‘Euphoria’ Series Premiere Review: Sex, Drugs, and Anxiety

Euphoria takes us to the ever-changing scene of the lives of American teenagers. Their stories take place in a suburb, riddled with drugs, issues on sex, and their anxieties. As one returns home from rehab, one moves into town. When a house party takes place, all teenagers gather to celebrate, well, nothing. The house becomes a conglomerate of drugs and alcohol. With so much going on, it is easy to get lost in the world where everything happens fast.

On Sunday’s series premiere of  Euphoria, Rue Bennett (Zendaya) returns home from rehab. Meanwhile, Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) moves into town with her dad. Later that evening, a house party happens Chris McKay’s (Algee Smith) house. A series of fast-happening events then ensue. Virginity becomes a shameful thing to have while taking drugs becomes a regular thing. The night marks the beginning of the high schoolers’ exploration of their lives, albeit in the most unconventional of ways.

Meet Rue

HBO

Among the show’s set of intriguing, exciting, and unique characters, Rue stands out the most. Majority of the story revolves around hers. As a child, Rue showed signs of having multiple mental disorders. Unfortunately, these disorders stayed with her as she grew up, leading up to the point of her drug addiction. Since the drugs were the only thing that calmed Rue down, she became drawn to it. It is a mystery as to how she survived rehab, given her multiple mental illnesses. Still, she made it out and back to the world, and Rue has no intention of staying clean.

Rue’s life is complicated. When her father, Robert Bennett (Bruce Wexler) died, her mother, Leslie Bennett (Nika King) raised Rue and her sister, Gia Bennett (Storm Reid). Rue’s overdose shook their family to the core. Now that Rue is back, the direction of their family life is unknown. Sadly, Rue stands between looking out for herself, searching for ways to drown out her mental illnesses and living up to her family’s expectations.

The Newcomer

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Much like Rue, Jules recently arrived at the suburb. While Jules may be a newbie, she was already out and willing to meet strangers. Unfortunately, her hookup with an older man, Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane) not only ended badly but also would cause her trouble since Cal is Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), a famous high school football player’s father. Jules walked into a steaming pot of chaos, especially after her encounter with Nate. Truthfully, Jules minded her own business; she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Luckily, Jules crosses paths with Rue. Jules and Rue’s characters are bound to meet as implied by when Rue first saw Jules. Also, their friendship is something unique in the show. Rue may not be a total outcast, but the other youth shun her anyway. Jules, on the other hand, is both a newbie and a transwoman, so fitting in at school will not be easy for her. It is perhaps one of the best aspects of the show; Rue and Jules’ friendship, since both of them represent people in the society who are part of the minority.

Sex

HBO

One of the major themes of the show revolves around sex. A former couple, Nate and Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) try to get revenge on each other during the house party by making each other jealous. Meanwhile, Chris McKay (Algee Smith) and Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) finally decide to vamp things up and have sex. Elsewhere, Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira) eventually loses her virginity. Sex has always been a considerable part of shows and movies that portray teenage lives, and this show, in particular, does so without sensationalizing it. Yes, there are several nude scenes, but they do not show up in ways that do not scream ‘OH MY GOD THEY’RE HAVING SEX.’ Instead, these scenes come out as expressions of human emotion. Sex, in the aspect shown in this episode, can either be a powerful tool for manipulation, a status symbol, or an expression of love.

Drugs

HBO

Another predominant theme in the show is drugs. It begins with Rue taking drugs to shut out her mental illnesses. As the show progresses, drugs seem to become a commodity, much like any typical store-bought item. However, the show does not stereotype when it comes to this. Surprisingly, the dealer, Ashtray (Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton), is a young boy. Also, Fezco (Angus Cloud), Rue’s dealer, offers her advice on battling her mental issues. It is impressive how the show manages to look at drugs in both a philosophical and commodified way. Both of these views are extremely different from each other, but as the narrative goes, drugs seem to fit into both aspects. The show’s take on drugs is an entirely new perspective, labeling it as dangerous but also therapeutic in some cases.

‘Euphoria’ Series Premiere Final Verdict

Everything about Euphoria is brilliant: the premise, the casting, the plot, the script, everything. The fantastic cast does an excellent job of setting the mood of the show. The plot is as natural as raw footage taken by actual teenagers. None of the themes use stereotypes in them, and the manner of crafting the show makes it an authentic work of art. Although there are so many characters and plots to care about, Euphoria does not appear to be messy. On the contrary, each of the subplots fit the overall narrative. Indeed, Euphoria is one of those shows that open the mainstream’s eyes into shows that exhibit substantial concepts and realistic experiences.

Euphoria continues Sunday, June 23rd with ‘Stuntin’ Like Daddy’ at 10/9c on HBO.