Euphoria (American TV series)

Euphoria (American TV series)
Euphoria is an American teen drama television series created and principally written by Sam Levinson for HBO and based on the Israeli miniseries of the same name created by Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin. The series stars Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Eric Dane, Storm Reid, and Nika King in main roles. The series follows Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a troubled queer teenage drug addict who struggles to get sober, find her place in the world, and adjust to her relationships after rehab. Though Rue is the central focus of the show, the beginnings of most episodes provides backstories for the rest of the main characters.
Euphorias executive producers include Levinson, Zendaya, Ron Leshem, and Gary Lennon. The series is filmed at Ulysses S. Grant High School in Los Angeles, California, Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, and Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Outside California, it is filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, and in Dublin, London, New York City, Rome, and Singapore. The series has received generally positive reviews, with praise for its cinematography, score, performances of the cast (specifically Zendaya, Sweeney, and King), and approach to its mature subject matter. It has also been a subject of controversy for its nudity and sexual content, which critics found excessive due to the high school setting. It is the fourth most-watched series in HBO history, behind Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and House of the Dragon.
Season one of Euphoria premiered on June 16, 2019. Two one-hour specials were broadcast in December 2020 and January 2021. The second season premiered on January 9, 2022. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a third season. The series has received numerous accolades, including a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. For her performance, Zendaya has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Sweeney, Domingo, and Martha Kelly have also received Emmy nominations for their acting, with Domingo winning Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Premise
Euphoria follows high schoolers in the fictional town of East Highland, California, who seek hope while balancing the strains of love, loss, sex, and addiction. Topics such as child abuse, drug abuse, toxic relationships, toxic positivity, hookup culture, mental illness, codependency, abortion, infidelity, relapsing, repressed homosexuality, sobriety, human trafficking, domestic violence, rape, toxic masculinity, drug dealing, dating violence, mental health, and grief are explored during the show.
Cast and characters
Zendaya as Ruby "Rue" Bennett, a queer teenage drug addict who recently returned from rehab and is struggling to become sober while finding her place in the world. She serves as the show's narrator, and is Jules’ on and off girlfriend and Lexi’s childhood best friend.
Maude Apatow as Alexandra "Lexi" Howard, Rue's childhood best friend and Cassie's younger sister who has trouble finding her confidence. She had a budding relationship with Fez in season 2 after meeting on New Year’s.
Angus Cloud as Fezco "Fez" O'Neill (seasons 1–2), a local drug dealer who has a close relationship with Rue and his “stepbrother” Ashtray. He developed a strong relationship and bond with Lexi in season 2. Fez will not appear in the third season of Euphoria due to Cloud’s death in July 2023.
Sydney Sweeney as Cassandra "Cassie" Howard, Lexi's older sister, Maddy’s best friend, and McKay's ex-girlfriend with an infamous sexual history that continues to haunt her. She begins a tumultuous relationship with Nate in season 2, which seemingly causes the end of her and Maddy’s friendship.
Alexa Demie as Madeleine "Maddy" Perez, a popular cheerleader, Cassie’s best friend, and Nate's on-and-off girlfriend; ex girlfriend as of season 2 due to domestic abuse and emotional torment. She later calls off her friendship with Cassie after learning she had been secretly dating Nate.
Jacob Elordi as Nathaniel "Nate" Jacobs, a star high school football player, and Maddy's on-and-off abusive boyfriend, whose severe anger issues mask his sexual insecurities. His family dynamics and history are included within the show, which are considered by many the cause of his major anger issues and flaws.
Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, a transgender girl who enters an often turbulent relationship with Rue after moving to East Highland with her dad. She is Rue’s on and off girlfriend, as she explores her sexuality and personal identity as a transgender teen.
Barbie Ferreira as Katherine "Kat" Hernandez (seasons 1–2), a girl fighting for body positivity while exploring her sexuality and self-confidence. Kat will not appear in season 3 due to Ferreira leaving the show in 2022.
Nika King as Leslie Bennett, Rue and Gia's mother who often has trouble living with her daughter’s addiction after Rue’s poor decision-making with drugs.
Storm Reid as Georgia "Gia" Bennett, Rue's younger sister who was traumatized finding her when she overdosed.
Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs, Nate's strict and demanding father with a dangerous double life and hidden past.
Algee Smith as Christopher "Chris" McKay (season 1; guest season 2), a young football player and Cassie's ex-boyfriend who has difficulties adjusting to college.
Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammed (b. Martin) ("Trouble Don't Last Always"; recurring seasons 1–2), a man in recovery from drug addiction who often speaks at Rue's Narcotics Anonymous meetings and eventually becomes her sponsor and mentor.
Javon "Wanna" Walton as Ashtray O'Neill (season 2; recurring season 1), Fez's unofficially adopted "little brother" and a drug dealer. Ashtray will not return in season 3 due to the character’s death.
Austin Abrams as Ethan Daley (season 2; recurring season 1), Kat's love interest.
Dominic Fike as Elliot (season 2–present), a new "friend" of Rue's she meets on New Year’s, who begins to come between her and Jules’ romantic relationship.
Episodes
Season 1 (2019)
Specials (2020–21)
Season 2 (2022)
Production
Conception
In 2006, Sam Levinson began drafting different versions of what eventually became Euphoria, based on his experience with drugs as a teenager. He was invited to a meeting with HBO about an adaptation of the 2012 Israeli television series Euphoria created by Ron Leshem, Daphna Levin, and Tamira Yardeni. In 2019, Levinson said HBO's head of drama, Francesca Orsi, liked the "raw and honest" portrayal of drug use and other teenage problems in the Israeli series. In a press release, Orsi described the series as "Kids meets Trainspotting" with no parental supervision.
The concept for Euphoria was based on Levinson's personal experiences as a teenager and his struggles with anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. In a meeting with Orsi, he recalled: "We just had a conversation about just life and her life and my life and various struggles that, you know, we've been through and things and she said, 'Great, you know, well go and write that' and I said 'What?' and she goes 'Everything we just talked about'". Levinson has also cited teenage anxiety as a whole as an influence for the series: "There is this consistent anxiety that I think exists in this generation that I think informed the whole filmmaking process."
In June 2017, it was reported that the series was in development at HBO.
Production team
Euphoria is a co-production of The Reasonable Bunch, A24, Little Lamb, DreamCrew, and HBO Entertainment. It has 16 executive producers, including Levinson, Leshem, Levin, Yardeni, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, Mirit Toovi, Yoram Mokadi, Gary Lennon, Zendaya, Canadian rapper Drake, Future the Prince, Ravi Nandan, and Kevin Turen. The pilot episode, "Pilot", was directed by Augustine Frizzell.
Levinson has served as Euphorias showrunner since its premiere, and has written every episode. He has directed every episode except the Pilot and the season one episodes "03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Next Episode", which were directed by Jennifer Morrison and Pippa Bianco.
The production was given a pilot order on March 13, 2018, and on July 30, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order. The series was renewed for a second season on July 11, 2019.
Out of respect for the actors and extras involved, filming of nudity was conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, an intimacy coordinator was used.
Production for season two was scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2020, with the first table read on March 11, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the production. Production resumed in March 2021, with filming from April to November. HBO defended the series against allegations of a toxic work environment during the production of the second season, writing: "The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority. The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It's not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer. We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised."
Before the series' second season, HBO ordered two specials. The first, "Trouble Don't Last Always", premiered on December 6, 2020, and follows Rue as she deals with the aftermath of leaving Jules at the train station and relapsing. The second, "Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob", premiered on January 24, 2021, and follows Jules's side of the story. The second episode was co-written and executive produced by Levinson and Hunter Schafer. HBO announced that the special episodes would air two days early on HBO Max.
On February 4, 2022, HBO renewed the series for a third season. In September 2022, HBO's CEO Casey Bloys said the series could go beyond four seasons, and would not end after season three. Production of season three was set to start in February 2023, aiming for a late 2023 release, but according to a Vogue interview with Apatow, filming was set to start in the second half of 2023. On a podcast, series costume designer Heidi Bivens said that preparations would begin in May 2023, with filming starting in June 2023. The third season production is disrupted by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, with Jeremy O. Harris calling out to David Zaslav, saying, "He's not a scab. David Zaslav, make a deal. That's what I'll say about Season 3 of 'Euphoria.' Make a deal, David. It's easy. Just come to that table." In May 2023, HBO confirmed the season would premiere by 2025.
Casting
In June 2018, it was announced that the pilot would star Zendaya, Storm Reid, Maude Apatow, Astro, Eric Dane, Angus Cloud, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney. In October, Algee Smith was cast to replace Astro as McKay, and that Austin Abrams had also been cast. Astro reportedly quit the series after shooting the pilot as he was uncomfortable with the sexual content involving his character.
In April 2020, Kelvin Harrison Jr. joined the cast, but by May 2021, he had dropped out due to scheduling conflicts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In August, Dominic Fike, Minka Kelly, and Demetrius 'Lil Meech' Flenory Jr. were added to the cast. On August 24, 2022, Ferreira announced via Instagram story that she had decided to leave the series. On April 5, 2023, she said: "I just felt like, maybe it's like I overstayed my welcome a little bit. So for me, I actually felt good to be like, 'Okay, I get to not worry about this, and we both don't get too worried about this', because it's exhausting."
Filming
Primary photography takes place in Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Ulysses S. Grant High School in Los Angeles stands in for the fictional East Highland High School. The exterior of the Bennett family house that appears in the pilot of season 1 is located at 5611 Shenandoah Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90056, USA. According to the California Film Commission, the first season of Euphoria received $8,378,000 in incentive tax credits. The first season was filmed over a combined total of 104 days; the second season's production costs totaled $96,685,000 after a total of 176 filming days. Subsequently, the second season received a $19,406,000 tax credit for employing over 15,000 people in California. Zendaya received $500,000 per episode in the first two seasons and will receive $1,000,000 per episode in the third season.
For season three, Rue's sobriety journey, Zendaya opened up about exploring characters outside high school, with the filming locations of Dublin, London, New York City, Rome, Singapore, and Warner Bros. Studios lots in Burbank and Leavesden, and a time jump to 2024.
Visual style
Euphoria employs hyper-stylized cinematography, set design, costume design, and editing, which presents an "emotional realism" that captures the inner perspectives of the series' adolescent characters. The first season was shot digitally using the Arri Alexa 65 camera. The two special episodes and second season were shot on Kodak 35mm film stock, primarily Ektachrome, which cinematographer Marcell Rév attributed to a desire to invoke "some sort of memory of high school."
Use of color and lighting
The series often utilizes saturated colors, notably of purple and blue, to communicate the emotional state of its characters. Shades of green and yellow regularly symbolize distress, while purple and blue convey an elated, feverish atmosphere. In shooting both day and night exteriors, cinematographer Marcell Rév relied on an exaggerated orange-blue color scheme, translated in the use of backlights and tungsten lights, to create visuals that feel "almost dreamlike". LED lights and SkyPanels were used in several interior shoots to display bright and vivid colors of purple and blue. The second season of the Euphoria was shot on film, specifically in Kodak's Ektachrome and Vision3 500T, which distorted how set lighting looked on-camera and invoked "some sort of memory of high school".
Camera movement
"For camera movements, we really wanted it to have a certain energy that ties the different storylines together. So, I would say the camera movement is the glue in the show, that glues it together" said Rév on using an energized design element that stands out. Extensive whip pans and tracking shots were employed to portray intimacy, growth, and interrelationship. In the fourth episode of first season "Shook Ones Pt. II", a 2 minute tracking shot, achieved through the use of a dolly, a technocrane, and four camera stitches, was "to introduce a space where all [the] characters were present, and somehow connect them in one shot".
Costume design
The costume design of Euphoria is arguably the series most notable and influential hallmarks. The characters of the series are regularly shown in chic, flamboyant outfits that serve as "plot devices and psychological profiles" to represent their personalities and character arcs. For example, in the first season, costume designer Heidi Bivens dressed Jules, a transgender woman, in a wardrobe consisting of bright pastels and tennis skirts, inspired by the character's interest in anime and fantasy, to embody "the youthful optimism that comes with a fresh start" and her journey to "conquer" femininity, but as the character explores her gender identity and becomes more disillusioned between the first and second seasons, she "slips into a slightly muted, darker and more androgynous" wardrobe.
Analysis
The visual aesthetics of Euphoria has been compared to the German expressionism movement of the early 20th century.
Music
Euphorias score was composed by English singer, songwriter, and record producer Labrinth. The song "All for Us", performed by Labrinth and Zendaya, is hinted at throughout season 1 before being performed as a large musical number at the end of the season finale. Labrinth makes an appearance in the series alongside Zendaya to perform their song "I'm Tired".
The series also makes extensive use of popular music, including hip hop, trap, R&B, experimental, indie rock, standards and doo-wop, with some episodes featuring over 20 songs. For their work on Euphorias first season, music supervisors Jen Malone (who also supervises the FX series Atlanta) and Adam Leber won the 2020 Guild of Music Supervisors Award for Best Music Supervision in a Television Drama.
Scores
The score album for the first season was released by Sony Masterworks through Milan Records on October 4, 2019, for digital download. The album was also released on vinyl on January 10, 2020. The score has been described as "the holy lilt of gospel, orchestral and electronic" and was favorably reviewed by Variety.
The score album for the second season was released by Columbia Records on April 22, 2022, in digital and physical formats. Like the previous one, it was composed and produced by Labrinth.
Soundtracks
Season 1 soundtrack
A soundtrack album featuring a selection of songs from the first season and specials was released by Interscope Records digitally on May 14, 2021, with vinyl copies released on September 3, 2021.
Season 2 soundtrack
The soundtrack to season 2 was released digitally by Interscope Records on March 4, 2022, with CDs releasing on May 13, 2022, and vinyl on July 29, 2022. The album's release was preceded by seven singles, "Watercolor Eyes" by Lana Del Rey, "How Long" by Tove Lo, "(Pick Me Up) Euphoria" by James Blake featuring Labrinth, "Sad4Whattt" by EricDoa, "Yeh I Fuckin' Did it" by Labrinth, "I'm Tired" by Labrinth and Zendaya, and "Elliot's Song" by Dominic Fike and Zendaya.
In an interview with IndieWire, Labrinth stated of the soundtrack's religious undertones: "We spoke about using organs because of a lot of the religious influences in the show, especially with Rue. We wanted a lot of the sounds edging towards a religious sound. And because I love both Pentecostal and Catholic sounds, I kind of was like trying to merge them both together."
Episode titles
Many of the episode titles for season one are references to late-1990s and early-2000s song titles that correlate to the episode itself. For instance, "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" is a reference to the 2002 Jay-Z and Beyoncé song of the same name. The loyal relationship between Nate Jacobs and Maddy Perez in the episode mirrors that between Jay-Z and Beyoncé in the song. For season two, many of the episode titles are references to books and quotes.
Release
The series premiered on June 16, 2019, on HBO. In Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, it premiered on June 17, 2019, through HBO Asia. In Australia, it premiered on June 17, 2019, through Foxtel. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, it premiered on August 6, 2019, through Sky Atlantic. The specials were released on December 6, 2020 (as Part 1: Rue) and January 24, 2021 (as Part 2: Jules). The second season premiered on January 9, 2022.
Like many HBO series, Euphoria is extensively pirated in the United Kingdom.
Home media
The first and second seasons (including the two special episodes) were released on DVD on November 1, 2022, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Reception
Critical response
Season 1
Euphorias first season was met with a positive response from critics, with much of its praise going to its acting (specifically Zendaya, Sweeney, and King’s performances), storyline, visuals, and approach to mature subject matter. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 80%, with an average rating of 7.4/10 based on 100 critical reviews. The site's critical consensus summary states, "a uniquely challenging and illuminating series, held together by a powerfully understated performance from Zendaya" The review aggregator website Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Ben Travers of IndieWire praised the show's authenticity, how HBO "grounds itself in stark reality", and Zendaya's performance and narration. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter noted Zendaya's performance and the handling of the subject matter. Pilot Viruet of Observer called the show "visually stunning" and praised the ensemble's performance, but criticized the writing as "shaky, filled with clunky lines", and recommended that the show "keep its focus narrow". Jamila Stewart of Vogue stated that Euphoria still has a palpable impact on where fashion trends fall today.
Specials
The first of the series' two special episodes, "Trouble Don't Last Always", received widespread critical acclaim for its writing, performances, and shift in tone and content from the first season. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has a score of 97%, with an average rating of 8.44/10 based on 23 critical reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Euphoria slows down the tempo without losing the beat in a special episode that pairs a raw Zendaya with a steady Colman Domingo to create small screen magic." On Metacritic, the episode has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
The second of the two special episodes, "Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob", also received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Schafer's performance and writing, as well as the episode's distinctive directorial approach, emotional resonance, and exploration of trans identity. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 96%, with an average rating of 7.9/10 based on 22 critical reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "By centering on Jules' journey, Fuck Anyone Who's Not a Sea Blob adds welcome depth to her character and gives Hunter Schafer plenty of room to shine." On Metacritic, the episode has an average weighted score of 78 out of 100, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Season 2
The series' second season received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the performances (particularly Zendaya and Sweeney) and visuals but criticizing the season's pace and characterization. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season received a "Certified Fresh" score of 80%, with an average rating of 7.05/10 based on 110 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "As willfully provocative as ever in its second season, Euphoria still isn't for all tastes—but when its addictive ingredients are mixed just right, the results remain intoxicating." Metacritic assigned the season a score of 74 out of 100 based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". IndieWire's Ben Travers criticized the sexual content but appreciated Zendaya's performance, writing, "After seven of the eight episodes, Season 2 is exactly what a drama seeking to spark conversation fears most: It's skippable." Rebecca Nicholson for The Guardian gave the second season two out of five stars, writing, "this long-awaited second season has decided to lean into its crueller instincts." USA Today's Patrick Ryan praised the performances of Zendaya, Schafer, and Fike, but wrote that "the new episodes are much less captivating when they shift their focus away from Rue and Jules."
Ratings
The series' premiere averaged 577,000 viewers in its time slot, a number that increased to one million after the same-night linear replay and preliminary viewing on HBO Go/Now. The hashtag #EuphoriaHBO trended number one in the U.S. and number three worldwide on Twitter after the premiere. The first season was the most watched of HBO's series in the 18–49 demographic with episodes averaging 6.6 million viewers. Season 2 premiere drew 2.4 million viewers across all HBO platforms, a series high. It also marked the strongest digital premiere night performance for any episode of an HBO series since HBO Max's launch, until it was dethroned by House of the Dragon. At the end of its second season, it became the second-most-watched HBO series since 2004 (behind Game of Thrones), with episodes averaging 16.3 million viewers until it was surpassed by House of the Dragon. According to Variety, Euphoria became the most tweeted television series of the decade in the U.S., with more than 30 million tweets related to the series during the second season, 51% more than during Season 1.
Season 1
Specials
Season 2
Accolades
Concerns over mature content
Some commentators and organizations have criticized the series' explicit content, including self-harm, excessive drug use, and sexual material, content present in other HBO series, including Big Little Lies, Game of Thrones, Girls, Luck, and Westworld. The conservative media advocacy group Parents Television and Media Council called the series "dark, depraved, degenerate and nihilistic", and asked HBO and AT&T to end it. Common Sense Media, which provides information on media's suitability for children, also noted the strong adult themes and advised against teenage viewership. One scene involving more than 30 shots of penises was criticized by both critics and supporters, with Esquire calling it "pointlessly gratuitous". The Guardian wrote that writers and producers should find new and different ways to shock audiences. In 2022, Minka Kelly said she felt discomfort at the quantity of nude scenes in the series. Drug Abuse Resistance Education criticized the series' depiction of drug use, saying that it "chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use addiction ... and other destructive behaviors as common in today's world". Samuel Getachew wrote in a Culture piece for Vogue that the series' depictions of trauma aestheticize it in a way that his "generation is particularly vulnerable to".
Responses
Levinson acknowledged the controversies over the series' content, saying that some parents will be "totally fucking freaked out". Augustine Frizzell, who directed the pilot episode, said that the explicit content should help foster a conversation between parents and teenagers. Levinson also said that he hopes the series "opens up a dialogue" due to the "disconnect between parents and teenagers". Zendaya issued a warning both before the series and season 2 premiere about its "deeply emotional subject matter". HBO voiced objections to some sexually graphic scenes, but said it would not interfere with the series' "creative process". The series includes viewer discretion warnings and a website for mental health and other support group resources. The series has reportedly been censored for sexual or violent content in countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Notes
References
External links
Official screenplay for "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird"
2010s American high school television series
2010s American LGBT-related drama television series
2010s American teen drama television series
2019 American television series debuts
2020s American LGBT-related drama television series
2020s American teen drama television series
American television series based on Israeli television series
Bipolar disorder in fiction
Bisexuality-related television series
Coming-of-age television shows
English-language television shows
HBO original programming
Nudity in television
Obscenity controversies in television
Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series
Psychological drama television and other works
Serial drama television series
Television about mental health
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Transgender-related television shows
Works about addiction
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Youth culture in the United States