Love it or hate it, 'Euphoria' is too popular to avoid

The HBO series “Euphoria,” which is currently in its second season, showcases teen drug use, domestic violence and nudity — with viewers having disagreeing opinions on its ethics. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer

For Tayla Somers, a sophomore strategic and corporate communication major, Sunday night is a big deal. But it's not because of football, the drool-worthy Sunday brunch or the pile of procrastinated assignments due the next day. 

Sunday night is held on a pedestal compared to other nights of the week for Somers, because that is when her favorite show releases a new episode. She races home after her weekly sorority meetings, gathers around the television with her four other roommates — popcorn and Ruffles potato chips in hand — to see what kind of drama is in store for the latest episode of "Euphoria." 

"I love being able to watch it with my roommates, because it’s such a fun way to all do something together before the school week starts," Somers said. "Throughout the week, we find theories (about the plotlines) on TikTok and send them to each other (before the new episode)." 

With the HBO show just having aired the finale of its second season Feb. 27, the whole world is talking about this heart-wrenching, yet addicting series. The sixth episode of the second season, which aired Feb. 13, brought in 5.1 million viewers, even though it premiered the same night as the Super Bowl. 

Amid a society that’s become all-too-comfortable with binge-watch culture, the show’s decision to air episodes week-to-week reminds viewers of the beauty of patiently waiting. This pattern is akin to ‘93 when 42.36 million viewers tuned in to see if Sam and Diane on "Cheers" would finally end up together, or in ‘98 when 40.5 million watched the series finale of "Seinfeld" to see what the fate was for the group of four famous friends. 

The plot of "Euphoria" focuses on 17-year-old Rue Bennett (Zendaya) struggling with a drug addiction as her high school peers similarly face issues of domestic violence, body dysmorphia and substance abuse. To add onto that, the show includes graphic violence, explicit language and full-frontal nudity. 

Despite what sounds like a program that would leave viewers feeling depressed and full of darkness, people are hooked. Nicole Katz, a senior cultural anthropology major, told The Panther that she loves the show’s visual aesthetic — specifically the colorful lighting, dramatic soundtrack, trendy clothing and, of course, glittery eyeshadow.   

"Honestly, my favorite part about the show is the theatrics," Katz said. "I have a hard time sitting down and watching shows. I either don't do it, or I am multitasking. But with this show, I won't multitask. I think it's so geniously done — the lighting and the setting. The music to me is really fantastic and how it's all paired together."

Katz said that even though the topics addressed in the show are heavy and anxiety-inducing, it brings about important conversations that need to be represented in the media. These graphic themes have been received with mixed feedback, similar to the controversy of "13 Reasons Why," which sparked both positive and negative discourse on suicide for many people.

"Although we've grown up in a time where it's more acceptable and encouraged to talk about the things going on in our adolescence, people still struggle to talk about these things, or many don't have the right support system around them," Katz said. "Obviously there are some vulgar and triggering things (in the show) and not a lot is withheld, but people are fascinated to see real conversations and depictions going on."

Olivia Sparrvik, a junior psychology major, said that although she is not a fan of the show's character development, she speculated many viewers watch the show in jealousy — wishing they were like the characters. While Sparrvik said the behaviors of the characters seem out of sync and confusing, she said many people aspire to be like Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), the cheerleader with an abusive boyfriend but with all the popularity in the world.  

"There's attractive characters, and these girls are wearing cute outfits and they have cute makeup; a lot of people wish they had the confidence of some (of these) characters," Sparrvik said. "A lot of people really like Maddy, but I don't think a lot of people are as confident or confrontational as Maddy, so people look up to her."

While praise for the show seems to be flooding the internet, there are many skeptics who criticize it for glamorizing teenage drug use. Liza Antonova, a senior strategic and corporate communication major, said these portrayals of substance abuse in media could affect children's perceptions of high school and lead to them developing bad expectations for their four years of schooling.  

"I have two younger sisters; one is in high school right now and the other is in elementary school and about to go into middle school — and I'm assuming she will watch it at some point," Antonova said. "It's scary because they are going to think this is what they should be doing. Like, (they’ll wonder), 'Where are my lines of coke?’ or ‘Where is my abusive boyfriend? If I don't have any of that, then I failed my high school experience.'"

While Rue struggles with drug addiction, Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira) grapples with self-esteem issues and Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) deals with his sexuality in a negative fashion, Antonova said she is concerned there is not a single clear-headed person that viewers can count on as someone to look up to.

"There isn't a single good role model,” Antonova said. “I'm not the type of person who says 'We need to put role models on the TV for the children,' but there isn't a single good person there.”

In response to critics — including comments from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.) — Zendaya, who won an Emmy in 2020 for her performance as Rue, said in a statement that the show's goal is "to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain." 

Katz told The Panther viewers should consider "Euphoria" as a show that encourages kindness, since the vast difficulties in someone's life may be unknown to most. 

"There's all these different subplots going on with every character and a lot of the time, not all the characters on the show know what's going on with their friends," Katz said. "You never know what someone is going through or what they have gone through. Maybe you'll never know. Whether you know what's going on in their life or if you will ever fully know, I hope everyone is a little kinder to everyone."