By Grace Tevaseu, Correspondent
4 out of 5 Stars
In anticipation of Season 2, I decided to review “Euphoria” Season 1, stream-able on Hulu and HBO services. To briefly summarize, this first season is chaotic, rife with conflicts relating to drugs, abuse, violence, sexuality, romance, blackmail, and familial relations.These high schoolers are all standing on the edge of fragility, either a step away from overdosing or hooking up with their toxic, abusive ex.
“Euphoria” challenges the socially expected flow and organization of TV dramas. Many of the show’s themes are ambiguous, interpreted differently by the individuals of its audience. It does share the same intensity of Netflix’s “Thirteen Reasons Why.” “Euphoria” is meant to portray the brutal reality many high schoolers face today, but in my opinion this portrayal is overexaggerated and illustrates a reality on steroids, in parallel with Rue’s undeterred commitment to opioids. Seemingly, every decision made by these “Euphoria” teens is driven by sexual tension and desire with an debilitating lack of self-control. gh school is a uniquely difficult time, but where is the discipline, either from parents or from themselves? How do they even pass their classes, as they hardly seem to go and never have homework? Are their only hobbies and interests drinking, shooting up, blackmailing, and fucking?
Although an unpopular opinion, a standout character was the local drug dealer Fezco. Where he lacks textbook intelligence, he instead offers intense loyalty, social depth, and street smarts. Despite his reputation, community role, and sporadic beatdowns, he has kind eyes coupled with a kind soul, and a willingness to do whatever necessary to protect those deemed family.
On a positive note, the soundtrack of “Euphoria” Season 1 is superb. As a huge fan of Labrinth, I am proud to say that he orchestrated the entire soundtrack for this season, featuring other influential artists as well, like Beyonce, BTS, Jorja Smith, and Lizzo. And of course, no matter my opinion of “Euphoria,” Zendaya, who portrays the main character Rue, can carry any movie, show, or creative piece she is in, as we all have been witness to throughout her acting career. Circling back to the characters, I do appreciate their lack of a stereotypical popular social group. The so-called popular teens in this high school do not bully other students for fun nor are they the extremely exclusive group like other high school dramas have their teens be. This differential stands out in the social structure of the characters, as it is less of a ‘Queen Bee’ hierarchy than commonly assumed.
Overall, I give the first season of “Euphoria” 4 out of 5 stars because, no matter my feelings towards the show, its characters, and its plot, it was incredibly entertaining and effectively maintained my attention the whole season.
