Euphoria
S.02, E.01 – “Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door” (2022)
At long last, Euphoria has triumphantly returned. After 2.5 years, a few Emmy awards, and two specials, Sam Levinson returns to hopefully beat the sophomore slump. Following the success of the first, one has to wonder if the time away has helped or hurt the show. Was the pandemic a chance to second guess what worked about the show, leaving audiences with a watered-down version of what worked? Well, at least from this first outing it appears like the show not only came back confidently but in some ways is seeking to go much further. The following isn’t a retread of what came before, but something even greater.
For starters, Levinson’s writing feels like it’s gotten a lot sharper. While there’s always been some element of dark comedy to the series, this is easily one of the darkest laugh-wise that he’s produced. Even the ending where Fezco cathartically beats up Nate as Rue whispers “Damn” going into the credits is a perfect belly laugh. Had it been anyone else, the moment would be disturbing. Because it’s Nate and we’ve been watching him basically destroy half of the town’s reputation, seeing him bloodied on the floor is a nice way to emasculate a character who was already too high on his perch. As previews for the upcoming season would suggest, this isn’t the death of Nate, but more of a brief tangent to some greater revenge.
Because that’s how it always goes for Nate. Never forget that Maddy had sex with Tyler in “Pilot” only to have Tyler become the scapegoat for a series of crimes throughout the season. Fezco isn’t out of the woods yet. He may run with drug dealers who strip him of clothes and put his entire group into dangerous positions, but Fezco has never met a foe like Nate. He’s a man so petty and heartless that he goes from leaving Cassie to fend for herself in the bathroom for who knows how many hours to confronting Chris over the belief that he slept with Cassie (when all that happened was a brief attempt to get the show’s least interesting relationship back together). So much goes down because of Nate, and he doesn’t even show up until almost halfway through the affairs set to Labrinth’s haunting theme for him.
But before that, Levinson proves that the flashback openings will be canon for every episode. In this case, there’s a look into the lives of Fezco and Ashtray as they are raised by their gangster grandmother, who’s unafraid to walk into a strip club and murder someone. She presents the model that Fezco lives by, never knowing any better. He is removed from his mother, turned from a grandson into a “partner” in the drug business, forming a perverted view of family while forming a strong work ethic. He doesn’t know any better, and that’s both tragic and impressive. Given that he’s been seen in the past as a moral good, it’s impressive to think that he’s probably the most likely to get arrested of anyone in the central cast.
He’s that endearing, tragic figure who brings Rue along with him on drug deals. She is clearly trying to move on, but is constantly bombarded with triggers that pull her back in. She’s rarely sober, doesn’t recognize the severity of any action. At most she recognizes how great it is to see powerful women selling drugs. She is in her own world for most of the episode. Even when she reunited with Jules, there is something unfortunate about the timing. She is high, stuck in a daze caused by her new “favorite person” Ethan. She kisses Jules who clearly cares about her sobriety, but it looks like there’s a new hurdle in the way. Can she possibly survive the world of Ethan? Is this the unfortunate death of their helpful relationship?
To Levinson’s credit, he makes the whole episode work once again by incorporating limited settings. The story is essentially a three parter starting with Fezco’s backstory before moving on his drug deal gone wrong before diving into the New Year’s Eve party. Much like the first season, it only feels right to start at a party where everyone is crowded into a space, gossiping about what they plan to do as the year turns over. It’s a period where everything is finally over, ready to start anew, and yet the question of if anything they do will lead to change (or at least positive forms) is doubtful. They are still teenagers stuck in their ways, where relationships are attempted to be mended while others probably should’ve never happened in the first place.
The party sequence that dominates the episode is an amazing set piece for a variety of reasons. For starters, Levinson’s ability to do aerial views of the house and have characters enter and exit in grand fashion is brilliant. Even the way that he depicts Rue discovering that Jules is at the party is haunting in ways, not unlike a V.C. Andrews book cover. Even later on when Cassie and Chris are going to talk, his ability to use a wall as a split-screen to show Nate drinking on the other side feels like an old vaudeville sketch, giving us details that are likely to play out later. Add in Maddy banging on the door and hitting Cassie’s head only adds to some “nail in the coffin” style symbolism that is haunting and full of questions as to how anyone will come out of this with clean hands – though, as Maddy suggests when Nate emerges, his hands aren’t. Then again, she’s too high to know that Cassie has been hiding in the bathtub for a long, long time.
With that said, there’s plenty to love with Levinson’s approach this season to shooting. He claims that a lot of it will be on film, and the quality shows. It’s an attempt to keep the show fresh while sticking true to the ethos. It’s especially true in a scene late in the story where fireworks explode, showing these characters in profile at the party. They’re like old snapshots, forever capturing the moment. Beyond Rue and Jules embracing each other, constantly entering and exiting the aura, there is a sense that this is a moment of significant change. This will amount to something greater. There was something beautiful in how Jules witnesses Rue at a bonfire, almost like she’s in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). It’s dreamlike, mesmerizing. Their first real connection since that fateful day.
And Jules seems mostly apologetic about things. She desperately wants to rekindle her relationship with Rue. Even the metaphorical use of Ethan standing up to let Jules sit next to her reflects how interchangeable they may become later in the season. For now, it’s the false sense of closure, where Jules plays the mature one trying to seek forgiveness and express care while Rue hides behind her haze. She is honest, suggesting that the abandonment ultimately hurt her, but anyone who has followed her story knows how difficult it is for her to be honest sober. This should be a moment of overpowering joy, where they finally accept each other for who they are, but it’s not enough. They are coming from incompatible corners. The question is if they will repair everything or if it’s too little too late.
Returning to Fezco’s story, he is someone with a spotty past and whose moral compass continues to grow greyer by the episode. Even if he’s willing to keep his friends out of trouble, his inability to keep them out of harm at a drug den suggests that something bad may happen down the line. Nowhere is this more evident than when he’s talking to Lexi. At the end of last season, Lexi was wanting to form a romantic relationship and one could guess that this might be that move. With that said, nowhere is it more alarming than the reality that she just gave him her number. Even before Fezco wailed on Nate, the idea of putting herself in a compromised position if he’s ever arrested or has his phone hacked feels dangerous. Much like how Rue didn’t know to leave last season as drug dealers showed up at Fezco’s house, there’s concern that the good girl is going to turn bad one way or the other.
With that said, Fezco seems genuinely interested in her worldview. She doesn’t dress with the familiar flirty style of her sister, nor is there any rush to belong to the hormonal crowd around her. She is more interested in an intellectual conversation, talking about religion through the lens of an atheist. It’s the one difference between her and Fezco, who has deep faith. There is a strange bond made clear even as the signs would suggest that it’s probably not going to be for the best. Maybe they’re just casual, spiritual buddies. Maybe it will lead to something more. Whatever it may be, it does feel like Fezco needs to be true to his code and not drag her into an awful situation. It would be tragic to see her life corrupted by one night’s bad decisions.
The season is officially back and with a surprisingly efficient episode. So much just clicks this time around. Whereas the first season felt methodical in how it built characters, it now feels like Levinson is allowing a more casual assurance to take place. The way that Jules hangs out with Kat feels organic. Lexi greeting Chris is a small moment that shows a growth of camaraderie. The cast feels more lived in than last time, and it elevates the comedy of the piece. More importantly, Levinson manages to incorporate this with a sense of despair in ways that ultimately better the show. Once again the first episode promises some sense of potential for joy without ever giving it. Nate, for one, isn’t going to be happy anytime soon. That bloody face is probably only going to help him lean into the monster he has been built as.
For what it’s worth, season two is starting off very well and presents the potential of the show. Even the use of east coast and west coast rap songs in the soundtrack reflects how there are still rifts between different people. Other times the overtly sexual presence of DMX lyrics show the underlying lustful urges of the characters. It may not be the most eclectic soundtrack any episode has produced, but it’s allowing for an interesting dive into the characters on a subliminal level. How will they bridge the divide between everyone? Who will be sticking around in a meaningful way, and what characters are going to be elevated to primary roles this time around? So many questions await, and it’s exciting to know that the show can still attack like a firecracker, ready to go off the minute tension emerges. Let’s hope it continues to be that way.
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