Audiences were hungry for a strong teen drama, and Euphoria was just the ticket. Amid Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why devastation, Sam Levinson’s Euphoria shone through. Glittery makeup and psychedelic lighting complemented the film’s realistic and graphic content. In Euphoria, each episode served as a cinematic journey through a tragic storyline with dark characters.
It was bold, fierce, and fast-paced, but it handled character relationships with an intricate delicacy that could only be matched by written novels. As a result, the film’s weaker sections of writing could be excused because the camera work was so beautifully choreographed. The reality of the show was not based on the story, but rather on the relationships and the emotions that were woven into the plot. In the words of its creator, “emotional realism” describes the style.
The teenagers’ perspective on the world was shown on the screen in a tinted haze. The audience was subjected to the full range of emotions and traumas that each character was dealing with. This is what made the show feel real and compelling, as the audience was made to empathise with the characters’ failures, tragedies, and flaws. If an event or experience has a lasting effect on a person’s mental state, it’s clearly shown in Euphoria’s character sketches.
Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong in Euphoria. Drug abuse, manipulation, dating apps, cybersex, self-harm, gender dysphoria and absentee parents were all dealt with by the characters in the book. The flaws and biases of each character led to problems that had to be dealt with.
A Deep Dive into Rue, Played by Zendaya
Zendaya’s portrayal of Rue, the naive and cynical protagonist of the film, was a breath of fresh air for the cast. A young drug addict with OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, generalised anxiety, and depression was the focus of her role on the show. Rather than romanticising her various illnesses, Rue’s narration of events revealed that she became addicted to the medications she was prescribed. This narration was erratic, veered off into unnecessary details, and at times was downright bizarre.
Like the final scene of the finale, where her drug-addled mind suddenly morphed into a strange music video, this scene is similar. Newcomer Jules helps Rue kick her habit. In Rue’s display of affection and love for Jules, her innocence is highlighted. Rue, on the other hand, begins to disintegrate as soon as Jules begins to interact with the outside world. During the show, Jules boarded the train while Rue remained at the train tracks. Another type of addiction that the writers explore is Rue’s dependency on Jules.
Jules was a transwoman who sought to understand her gender dysphoria and explore her sexuality. Aiming for maximum effeminateness, Jules strayed from her biological gender identity as far as she could. Nate’s father and Nate’s father’s father put her in dangerous situations, such as sleeping with men. Because of Nate’s abuse, she was too broken to return to town, and so she fled in search of a new beginning.
Through his father’s abuse and his father’s p*rn collection, Nate was confronted with his own set of demons to overcome. There were numerous videos of his father and various other women in the family sex tape collection. His treatment of women provides a glimpse into his father’s character.
In his heart, he despises everyone and everything in it. Abusing Maddy, manipulating her, and making someone else take the abuse charge is all part of his toxic relationship with her. Aside from that, he makes up an online persona and uses it to extort Jules into lying to the police about how he beat up Maddy so he won’t be in trouble. As of yet, Nate has shown no remorse or redeeming qualities. As a result of the finale, Nate and Maddy finally ended their relationship for good.
It was Rue’s friend and drug dealer, Fez. He struggles with this throughout the season, as he both supports Rue’s addiction and opposes it. At one point, Rue is seen pleading for drugs and blaming her addiction on Fez, who appears to be trapped indoors with her.
For Rue’s sake, Fez threatens Nate in the same way he would treat his own younger sister. For his revenge, Nate calls the cops on Fez and forces him to flush his stash. He turns to robbery and gets into a fight with his boss, “Mouse,” in the finale. Everybody was left gasping and terrified by the ending, which featured a gun pointed at Fez’s head. If someone still had a soft spot for Nate by chance, they no longer did.
Kat portrayed an oversized teen who wrote One Direction sm*t online and then gradually began to explore her sexuality via webcam. By using a webcam and receiving online validation from strangers, I was able to learn to love and accept myself completely. Euphoria’s purest moment of happiness has yet to be tarnished: Ethan, she went on a journey and discovered herself.
Cassandra was the sweet girl down the street who was subjected to unwanted sexual advances simply because of her appearance. Because of the image guys had formed of her, she was frequently forced to participate in sexual acts that were upsetting to her. After she gets pregnant with Chris Mckay’s child, she gets an abortion in the finale.
The Two Bridge Episodes of Euphoria
In the two bridge episodes, Trouble Don’t Last Always and F*ck Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob, the inner workings of the characters and the character arcs were furthered. After the season 1 finale, they each dealt with Rue and Jules in their ways. The writing in these episodes was some of the best in the entire series, despite their simplicity.
Rue and Jules’ inner demons were dealt with by them. You were immediately drawn into the conversation between Zendaya and her NA sponsor thanks to her flawless Rue. Because of the pandemic, most of the filming took place in a diner during Christmas dinner.
It encapsulated the gloom and tedium that beset many people during the pandemic’s course. As it was revealed that Rue was suicidal, her desire for a few moments of euphoria was also understood. We learned more about Jules’ mental state by watching her participate in a therapy session. Her therapist’s conversation with Jules allowed us to learn that she was still in love with the online persona Nate had created, as well as the fact that her mother was an addict.
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