Teen dramas are the bane of my existence. Usually they are poorly written, over dramatic, and ideologically wrong. When I heard that HBO was developing their first teen drama, executive produced by Drake, I was ready for another terrible show I would refuse to view. However, my curiosity got the best of me due to the involvement of A24, one of the best independent media production companies. I stumbled upon a Euphoria, which turns out, is phenomenal. In fact, I will go as far as to say that it is currently the best show airing on television at this current moment.
Euphoria is loosely based on the teenage years of writer/director Sam Levinson. Now clean for over a decade, Levinson uses his experience as a drugged-up teenager to perfectly capture the aesthetic. As a recovering addict myself, the portrayal of Rue, the teenage addict personified by Zendaya is absolutely flawless. The occasional hope mixed with the pure desperation resonated with this writer. Only people who have been thru withdrawals understand curling in the fetal position while being sick on opiates, which the shows portrays.
Another thing that the show gets right are the timely aspects of things plaguing teens currently. Using a modern hip-hop and pop soundtrack helps sets the modernity of the situations. This is the first time I have seen fentanyl mentioned so heavily in a show, which is fitting as it is the top public health issues that adolescents face today. The show also features many LGBTQ characters as one of the main characters, Jules, is portrayed by trans actress Hunter Schafer. The show refuses to shy away from graphic, disturbing, and controversial imagery and is not for the faint of heart. Conversely, the show uses acerbic wit when dealing with topics such as underage sexting to absolute brilliance.
Euphoria is the antithesis of 13 Reasons Why. It graphically shows the common pitfalls of adolescence without glorifying or glamorizing any part of this collective, neon teenage psyche. It even ends each episode with resources to mental health and crisis help, which is incredibly groundbreaking for television. While not recommended for someone looking for a nice, sit down with the family type show, Euphoria remains enthralling, appalling, and entertaining. Thank God it was renewed for Season 2, because this is the show to beat for the foreseeable future.
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