them working to overcome their flaws or grow as people.
loveeee this video. my sibling is trans and has struggled with substance abuse- watching the special episodes together and talking about them was a wonderful source of connection for us during covid. those episodes are great BECAUSE they were written by people who had experience with the perspectives at hand. the way s2 eviscerated maddy, cassie, mckay, jules, and kat it was clear sam wouldn’t let anyone who cared about their experiences take the reigns again. like the audacity to waste 4 mins of the finale for a dominic fike song when we could be resolving arcs is bonkersss
i also want to add what a revelation Labrinth is!!! the cinematography and score are genuinely transcendent
straight facts
No, your sibling is not trans. Care to prove transgenderism exists? Because as far as I can tell, every single cell in your siblings body still contains the same chromosomal makeup that they did when they were born. Oh, gender and sex are two different things? Cool. Then why use biological terms such as trans MAN and trans WOMAN, when man and woman refer to an adult human male and an adult human female?
I don't care how people feel or how people think. I don't care that this makes you "happy"; it isn't true. And your happiness will die when you have realized this truth. My feelings are irrelevant.
I feel like a major problem with season 2 is the fact that Sam Levinson worked less and less with a writing team. The shift from collaborative writing, peaking with the specials, to one where Levinson worked mostly on his own, is very evident
it just never gives you a break really, i guess fez and lexi's story is fun and more lighthearted but other than that, its just always a lil too dark. theres never that break of goodness or like a scene of them doing actual highschool things
I’m hype this was your take away, cuz this is how I feel about the show! Had no idea there were special eps, thank you for that!
the special episodes were pretty great!
@@mckymcobvious3043 the two eps ? Wt r these talk abt ?
@@huntterr9 "wt r these talk about".... those words are confusing... watch the episodes, they're really good. whatever questions you're trying to ask might be more clear after that
As someone trying to be sober and not being a good person during my addiction it felt nice seeing rue on screen. Zendaya was a great choice to show how good ppl can do bad things and I really loved that her path was not linear it felt more real and you could tell the creator had definely used some of his experiences to create the character or rue
Sam Levinson: "...Wait, is this f*cking show about me?"
I honesty feel like what made season one amazing was that it was grounded in reality ( obviously with problems), but unlike season two it really pulled away from the characters. Like the characters felt real to me in season one, season two just felt like the characters were two different people, anyway great video
Season one was really good season two felt like a reality show honestly
what I wish they did is have the season one as a limited series and make special episodes for every character , and 2 characters could share a special episode so that it doesn't feel alot
that was the point but the show got shockingly popular so things changed
that special episode in the diner is some of the best television I have EVER SEEN and im tired of defending it lmao
I think what makes a lot of the scenes or elements fall apart in euphoria is taking into consideration who's behind them. Because knowing Levinson and the stuff he seems eager to put in his shows, and how he sees himself as above criticism or how he mistreats cast members when they try to give input on their characters. One starts to see "oh this is here because of this" and slowly starts to fall out of love with the show
Euphoria is the better 13 Reasons Why.
I am someone who enjoyed season 1, not so much season 2… but overall I am just trying to understand the necessity of a season 3. I don’t feel like this show has much more to say, and we will get more redundant drama like the love triangle because of that. But I shall be watching when it comes out.
same, i feel like i’ll find it hard to love it as much i did the first season, especially with kat’s storyline basically flushed down the toilet, fez gone, half the characters AND cast hating eachother, and isn’t ashtray dead? i’m also at a very different place than i was when i watched the first season, it was so gut wrenching and deep because it was relatable and confronting. now it’s been 4-5ish years, i’m a completely different person, the part of me that related to the characters is dead and gone, and in the show barely any time has passed. i think it will be very hard to top, sam will need to have a good long time of self reflection and try to understand what made the show good was lacking in the second season. i’m not sure if it was the writers, the collaboration with the actors or use of labrinth’s songs that need to make a return, if not all, but i haven’t got high hopes really
Euphoria is something I don't see myself ever going back and rewatching, but I will say that it was def an experience. Even though it has it's problems, zendaya killed it, and her performance in the episode about her looking for her drugs, was life changing. That's one of the main reason why I don't completely discredit the show, because of the effect it had on my older brother (who is recovering from alcohol and drug addicion). It started a conversation between the two of us and started the beginning of a mending sibling relationship, so I am forever greatful for that episode.
I love that you have credit to Rue’s special episode. I don’t see people talking about it either. I think it’s so incredible.
This show is the perfect example for how social media affects people's perception. When it first came out, everyone loved it, it was super successful, people recommended it left and right. So I checked it out and really liked it, although I also saw some of the faults you mentioned. Then the special episodes came out and no one cared, which was crazy to me because Rue and Jules are by far the best characters in the whole show, and these are the most well-written and well-acted episodes altogether. Then season two came out, and suddenly the tide turned completely. Allllll the stuff from season one that people looked past were huge, glaring problems. Alllll of Sam Levinson's work is trash because there is *checks notes* consensual nudity? I think all of the issues it tackles, it does well, without glorification (if the average social media user lacks media literacy, that's on them imo). I agree with you, season two is a mess, but it's funny to me that if it was a bit more cohesive, people would have continued to look past all the more "problematic" aspects of the show.
Your comment is pretty spot on. I have loved euphoria from day 1. The special episodes were awesome. It’s crazy to me some of the stuff people say about season 2 because as you rightly point out these things were always a part of the show. I personally loved season 2 as well. I was very happy to see Lexi getting more focus. RIP Angus Cloud what a shame.
The issue is the nudity was being pressured onto the actors to perform not super consensual tbh. The filming process was super toxic and taxing on the actors and if they didn’t heed to sams beck and call they were treated how Barbie was having their characters cut off from the show and eventually let go. the director is super shady, narcissistic and misogynistic as is coming to light recently, and he is projecting his fantasies into teenage characters which is weird af. The inclusivity in the show is super performative and fake. it’s fine for you to like the show but the criticism garnered towards it had been valid as well.
If I’m not mistaken in season 2 there were moments where Sydney Sweeney didn’t feel the need for nudity and brought it up to Sam and he respected her decision and didn’t include them. The nudity was toned down in season 2 to a pretty large degree. In regards to Barbie she didn’t like the idea of the eating disorder storyline and refused to do it so I kinda don’t blame Sam for just removing that storyline altogether which reduced her screen time. She can’t exactly go around demanding he make her a whole new storyline because she doesn’t like the one he wrote. Most of this stuff is based on rumors anyway so I would just say don’t watch the show? Idk I still highly enjoy the show and am definitely gonna watch season 3 it’s just crazy the stuff people come up about a show they chose to watch. Any issues you have with season 2 were always there in season 1 so I don’t get why you would keep watching.
You know what changed between seasons 1 and 2? The number of people who knew about Levinson’s working conditions grew. People spoke out and as such, some part of the audience questioned the price of high art television, and some people lost trust in what they were viewing. No need to blame this on people being slaves to online opinions or suddenly becoming prudes.
You seen the Idol? Levinson DEFINITELY thinks mental illness should be glorified
Here's mine the extra ep written by Hunter was the best episodes of euphoria
Love season 1, adore special eps. Season 2 is just a mess and THATS where the style over substance & navel-gazey arguments do totally win me over. Not so much season 1. The beautiful image of Cassy crying w flowers around it is the perfect example. Is it beautiful? Yes. But where does it stand in the visual & emotional logic of the show, beyond it being a simplistic metaphor on femininity & suffering? The image is simply made for Instagram and twitter-social media is the target audience here, and I don't mean the PEOPLE (as in, young people), but becoming viral itself. Another good example: the play-more specifically, the dance that Kat's ex does. It's funny but beyond that, it means so little beyond its obvious message. There's no nuance, it's simply a clip for tiktok. The images and the style in season two are mostly empty in either its simpleness/flatness or in their literal emptiness so as to be empty enough to be cuttable enough to repost and viralize. Some scenes/images are very basic and merely visually mirror things we already know abt the characters: someone's loneliness, someone's vengeful mood, someone's dispair, blah-very collage level filmmaking with a big budget. And then some images/scenes are simply beautiful for the sake of that and literally say nothing. And yeah, obviously this is better than gossip girl, One Tree Hill, The summer I turned prettty, whatever, right? BUTTTT Levinson DOESN'T rly want his show to be like those shows-he wants it to be ARTTTT. What's most annoying perhaps is that levinson confuses navel-gazing as "dangerous" and he constantly pats himself in the back, just as he did with The Idol (ugh if I ever see that video of him at cannes saying he had the show of the summer or whatever-UGH!) But it's like... the storylines don't make ANY sense, a lot is there for shock value, the writing is often cheesy, flat and contrived,
Also, not to get too identity-politics-y, but it is kinda irksome that most of Levinson protagonists are Black, and whereas he seems super interested at times in Jules as a trans woman and he's interested in understanding THAT as an identity, he completely disregards and misunderstands race. Rue, Malcolm, Marie, Tedros... none of them have any relationship with their race or even understand it. Perhaps Malcolm is the one who grapples with it the most, but as an imposition, something the world has thrusted upon him and that he wants nothing to do with. This could be interesting if SOMEONE in Levinson's filmography actually pushed back on this, but nah... Some of the peripheral representation, such as McKay, Gia, Rue's mother & Ali, is cliché and reductionist. McKay's character arc is the literally the first thing you'd think about when you think about a Black athlete: exceptionalism & the pressures of that, especially from a Black father. Gia is similarly white-coded as Rue (meaning they're white in everything besides skin), there are some mentions of Christianity with Rue's mother, which again: first & most cliche thing you'd think about when thinking abt a Black woman. And then Ali, who is just a Magical Negro of sorts, especially in the "main" seasons. & Levinson doesn't get much better with latino or asian characters, such as Maddie or Dyanne...
Anyway sorry abt the rant. The man is just so annoying. He is simply a less accomplished, less visionary, less provocative, cheap and McDonalized Gaspar Noe.
A good video on this: th-cam.com/video/fkpDjK4w80E/w-d-xo.html
Gaspar isn't much better though.
Tbh euphoria would likely be a great show through and through if Sam levitson would let a writers room go through his scripts, and if they were just a bit more focused when it comes to the big shock value scenes (I.e Nate assaulting Maddie, Jules and Cal, etc.)
The Rue special episode is one of the best written episodes of tv I’ve ever seen. S2ep5 has flaws but it’s also incredible. Lots of things I love about a show that has flaws for sure
I was pulled in by Euphoria, I related to it. I related to the characters. I feel it's pretty special regardless of what he's made since then. Especially the first season, as you point out. I don't know if they will make any more, I'm kind of afraid because the longer shows go on, the worse they tend to get. But I would watch a third season.
I remember being engaged with the first season, but the second was such a disappointment. Bloated with no focus like the first. Too many chatacters you didn't care about and took the focus away from the main hook, which was Rue and Jules. And yeah those special episodes hit home for multiple relatable reasons. I wish the rest of the show was more like them.
I honestly loved season 1, it was a comfort show of mine, especially rues special episode, that episode means a great deal to me. I watched season 2 as it was released and I enjoyed maybe the first half but then it got so out of hand for me. I understand that its meant to be dramatised teenage experiences and they show all the different character storylines, and in the first season, i loved that. I felt a connection to all of the characters and they felt fleshed out for the most part while still having Rue be the driving force behind the show. The second season lost that touch. I lost my mother to cancer when I was very young so rues funeral speech in season 2 meant more to me than I could put into words, it was written so beautifully and had the gritty rawness that the first season had. But then, on the internet, I barely saw anyone talking about it, and when I did it was people calling it boring and saying they kept going back to it. All other commentary I heard was about the maddie and cassie drama or how attractive dominic fike is or nates dad. Maybe that was a product of the audience of the second season rather than the show itself, but Rue no longer felt like a main character in the slightest, and it became a drama sitcom rather than the commentary piece it was intended to be. I still love season 1, but ill probably only rewatch select parts of season 2 as it just left a sour taste in my mouth.
Me personally, I don’t wanna watch a show about kids overdosing and fucking. I’m 20 and doing my damndest to leave that chapter of my life in the past, I don’t wanna see it on TV and see it glorified by the masses. That’s my take on it without watching it.
i mean the characters in the show are 18/19/20 by the end of season 2, so you’re not much older than them, and the first season was really beautiful and much more than just “overdosing and fucking”. but i agree it’s a hard watch and at least half of the graphic scenes did NOT need to be there. teenagers do have sex but that can be implied, they don’t have to actually show the actor’s bodies and sex scenes. my parents, especially my dad, really liked the idea of this show and tried to watch it but having to watch scenes like that when the characters are supposed to be minors was unsettling. and like it’s very shocking and graphic drug wise, i think people should definitely talk about that more. a lot of people just focus on the drama plotlines and don’t warn about the seriousness of it all. the audience definitely either didn’t watch it all or doesn’t have great media literacy bc people just took that viral photo of rue on that random psychedelic with glitter everywhere and ran with it. they didn’t watch the episode to understand that it wasn’t supposed to be a good thing that was fun and cool. i really wish people actually got into it before spreading that “aesthetic” because the show did quite a great job not glorifying it, i’d say they like..anti? glorified it. the episodes theme is pretty much drugs are fun.. until they’re not. unfortunately people interpreted it how they wanted to
This is like saying game of thrones is just about fucking or breaking bad is just about drugs. You’re free to watch what you want, but Euphoria doesnt glamorize any of that like you seem to think. It explores the emotional trauma of its characters as they try to navigate their sexuality and struggles with addiction. The only thing more anti drug with its messaging than Euphoria is a DARE meeting.
@@mossicely Am sorry to break it up for you. But Euphoria glamorizes all the problems in the series. Instead of showing the problems what they are, PROBLEMS, they make it acceptable by aesthetics.
I know teens are doing what not. But that doesn't mean they should.
We don't need shows glamorizing it. Even if its doing awareness. Lots of movies and series use similar topics, and don't encourage them.
Euphoria? It encourages it and NORMALIZES such behavior.
Teenagers can't be doing those things. For their own sake.
@@ashantythegreat3231 What you don't understand is the behavior IS normal for many teens. It's not true for all teenagers who have parents that watch them close but it is true for many people. That's a level of realism, not glamorization. The show doesn't encourage anything and anyone who thinks it does is pretty dense in my mind because they're looking narrowly and unable to read the subtext being presented.
@@mossicely Am sorry, but this series audience glamorizes those things. It happening doesn't mean it should. 13-18 year old smoking in school bathrooms shouldn't be a thing.
Those shows encourages those things by normalizing it. It shows the struggles but it glamourizes it. In the show all the characters do is glamorize everything a teenage shouldn't do.
People have parents who have a eye on them. And yet they do smoke. But some people dont have parents, and they don't smoke either.
It's about parenting. Which doesn't exist now, since the Internet and media is given to their children. This show is pushed to young audiences, who see comments of people normalizing and the series glamorizing those behaviors.
The show shows but thats it. They show it to entertain ADULTS. They show teenagers struggling, and instead of using it as a positive thing to stop literal minors from ruining their lives.
They use it for content and virality.
14:18 i swear the special episodes are criminally underrated. not only do they litterally tie into season 2, but that one line ali said "this generation has given up on redemption" or something along those lines stick with me to this day
People said season one is one of the best seasons out there, the issue is season 2 being underwritten and falling to cliche stories for the most revolutionary characters, basically erasing the development of their season 1 characters leaving a hot pile of mess and plot holes and unfinished ideas
My favourite tv scene ever has to be season ones finale with rue’s performance. It’s so emotional yet visually appealing that you really just want to watch it over and over again
I just wanna take a moment and thank you for this video. I am what feels like one of the very few people who has loved this show all the way through and have been defending season 2 ever since it aired, despite its flaws. Your video feels like a breath of fresh air because every single video out there just seems to recycle the same reasons for hating season 2. Some of the reasons given are baffling to me because they are things that have always been there from the very first episode of season 1 such as the nudity. Anyway…thanks again for that it was a good watch. Oh and Trouble Don’t Last Always is definitely one of the best if not THE best episodes of the show hands down I’m glad we agree on that haha.
i cannot stand "school dramas" it's always awkward and unrealistic, they try to relate to their target audience, also every exploratory thing that teens do is treated like groundbreaking discovery, i am young enough to remember my teenage year, it wasn't groundbreaking or even exiting it was a "well that happened" reaction and from what I've heard from others my age it's a similar situation with them
I think the appeal of Euphoria is that many teens WISH their HS experiences were as meaningful or impacting as portrayed on the show. Even the bad stuff that happens to people is still infinitely more exciting than the tedious monotony of the average high schooler's experience. It also plays into the more chaotic, hormonal emotional state of teenagers in general, playing up the melodrama of events that adults see as borderline unremarkable.
Look I was pretty dramatic in my high school years so I partly disagree, I had major drama with toxic friends and situationships and stuff lol but also euphoria it's so obviously writing by people who are not young enough to remember their high school years at the same time 😭 so I partly agree it's unrealistic sometimes
@@Reibel_As a teen I agree, like girl where are those annoying teachers that yell about the dress code, like look at what most of the characters wear lol
I watched the first special episode before the first season. Thats what got me into watching it. The whole conversation felt so raw and truly got to me. The first season was enjoyable too. I started rooting for most of the characters, hoping the best for them. The cinematography was beautiful and this is an understatement. I don't think its completely unrealistic in the way it portrays teenagers except they were sexualised more than needed. This could also be just a show of how media sexualises these teens going through trauma. Take Billie eilish for example. Someone who wrote songs bout her depression was immediately sexualised. I couldnt watch the second season as firstly i got full spoilers everywhere and secondly it just was too dark for me. Slowly i did grow a distaste to it, teenagers being sexualised is still weird and after the idol came out, it suddenly became pretty clear that sam levinson is a pervert. All these teens and young women were shown through the eyes of a pervert and it felt clear to me as a girl that there was a male influence to the female views.
My ex changed her whole personality cause of this show😭😭 I miss the old her
Episode 5 of season 2 is the only episode I really remember and have revisited several times, I remember almost nothing else
I think a lot of the criticisms of euphoria, even those present in this comment section only really apply to the second season of euphoria. For example, people love to say the show has "bad writing" but from a screenwriting perspective the show (season 1) has some of the best writing probably in any teen media ever. the fact people may not agree with some creative decisions morally does not negate the quality of the show
I wanted to watch it then i got flashed so i stopped...
I think Rue’s depiction of drug addiction is the most accurate I’ve seen on tv. Coming from someone who’s seen a family member struggle with this issue. Her reason behind using, her explosive outbursts and abuse to her mother, her attachment issues. They all embody the effects of a drug addiction. Even the fact that she constantly lied about being sober and excused using once or twice didn’t count as a relapse. I feel like Rue’s storyline was the main reason I continued to watch the show. They did her storyline right. Though I wasn’t a big fan of season 2’s play scenes… it was very drawn out and if this is the last season they produce I think it would be such a sucky way to end the story. The ending of season 2 was hard hitting but I can’t help but want more from the over all story.
well i personally loved your euphoria takes. It’s so satisfying to hear someone say exactly how i feel about this show. I’m going to send this to all of my friends lol.
I wanted to add, just in case you didn’t know, Petra Collins worked on euphoria for five months before hbo dropped her and gave the show to sam levinson. I haven’t done enough research, but she did claim that she saw an exact copy of her work when euphoria season one came out. I still liked season two, but season one is 10 times better, to me; and i’m a little nervous that this is because a lot of the work was done by her.
again, I still love watching season 2 but now that i’ve seen “the idol” and we know levinson doesn’t really write with anyone else’s takes or help, it makes sense why the writing got so much worse lol. But i also agree that the two extra episodes are beautifully written, and I think sam levinson wrote those as well so idk 🤷♀️
I just wanna say I found some great music from this show so I'm grateful for that.
I also feel that the special episodes are the peak of the entire show by comparison. The latter half of s1 felt like a chore to get through, but s2 was not too bad of a watch. That said, because I was inundated by everyone meming Cassie and Nate's scenes, I skipped those scenes and my experience with s2 was pretty fine. Sure, s2 was lacking comapred to the special episodes and s1, story wise, but not the worst television I've seen to my surprise. S2 felt like watching a well shot train wreck in slow motion that was somehow entertaining throughout
They had no clue what to do for season 2, main characters became side, side characters became mains.
We got 2 full episodes on a play we didn’t care for and no resolution for the mains storyline introduced this season.
The music was less interesting and they pretty much fuck up the visuals
@@CasprhSam levinson just sucks as a writer
@@TedBilk he single-handedly wrote the whole first season.
I don’t think painting him as completely incompetent makes any sense
@@Casprh No tf he didn't write the first season by himself LMFAO
@@solar6284 he wrote both season alone. There’s no writers room, unfortunately
wow! what an incredibly thoughtful analysis- i’ll be honest, i just clicked on my recommendations and i wasn’t expecting something nearly as insightful as this. incredible job, and keep up the good work. i’m definitely going to go through your backlog and can’t wait to see what comes next :)
Fuck anyone who’s not a sea blob is one of my favourite episodes of tv ever, of all time hands down
I love your take on the play. In my view I always felt that Jules tended to get the short end of the stick (except in the special episode) because Rue is an unreliable narrator, and I found the play to be a vessel for reminding the audience of that.
Cassie’s eyeshadow while smiling in the mirror is literally the jokers colors
I literally rewatch the Rue special episode so much, it's absolutely brilliant
I love the fashion of the girls on the show and it’s been interesting to witness it’s impact on gen z fashion trends
I loved the cinematography and anything to do with Ru’s story.
I always love it when you put in those chill Persona tracks
Not only do I love your takes, but your use of video game music in the background just makes the whole experience warm and fuzzy and pleasant. Thank you for the work that you do!
I honestly love the show, but I hate how drug centered it is. Like- I saw a interview of the guy who played Elliot where he admitted of being high on set and the show making him relapse.. And then you see Angus Cloud dying from a drug overdose. Even I a youngin have become more aware of drugs being abuseable.. even if it doesn't intend to, the show is very influential in that sense..
I was actually nervous to watch this and hear another earful of hate for a show that touched me so deeply.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear the positivity of your take on Euphoria.
I know it’s not a perfect show - but ultimately it was exactly what I needed at the time I ran across it and still holds up for me today in 2024. I hope they give us one more season to wrap it all up.
I love the faint acnh music in the background
Season 2 is basically a Riverdale spinoff
the thing i will be biased because i know people like each character in the show. its too relatable. also i can relate to most characters as a teenager.
honestly, I love this show. I think there are some fair criticisms to make about the gratuitous sex, but otherwise, I love the story, the acting, the cinematography. It gets a lot of criticism for not being realistic, but there are people who have had similar stories of drug use and sex during their teen years. Though this wasn't relatable to me, I like seeing different stories. And it's covered so well that I feel like I could understand the characters even if we weren't similar.
thank you for this vid! i have a lot of contradictory opinions about euphoria and how people criticize it. But your last words about this show sums it up completely: its incredibly human in all the bad and good ways. I will never be able to describe how much of an impact 1st season had on me, especially as 19 year old girl who witnessed a ton of stuff similar to what is happening in the show: the petty interpersonal drama, griping with your new found sexual urges in digital age as a genz-er, self-harm, young and inexperienced abusive relationships, extreme nihilism and loss of hope, the discovery of substances, parties and those who overuse them to cope with reality, all of it was so important for me to see especially as an outsider looking in their situations to analyze my own. The directing, lighting, acting, even makeup artistry felt so fresh and creatively liberating from the stuff i saw before, i can even say that my tastes in art direction in cinematography is formed by Euphoria. 2nd season on the other hand felt much more personal to the author, seeing how Ru's struggles were portrayed in such detail and accuracy (?), other's arcs are on the other hand were handled a lot sloppier in comparison to the first season, Kat's and Cassie's are the most disappointing imo, and jules just became a side character, and who tf is elliot lmao . Even with all the flaws i still enjoyed it, in a very different way than 1st season, the aftertaste of the 2nd season has another flavor thats for sure.
I cant blame anyone who didnt have a good time with teh story considering how heavy subject matter is, but those who claim that its "too" overplayed and unrealistic with all the terrible stuff that happens to highschoolers i feel like.. just kinda never really went through it, i can understand how from outsiders' perspective all of this is kinda wild, but its something that genuinely happens to SO many people, even in more grotesque ways than in fiction of Euphoria
This. This show aint perfect but i think its a show that will go down in history as a reflection of Gen z culture
Euphoria coming out when I was 16/17 was perfect timing for me as kind of the taget audience. It's visual storytelling is great (even if it's story can be a little messy) and it'll be special to me regardless of how stupid it can get
The show is BEAUTIFULLY made. That being said, its content is gross. I don't like watching anything that has teenagers at the center, because it's weird to be watch and be obsessed with teenager's sex lives, even in fantasy. Especially in fantasy. They could have changed the high school element to a work place, the teenagers to 20-somethings and the target audience also to 20-somethings and it would have made sense still.
And then after Angus really immersed himself in his character and lost his life, it reinforced how much these actors are humans. Humans with their own addictions, problems, fears-- and being cast on a show like this can be hella triggering.
I gotta say, I tremendously relate to Cassie in season 2. Throughout the show, she turned into a relatively calm person, trying to contain her emotions to a crying and screaming mess attacking her sister on stage. The way she spoke about her relationship with Nate also shows how ready she is to be consumed by a romantic relationship, how little she thinks of herself and how she wants to devote herself to her boyfriend, no matter how hurt she is by him. I'm no expert on personality disorders, but from personal experience I'm pretty sure she is struggling with a developing borderline personality disorder. It scared me how accurate the transition from being a shy, promiscuous girl to an emotionally unstable demon was.
The first season and the special episodes were good. It was just captivating and something really new. The special episode about Hunter was one of the best things I have ever watched. The second season though lost just any plot.
great video!! despite what you said in the beginning, i feel like you definitely made some points i at least haven’t heard before. i don’t know if you’ve watched this yet, but would you ever consider doing a review on midnight mass? the show has tons of monologues abt life and death and it’s one of my personal favorites!!
YES midnight mass has been stuck in my mind for months! so so incredible
ehhh, adults finding entertainment in the sexualization of teenage characters (even if the actors are adults) are weird, sorry
didnt he say that he didnt like those parts
I accidentally watched the first special episode instead of season 2 episode 1. Ali and Roos convo is one of my favorite episodes of the entire show
honestly for all the problems of Euphoria, I do really love how Levenson, whether intentionally or unintentionally, portrayed that you know what? sometimes people don't get better in season 2. sometimes they get worse, much worse. sometimes, they have to think they've reached rock bottom only to fall through the floor again before they have personal growth.
I disagreed with nearly all of your opinions but am glad you shared them and am glad I watched this.
I liked your Euphoria takes
“The Idol 🙄”
YOU PUT SILENT HILL MUSIC IN THE BEGINNING ❤️
I really like this show and rewatch it every year, I am always confused when people hate it, especially the second season. There is no show I enjoy watching more or a show with more relatable characters or a show that describes emotions so well as Euphoria.
dude the 1st special episode made me cry it was amazing i could relate so much i had never seen a piece of media so real and so raw
I watched season 1 religiously despite the fact that after every episode, I felt deeply upset, depressed, and disturbed. Then season 2 started and I felt like the intriguing storylines had fizzled, and I was just watching a trainwreck aimed at shocking and upsetting me and I realized I don’t have to traumatize myself to be entertained and stopped watching😂
i think they should make the sex at least look realistic for how it is for teenagers, sex is usually not pornographically cinematic the way the sex shown between nate and maddie for example, was
It depends, first few times yes awkward. After that no, maddie and Nate had been together for a while, it’s not too unrealistic and this is a show after all
Cassie went through about 100x worse than the Joker like let's not 😭
Thank you so much for using the club penguin pizza parlor music
Cinematography, editing, app that was great but the only character i really enjoyed was Fez. When he beat the hell out of Nate that was one of the few times i actually cheered out loud for a tv show. Other than that, i hate the writing and I especially hate the small sect of fans who romantacize the emotional abuse and drug abuse that characters partake in
i have complex feelings about euphoria, mostly because season 1 was so much better than season 2, and i have zero hopes for season 3.
the special episodes are great, & i also love jules (which is an unfortunately unpopular opinion.) rue and jules are probably my favorite characters in the show.
euphoria was def at its best when it's character-driven, and when the love triangle wasn't so upfront. cassie really suffered in season 2. the withdrawal episode was incredible tho, and even tho i'm apprehensive, i probably will watch season 3.
great vid! (ps: i also LOVED the Irishman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and the Grand Budapest Hotel and really resonated with your take on those!)
I used to love Jules. I can't anymore because of Hunter Schafer's Trans med comments. It just makes seeing Jules...hurt. I hate that she got this opportunity to tell a Trans narrative, but then turned around and told nb Trans people, that theirs isn't worth telling.
Watching Euphoria just makes me feel depressed
i maintain this is the only good thing Levinson has done. Even though S2 was a shitshow and a half this show will always have special in my heart for its characters and how it makes use of costuming, camera work, etc to convey emotions/inner worlds. it's his most coherent piece to me. (even though S2 made me rip my hair out.)
The silent hill music took me by surprise watching this
tears of...
The fact that people still want to pretend Season 1 had good writing….like YALL. Like I’m just a little confused as to what you mean in “nuanced writing” in regards to the characters. The characters are not fully developed. Like you can’t even give me three words to describe any other character besides rue, jules, and MAYBE Nate.
There are scenes with Zendaya that blew my mind as a sufferer of mental illness. Top-tier performance for me.