The second season of HBOMax’s Euphoria is expected by fans to be darker than the first and that’s saying something if you haven’t seen any of the hit show before. In the first episode of the second season alone, there have been multiple instances of drug and alcohol abuse,along with physical altercations that cause severe damage and bodily harm.
Although the second episode isn’t as jarring, it contains more ominous foreshadowing of a potentially gruesome future for the characters of Euphoria. As controversial as some may consider it, the show prompts necessary topics of conversation involving drug addiction and sexual assult, while providing utmost entertainment for mature audiences.
The question isn’t whether or not people like Euphoria— although it is not everyone’s cup of tea—it had a whopping 2.4 million viewers on the first episode alone of season 2, according to Variety. As viewers, we receive a backstory of everything that happened prior to every traumatic event. As season one did, with the drama building until the final episode, season 2 seems to be following that same pattern. Some speculate whether it is good for you to watch in the first place because in an all too familiar Euphoria style, people will get hurt and so will the viewers feelings as they become emotionally attached to characters. The action and I think that is what makes Euphoria so enticing, because it is such an intense viewer experience.
The topics covered are very serious and not ones that are often discussed in real life, but Euphoria allows for this discussion to occur. Euphoria brings up very serious and often taboo topics that in everyday conversation people avoid. Drugs and alcohol are glorified everywhere in modern society, and Euphoria is no exceptionUnlike many other shows, though, it doesn’t shy away from the atrocities that follow substance abuse.
The public controversy truly lies in the fact that it is still a story that is not entirely depressing, but also wants to intrigue and captivate its audience. In doing so, the show naturally has to glaze over issues that do not further the plot or help character development in one way or another. I believe that is the main problem people have with Euphoria. They forget that it is a show that is depicting the lives of teenagers in a very serious and dramatic way, filled with issues that never seem to end. Just because their story doesn’t completely depict the struggles with addiction and is only able to show snippets, I don’t think that it means that the show is bad for you to watch. Instead, like with any other source of entertainment and media that you are consuming, you must do it mindfully.
There is always an angle that is trying to be manipulated and viewers are forgetting that these same issues are discussed in other popular shows as well. Just because Euphoria is more detail-oriented in showing the act of taking drugs, it does not mean that it is trying to corrupt its viewers.
Embedded in the gruesome scenes are deeper meanings, and in season 2, viewers need to remember that the message is not just about the show, but it is a specific example of how this specific show rustled the public’s feathers to get it more media attention. So I encourage you to sit down this Sunday at 8 p.m., and login to HBOMax to see the third episode.