Cover art by @25rosess on Instagram
By Matt Gannon
This review covers a series rated TV-MA and may not be appropriate for all readers.
I’m going to start by simply saying that the Euphoria premiere was incredibly difficult to watch. Just the first hour made it clear that this isn’t a show for easily shocked or offended. It’s brutal, but unlike many other graphic shows of the same nature, it feels justified. There seems to be some level of purpose behind it that’s hard to explain.
Rue, played by Zendaya, has been plagued by illness and instability for her entire life. Born only a few days after 9/11 and diagnosed with multiple serious disorders as a young child, she takes care to detail the state of mind that she’s been in for around seventeen long years, the state of mind that can find no solution to her problems other than drugs. Over one summer, she overdoses, resulting in her younger sister finding her asphyxiated on the bathroom floor. She goes to rehab, and our story begins when she is released at the beginning of junior year.
Without going into specifics, just this one hour is overflowing with drugs and booze and penises and sex. Yes, all involving teens. The main discourse that seems to be circling around this show is the simple question: is all of this necessary? We’ll come back to that question at the end.
Outside of the subject matter and the story, Euphoria is technically wonderful. It’s visually gorgeous, and the HBO prestige sheen works surprisingly well on a teen drama. The colors are especially noteworthy, and every scene feels like a visual treat as purples shift into blues and reds and greens. The direction is fresh, and between this and Booksmart, it’s really fantastic to see the high school genre moving in such unique and risky directions.
The acting is great so far, and while not many of the supporting actors haven’t been given enough time to really show their strength yet (it’s a VERY packed premiere), it’s obvious that they’re all going to be strong in the episodes to come. Expect to hear great things about Storm Reid, Jacob Elordi, and Algee Smith in the weeks to come. Sydney Sweeney makes a special impact here, and her place as “best young actor who no one has heard of yet” is cemented with just a couple scenes. Hunter Schafer is great, and even just her presence as a trans woman playing a trans character is something to celebrate.
And of course Zendaya is awesome. Rue is a character that could come off as irrevocably unlikeable, but the former Disney Channel star sells the teen so hard that even through her incredibly stupid decisions, you find yourself still rooting for her. Most of the (admittedly limited) levity also comes from Zendaya’s performance. Even when the writing is dark, she adds a certain acidity to her lines that give at least a tiny bit of relief. The jump she’s made from Disney Channel spy shows to Emmy-worthy performances in just the past few years is stunning, and I’d say that this was her magnum opus if it wasn’t obvious that she’s going nowhere but up.
The writing is definitely the shakiest part of the show. The creator, Sam Levinson, has said that he heavily based the show off of his own high school life, so it’s hard to say what is made up and what is experience, but some things have a hyperbolic vibe or are a little too intense to feel realistic. In general, though, characters are sketched out pretty well, and while it may seem now that they are influenced by countless stereotypes that came before them, there are hints of growth and development in every one, so I’m not worried on that front.
Some may definitely be turned off by the incredibly fast pace, but it feels natural within the context of all of the situations. Teens are almost always on their highest gear all the time, acting without thinking, so especially within a drug-addled environment, the breakneck speed is justified.
So, after all of that, are the graphic scenes justified? Or is HBO just finding an excuse to make softcore porn about teens?
At least right now, my answer is that it is justified. This is an unapologetically Gen-Z show, setting it apart from heavily 80s-influenced teen shows like Stranger Things and Sex Education. Values have changed, technology has changed, and the teen experience evolves and devolves every single day.
The show may not represent everyone (or at least in a way that’ll make everyone happy), but there are important nuggets of truth in the struggles that Rue and her peers face. Many can relate to Rue’s desperation for indifference, Kat’s need for belonging, and McKay’s insecurities. They’re the same issues that teen media has always focused on, just packaged in a different way.
Any way you look at it, HBO is breaking new ground with Euphoria. I don’t blame you if you find it too difficult to watch. But this is a new kind of show for a new kind of era, and it’ll definitely be interesting to see where this all goes.
TV Wasteland 