First of all, a few warnings. One, Euphoria is a show that portrays a lot of bad things like abuse, drugs, violence, and addiction, so it’s pretty heavy. Second, I’m probably going to review multiple episodes of the new season 2. So, if you get bored, stick it out I’ll probably review a new Pokémon soon.
Last season we left on a few uncertainties in Euphoria, Rue relapsed, Fezco got into some violence with a doctor/opioid dealer, Nate and Maddy Broke up and Jules left. A lot happened then, and a lot happens in the season two premiere, “Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door.”
The main focus at the beginning is Fezco and his little brother Ashtray’s backstory, and it was a good one. We learn how Fez got into dealing through his funky, OG grandma who was a hardcore dealer and gangster. We also learned why he talks so slow, he accidentally got hit in the head with a crowbar as a kid.
It was a fantastic, groovy backstory. Definitely one of the better ones in the Euphoria cannon, that fully explained why he is the way that he is, and why he loves his grandma so much. Fezco has always been a fan favourite, for trying to help Rue get sober at times, and for threatening the shows, no, TELEVISIONS biggest asshole Nate. So to see a full twenty or so minutes off fleshed out backstory is really rewarding as a viewer.
The rest of the episode takes place at, predictably, a house party which is the Euphoria staple for drama, sex and drug use. This New Years Eve party is no exception.
Let’s start with the side characters and work our way up.
First, Cassie is missing and drunk and hasn’t made it to the party yet. She finds herself in the unfortunate position of getting picked up by Nate, and the two spend an adrenaline-fuelled car ride together before doing the nasty in the bathroom of the party. Bad idea girl. After everything she’s seen her best friend go through dealing with Nate (his abuse, anger and just pure assholery), you would think Cassie would know better. And that’s what makes Cassie such a tragic character she keeps making dumb decisions but her penchant for self-destruction means she can’t stop. Sydney Sweeney who plays Cassie, put on the performance of a lifetime this episode. She gets trapped in the bathroom with Nate because Maddy needs to pee, and you would think it was Michael Myers on the other side of the door. The pure horror on her face was wild, wild stuff.
Moving on to present day Fezco, who spends most of the party sitting with Lexie, Cassie’s sister who isn’t one for parties or drinking or drugs. So It’s an odd pairing. But I think Fezco sees in Lexie something that he’d never see in Rue, for example, a sweetness, an innocence, someone who isn’t afraid of his reputation. Maybe, if he hadn’t gotten hit by that crowbar, or raised by his grandma, he could have ended up with a girl like Lexie. So he’s intrigued, and they exchange numbers.
Then Fezco makes his grand exit, by beating the ever-loving snot out of Nate Jacobs, out of the blue. Maybe that’s why he planned to come to the party, to make good on his promise to end Nate if he messed around with Rue too much. Either way I and most of Twitter cheered in glee as this morally questionable drug dealer beat the hell out of the grossest man alive.
Fezco isn’t perfect. I just want to point this out, there are viewers who are ride or die for Fezco, no matter what but let's remember; He’s a drug dealer who mainly pushes to kids, and takes his little brother and Rue into very dangerous situations. That said, you can’t help but see the sweetness in him, and I think that’s what people route for.
Also, I hope Nate stays in the hospital all season honestly.
Okay, now Rue and Jules. I want to talk about the two specials that came out last year, that focussed on their inner thoughts and revealed things about their characters and what they mean to one another… It seems like those episodes were completely irrelevant. For instance, that fantastic episode where Ali finally gets through to Rue, and you think she’s finally gonna get sober? Gone. Jules deciding their relationship was less than ideal? Gone.
They just make out like those conversations never happened, and that’s disappointing because there was a lot of character growth during those episodes. Maybe they just decided to write them as one-offs but I think both of those episodes were valid.
I don’t think they’re ready for each other, especially with Rue doing heroin twenty minutes earlier. Alas, to subdue the audience no doubt, who are rooting for these girls like I am, they “get together,” and it’s sweet and it’s nice but it’s designed for failure.
Plus, Rue has made a new friend, who she meets in the bathroom after nearly going into cardiac arrest. Elliot, played by the gorgeous Dominic Fike, looks like a new kid on the block who is going to cause Rue a LOT of problems. But that’s gonna be really interesting and fun to watch, how Elliot messes with Rue and Jules’s already dysfunctional relationship.
So that’s the Euphoria season 2 premiere! Lot’s happening at once with a really nice backstory at the start. Keep watching Euphoria along with me, tweet, comment, get into it because, despite its mature themes, this show is still tonnes of fun.
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