“Euphoria” Weekly Review: Do You Have It

EUPHORIA

SEASON 2, EPISODE 2 “OUT OF TOUCH”

EDITOR’S RATING: ★★☆☆☆

The anticipated return of TV’s most controversial teen drama resulted in stark changes between the first and second season. Firstly, there’s little to no glitter marking the faces of our leading ladies. For the most part, we’ve abandoned its once infamous fluorescent lighting, resorting to a grainier and brighter color scheme and the dizzying cinematography has been reduced and utilized only for emphasis on climax. The show’s most notable difference between the first and second seasons combines all that were previously listed; it seems that the writers are attempting to disarm one of “Euphoria’s” main criticisms: the tendency to favor its style over substance.

Instead of nonstop Labrinth playing, nauseatingly amazing cinematography and incessant flashing LED lights, writer and showrunner Sam Levinson has opted for an emphasis on story rather than accessory. 

In the season’s second episode, “Out of Touch,” we’re presented with several storylines: Cal trying to figure out who assaulted Nate, Jules’ estrangement from Rue following her instantaneous friendship with Elliot, Kat’s questioning of her relationship with Ethan, and yet another Nate-centric plot involving Cassie’s rambunctious feelings. 

With all these storylines, it seems like we’re set up for an interesting season, but this week’s episode really gave all pack and no punch. Sure, I was engrossed in “Euphoria’s” structure as I usually am, but as I assessed that each underwritten plot was meant to merely distract us from last week’s potential, it felt like an irritating waiting game. 

Especially since last week’s promotional video for the following episode was so well-orchestrated, I was particularly interested in seeing who Maddy was beating the living daylights out of (the episode never clarifies nor is it even important). Also, what was going on in Kat’s promo where she looked absolutely terrified (the sequence was a hallucination stemming from her anxiety). Even the ending didn’t strike a chord in me—the makeshift “cliffhanger” came off as an inappropriate spot to cut off the conversation between Cal and Nate, which angered me rather than creating any intended suspense.

Following “Out of Touch,” the promotional video for next week couldn’t garner my attention. My hopes for the next episode is that we have more of an established plot with structure and coordination, less of a clumsy last-minute performance orchestrated under pressure, which is what this episode came off as. Regardless, I’ll be tuning in, naively hoping my expectations aren’t broken.

CONTENT WARNING: “Euphoria” includes graphic depictions of depression and anxiety, sexual violence, nudity, physical violence, gaslighting, suggestive domestic situations and explicit depictions of drug and alcohol abuse.