Why Have Fans Turned on HBO’s ‘Euphoria?’

HBO

In 2022 it will be well established that television doesn’t have to be good to hold our attention. ‘s “guilty pleasure” consuming reality TV and soap operas have proven that. Plus, with the experience of live tweeting and meme-sharing, it’s never been more fun to band together about abhorrent writing, spot errors in continuity, and roast nasty characters. Just look at the discourse surrounding HBO Max’s And just like… and the internet’s response to Che Diaz or the other sloppy reboot of the streaming platform Gossip Girl.

In a not so surprising turn of events, the already polarizing Euphoria has become the target of intense Twitter ridicule and memes midway through its second season. His leaving certain character arcs from creator Sam Levinson’s awkward dialogue to his bombastic social commentary, the teen drama has left its viewers confused and upset. Vulture film critic Alison Willmore best summed up viewers’ reactions to the new season, tweet“I don’t watch EUPHORIA, but I love EUPHORIA Twitter because it’s so hard to see who hates watching and who watches the show because they really like it.”

‘Euphoria’ keeps disappearing Barbie Ferreira’s Kat

Either seriously or in jest, I’ve seen many people compare the experience of watching Euphoria’s first season to the state of high, which arguably works for a show told in part through the lens of a drug addict. The startling visuals, harsh scoring, and frenetic camera work—alongside the show’s dark subject matter and exaggerated emotions—all felt like purposeful stylistic choices meant to provide an overwhelming sensory experience. But all the frills aside, the series introduced us to a very fascinating array of characters, portrayed by brilliant, up-and-coming actors who have become beloved celebrities in the short span of two years. Likewise, many fans don’t feel like they’re being rewarded for their investment in the show’s subjects this second time around, as Levinson has struggled to evenly present the ensemble.

Season 2 kicked off with two exciting developments: a shocking relationship between Cassie and Nate and a flirtation between fan-favorites Fezco and Lexi. Levinson was particularly interested in imagining the former, especially Cassie’s obsession with Nate and explicit sex scenes of the two of them. This affair outweighs other storylines, including the lead character Rue and her struggle with sobriety. It makes sense that Levinson would indulge in this particular subplot above the rest, given his tendency to build tension for terrible results. But fans have noted the lack of story and shorter screen time for other intriguing characters — mainly Kat, played by Barbie Ferreira, who appeared briefly in episodes to express dissatisfaction with her relationship with Ethan before fading into the background. (I’ve speculated that Levinson doesn’t know what to do with a healthy, healthy relationship, while the online rumor mill says that Levinson and Ferreira had a fight).

On the other hand, Lexi has gotten a bigger role this season, but Levinson still hasn’t given her much of an inner life, other than being a defender of Cassie. Plus, the long-awaited romance between her and Fez hasn’t come to fruition yet, though we still have a few more episodes to go. Most surprisingly, Zendaya’s Emmy-winning performance as Rue was quite annoying to watch, as she mostly shows up to dutifully remind us that she’s not sober or snorting an inordinate amount of drugs. In the first season, her drug use and ability to put herself in other dangerous situations was really frustrating, distressing and unnerving. But seeing her sink into the same strangely functional state episode after episode, with little else to do, lessens the fear of observing her addiction.

Season 2, especially the last two episodes, has also sparked a strange interest in its least empathetic character, Cal Jacobs. In an effort to give Nate’s menacing father some humanity, Levinson gave him an undeserved predation on other queer people by revealing that his oldest son’s birth was unplanned and derailed his budding romance with a male classmate. His backstory, while unfortunate, was not uniquely tragic or sufficient to explain his habit of filming sex partners without their consent. Still, he was allowed to leave the show in a triumphant manner, with some viewers oddly applauding his audacity to come out and openly hate his family.

It is reasonable to assume that some of the current disdain for Euphoria was born of leftover hatred for Levinson’s 2021 Netflix feature Malcolm & Marie and the reputation the filmmaker built for himself in the aftermath. The poorly received, dialogue-driven two-hander highlighted Levinson’s weaknesses as a screenwriter and misinformed ideas about film criticism, Hollywood and racing, then made him the target of ridicule on Movie Twitter. Hence, Euphoria fans have no qualms about pointing out the overwrought dialogue and poor directing this season, going so far as to label Levinson”the white Tyler Perry.”

Despite the current season’s disappointing fans, “Euphoria Sunday” and the Mondays that follow on Twitter, filled with memes, stills and reaction tweets, have become their own holiday. Since the pandemic has given us less and less to look forward to, it makes sense that consuming the show, regardless of quality, has at least made for a fun communal experience. In addition, people have also claimed that the series is easier to digest when viewed as a comedy or even a reality show rather than a ‘prestige’ drama.

From the look of the internet to love Euphoria is to hate it while loving the characters, but wanting to rewrite it while also being deeply invested in the storylines – an experience as chaotic as the show itself.

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