Euphoria: not for the faint of heart

The raw and real TV show storms HBO with season 2

When HBO’s original series Euphoria took over the platform in the summer of 2019, it seemed many students on campus began to relate with the social situations of the show. With the release of season 2 this past winter, many revisit the series and explore its main messages.

Espy Padgett, Guest Contributor
March 3, 2022

Euphoria is a series about an addict named Rue and several other characters who represent the LGBTQ community as well as acknowledging their insecurities and making big decisions about their future. mna

This show has several on the edge of their seat waiting for the second season, and now that it’s out the influence and effects are drastic to its watchers as well as cast. Every Sunday a new episode is released on HBO with one of the major turning points being Rue’s withdrawal.

“I care about Rue and I hate when she’s in pain… there’s so much pain and it’s bubbling to the surface, and it’s also crossed with her withdrawing, which is extremely physically painful,”actor Zendaya said in an Entertainment Weekly interview.

The show brings, as emphasized, a lot of pain on the actors. It talks about heavy topics that put a lot of weight on the shoulders of its cast that could spark some personal issues.

“The reason I’m an actor is I’m quite empathetic person what I often do, I take on a lot of other people’s pain and a lot of other people’s stress and fears and anxieties… as well as my own,” Zendaya said.

This show is directed towards older teenagers who may or may not view this show as relatable.

“I can’t say I relate to it a lot because you don’t see it a lot in high school,” junior Sarah Schindall said. “I can relate to the character Lexi Howard because I view my environment as a sort of ‘reality tv’ experience which is how she is portrayed in the show.”

The hyper exaggeration portrayed in the show may lead some to believe this show is fake or unbelievable so much so it may become romanticized. The main concern is that this is a raw and real TV show that shouldn’t be twisted.

“I think it is important for viewers to understand that the graphic stuff shown is not to be glorified,” junior Sanai Thomas said. “In Rue’s most recent episode of withdrawal, it’s a very beautiful yet sad portrayal of what drug addicts and those around them go through.”

Although the show may be amplified in terms of abuse of substances and relations, some think that it is an accurate representation.

“The show is definitely really close to how drug abuse is,” Thomas said. “Alcoholism is similar, and I’ve heard about it first hand and really studied it. Even if not every student does it, there is one struggling and this show brings a light towards it.”

The truth is different for everyone, but this show definitely brings awareness along with entertainment for all.

“I don’t really think the show is that deep,” Schindall said. “I don’t see a lot of things like that, but I definitely enjoy keeping up with it on Sundays.”