Graphic by Gabby Gagnon ‘24
By Ella Jacob ’24
Books Editor & Copy Editor
The second season of “Euphoria,” which drew a record-setting 2.4 million viewers when it premiered on HBO Max, has received unprecedented levels of attention from both new and returning fans. With each episode featuring dramatic twists and turns, it seems that this season is taking its characters and viewers on a rollercoaster.
“Euphoria” is an HBO adaptation of an Israeli show of the same name, created by American filmmaker Sam Levinson. Season one of “Euphoria” introduced a group of suburban Southern Californian teenagers dealing with mental health problems, drug abuse, sexual assault and toxic relationships. Although the story follows the lives of multiple main characters, the first season is mostly centered around Rue (Zendaya), the narrator.
In order to determine whether “Euphoria” viewers at Mount Holyoke are fans of the show’s the show is heading, Mount Holyoke News asked about their thoughts on the newest season.
Character development
As Michela Marchini ’22 put it, “Rue had an incredibly fleshed out plot line and emotional storyline [in season one] … I didn’t really feel like anyone else did because the show was so focused on Rue.” In season two, Marchini explained, more characters are being given the chance to go through a full emotional arc. “There are certain characters who do feel like they’re left out of that [progression],” Marchini said, discussing the main character Jules (Hunter Schafer).
New relationships are also emerging in the second season, with the characters’ lives crossing paths in unexpected ways. One such relationship is that of Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), the ex-boyfriend of Cassie’s best friend Maddy.
As Cassie spirals further and further each episode as a result of this relationship, some fans are having difficulty grasping her actions.
Approaching Cassie’s character with an analytical eye, Soli Guzman ’24 emphasized that Cassie has suffered from a lot of trauma. “She has seen the fact that her body has been used by men … and is constantly [in] the view of men,” Guzman said. “It obviously makes sense to her that the only way she can be loved, which she wants so dearly, is by the use of her body. And that's why she’s seeking out terrible men.”
Conversely, the character development of Cassie’s sister, Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow), has generated excitement in viewers, like Marchini.
“I am really, really, really excited by what they’re doing with Lexi [this season]. I think it’s really cool,” Marchini said.
Lexi often feels like a stereotypical, sheepish teenager, who is a third-person observer to not only her life, but the lives of those around her. She is incredibly creative, shown through her ambition to write and direct a play based on her life. The character was not given a lot of screen time in the first season, but with her increasing presence in the show comes further fan interest.
Creator Sam Levinson
Sam Levinson, the show’s creator, executive producer, showrunner and writer of nearly every episode, has a knack for writing complex, stressful and rousing storylines, according to Marchini.
“The core of Euphoria has always been [a] bruised storyline, and Sam Levinson is incredibly good at writing [a] bruised storyline,” Marchini said.
Despite Levinson’s aptitude for this type of writing, these storylines have the potential to communicate harmful messages to younger and more impressionable members of “Euphoria”’s audience.
“The more I think about it, it’s kind of concerning to me that Sam Levinson keeps on showing these situations where teenagers are being extremely dangerous and extreme, experiencing extremely risky behavior,” Guzman said. “There's little to no repercussions, often.”
There has also been a lot of criticism from fans surrounding Levinson’s position as one of the sole writer’s of the show. “[Levinson] doesn’t have a lived experience that lends him to writing other characters, and I wish that he would get people into the writers’ room that do,” Marchini said. “Please get anybody else into that writer’s room along with you. I’m literally begging you.”
Guzman echoed this belief, saying, “My whole issue with Sam Levinson is this: you can create a good show, but you also have to invite other people to help you.”
On top of Levinson’s lack of inclusion in the writer’s room, there has also been a decrease in diversity in season two. One of the few Black characters, Christopher McKay (Algee Smith), has had little screen time in this season. Not only does this mean that there is one less character of color for some viewers to relate to, but it also means that the main characters are primarily white, with the exceptions of Rue and Maddy. According to Guzman, this lack of inclusion could be attributed to Levinson’s lack of inclusion in the writers’ room. “He’s a white, straight, 32-year-old man, meaning that he wants to write these inclusive storylines without knowing jack shit about them and, in turn, is creating a pile of horseshit,” Guzman said.
“Euphoria,” which has been greenlit for a third season, has been the subject of widespread debate and discussion throughout its second season. Though opinions on the show itself differ, the show continues to keep viewers engaged, anticipatedly waiting for “Euphoria” episode release days.