Euphoria’s second season ends with both renewed promise and frustration
The finale, “All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned For A Thing I Cannot Name,” maintains the narrative imbalance we've seen throughout season two.
TV Reviews Euphoria
Euphoria’s second season has been a mixed bag of heavy-handed aesthetics and odd narrative structure, but also brilliant deceptions of grief and addiction, all of which is still present at the conclusion of the season. “All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned For A Thing I Cannot Name” picks up the storyline from last week, centering around Lexi’s play and the fallout from all the disclosures about everyone’s private lives.
Back at the school play, Cassie is still reeling from embarrassment and her breakup with Nate, so she interrupts the performance and berates Lexi. Lexi begins to cry. Maddy follows after Cassie and starts to fight her as Kat trails behind. What’s great about this scene is that it weaves levity into the overwrought high school plots.
Nate finds Cal in an abandoned hideout with queer people he has met since abandoning his family, and he gives a monologue about their less-than-desirable similarities and the trauma his father caused him. Cal is then arrested after the police are tipped off by Nate. Cal got the ending that he deserved, and I appreciate Nate being able to voice his harmful qualities. Despite the good deed, Nate is hardly deserving of any redeeming arc the show may be setting up; he still needs to be held accountable. The fact that Nate suffered trauma doesn’t negate the harm he’s perpetrated on others, continuing the cycle from his own life.
We first see Fezco trying to make his way to the play, but that goal is cut short after Ashtray kills Custer because he’s a police informant. Fezco pleads with Ash to let him take the fall for Custer’s murder and surrender to the police. Instead, Ash engages in a shootout with the police and is killed. This move felt jarringly out of character. Ashtray can be impulsive, yes, but he is also smart—street smart in particular. He would have understood the consequences of this action. Ashtray has been shown to be sly and sharp, traits that should not have been ignored to service the plot.
Cassie tells Maddy that Nate broke up with her before she made a scene at the play and Maddy warns her that this is the beginning. On one hand, I enjoyed seeing Cassie being held accountable for the damage she has caused; it’s what she deserved. On the other hand, there was still no exploration of Cassie’s actions. Cassie’s actions do not exist in a bubble. She got an abortion last season which, along with a host of other factors, left her deeply traumatized. She didn’t just wake up one day behaving like this. Cassie cannot just be a villain with no exploration of how she got here. This was one of several missed opportunities in the finale.
Lexi is able to finish her play after Rue leads the crowd in a chant. The play ends with Rue’s speech at her father’s wake and a heartfelt conversation between Rue and Lexi about life and loss; Rue later thanks Lexi for showing her a version of her life that she didn’t hate. This response reveals Lexi’s true intentions—Lexi saw her sister and friends spiraling out of control, so she gave them a wakeup call via her play. Lexi wasn’t just a bystander; she was also a punching bag, sounding board, and keeper of secrets. Rue’s reaction proves this. This exchange between Rue and Lexi was the most satisfying moment of the night.
As she navigates sobriety, it is nice to see Rue in another light. We now grasp what Leslie, Gia, and Lexi once knew. Rue is deeply kind and empathetic without the influence of drugs. The strongest aspect of Euphoria always has been Rue. Through Rue, the show has explored the nuances of addiction as well as grief. Rue’s relationship to grief is one that mirrors my own in many ways. I lost my dad as a child and my mom as a teenager. The confusion and despair that weighs on you because you no longer have a parent as an adolescent is so heavy. It can feel like an elephant is on your chest for the rest of eternity and you don’t know what to do or how to function. Sometimes you need another person that truly understands you to help you see yourself from a different perspective. Each sequence that dealt with Rue’s grief—this one in particular—has done so in a truthful manner.
Rue visits Elliot and they have a heart-to-heart conversation. Rue thanks him for helping her get clean, in her own sarcastic way. Elliot serenades Rue. Elliot deserved a moment with Rue considering how she lashed out at him in episode five, though not at the expense of more screen time for Jules or anyone else that’s been in Rue’s corner long before he entered the picture. This just underscores Euphoria’s treatment of female characters and who is afforded nuance and grace. Such a shame.
After the play, Jules tells Rue that she loves her. Rue kisses her on the forehead before walking away and giving a closing voice-over about a hopeful future. While I appreciate that Rue chose herself and is taking the necessary steps to succeed in her quest for sobriety, I wish this could’ve been accomplished with a proper goodbye to the Rules relationship. Rue and Jules were never in a healthy romantic relationship but they did truly love each other. It is also disrespectful to Jules; she deserves forgiveness and understanding. Her mistakes are far from the worst compared to those of other characters. This dismissal of Jules plays into and gives validity to the hatred that she receives from the audience that is due to transphobia. The Rue and Jules relationship has played such a major role in the series, and it warranted more recognition and closure.
Euphoria is a world of beautifully shot and heightened versions of the teenage experience; this is even truer in the show’s second season. But the storylines that drew more directly from the series creator’s own experiences—addiction, grief, loneliness, and channeling pain into art—were always better served than those outside of that realm. Jules, Maddy, Kat, and Cassie ultimately got the short shrift. Euphoria is a show that continues to flash signs of real promise and profound insight. I will continue to tune in because I care for these characters and Zendaya’s phenomenal performance. I have hope for future seasons—I just want to see the show’s potential constantly realized and not messily squandered.
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“the storylines that drew more directly from the series creator’s own experiences—addiction, grief, loneliness, and channeling pain into art—were always better served than those outside of that realm”well said, and although I found some of Rue’s storyline around substance disorder often a little cliched in its approach, her loneliness and pain always felt real (wish they broke her and Jules up earlier though). But I also wish television would finally show how much joy there is in recovery spaces instead of trying to show how terrible it is. some of my best laughs are in groups.But that whole shootout was a total mess. And Cassie’s narrative fell short for such a great performance. Sometimes Levinson feels like the Jared Leto of writers.
Euphoria’s second season ends with both renewed promise and frustrationSounds like my sex life.
really nice season. Watched both of them and now hoping to see the 3rd season too.
This dismissal of Jules plays into and gives validity to the hatred that she receives from the audience that is due to transphobia. I don’t buy this. Jules left Rue standing on a train platform. This has nothing to do with how Jules identifies. Jules hurt – and very nearly broke – Rue.As someone who has struggled with addiction and alcoholism, I believe at times, you find you have to divest yourself of certain things to move forward. And sometimes these things aren’t so obvious to those outside your bubble. And as someone who follows this show a lot closer than I probably need to, I have not seen much, if any, trans-related “hatred” aimed at Jules’ character, nor Hunter Schafer.
They did have a plan (a stupid one but let’s set that aside) and Rue dropped out. I mean, you could look at it like she hurt Jules by not getting on that train, and I took it as Rue wanting to create chaos and be able to claim Jules hurt her more than she wanted to be with Jules. Maybe that read doesn’t hold up but the nebulousness speaks to how good the show can be at its best. This finale, though, that wasn’t its best.
I agree 100% with you. It doesn’t have to be clearly defined. It could have been that. It could have been that Rue, like a lot of kids/addicts/anyone, just didn’t know what to do. But if the author is saying Jules’ lack of screen time or Rue’s decision to end their relationship means Sam Levison is somehow anti-trans (or anti-trans-adjacent), it just doesn’t hold water.
I think Hunter Schafer is amazing at balancing that fine line between adult hood and teenage immaturity, but I feel Jules was severely underwritten this season and it’s this weird intersection between character/actor and the fetishization of trans people.
The argument of Hunter Schafer’s character being a fetishization undermines any agency she would have. All the polemics surrounding this show are so tiresome.
that’s such bullshit, actors, especially marginalized actors are not entitled to huge amounts of agency in Hollywood.
His move felt jarringly out of character. Ashtray can be impulsive, yes,
but he is also smart—street smart in particular. He would have
understood the consequences of this action. Ashtray has been shown to be
sly and sharp, traits that should not have been ignored to service the
plot.yup. it felt out of character. however sam levinson wrote ashtray as more violent and volatile this season on purpose and he rewrote the scene the day before to have ashtray be dumb and go out like that. i don’t know why fezco didn’t pull the grandma card and say ashtray needs to be around to take care of her but that would be too rational.Elliot serenades Rue.i think most of us fastforwarded this part.i was glad when cal left his family because yay he’s off the show but nope. i was glad when call got arrested because yay justice and yay he’s off the show but i’m sure we’re gonna get jail scenes next season.i wonder how far the time jump will be next season. the school year is over so maddy, cassie, kat, and nate should have graduated and be off to college. i’m guessing next season will take place the summer after graduation and before the new school year/fall semester which means it’ll take place pretty soon after the season 2 finale. wait or will rue be in rehab in the summer? i don’t know.thank you for faye and bobbi and suze. i hope nate dies. the end.
Personally I think all of Ashtray’s actions made sense in this
episode.We know from the beginning of this season that he can be violent
and kill when provoked – and that provocation centers around protecting
Fez and subsequently his life with Fez. Beyond violent behavior, he’s
always been hyper-protective – constantly watching the surveillance cameras.When he sees Custer as a threat to Fez, he does what he feels he
has to do to as a protective measure. Is it the most well thought-out decision?
Absolutely not. Is it possible that a young teenager would make a quick,
irrational decision under duress? Absolutely.In terms of the police shootout, I think Ash’s choice was
actually super calculated in his way of thinking. I think that it could be
easily overlooked however due to the lack of dialogue and narration here.
Custer was an informant. Custer is now lying dead on the couch – clearly
murdered. The police are about to come in and take Fez away for Mouse’s murder
and now there is a second body waiting for them when they arrive. Fez was
planning to take the fall for Ash, and when he did, Fez would “leave” Ash
forever. But Fez is the only life that Ash has ever known. To the best of our
knowledge, his entire life revolves around Fez and the business. We’ve never
seen him in any situation that didn’t involve Fez. He cannot lose Fez – and
what would his life even look like without him? We’ve never seen him in school,
having a social life with peers, etc. But Fez has some life outside of the
business. Most prominently this season, he has Lexi.The way I read the situation, Ash knew that going out the way he
did meant that a.) he would never have to live a life without Fez and b.) this
was his absolute best chance of protecting Fez. The cops literally watched him
murder one of their own. Faye knows what happened to Custer. We are a couple
years out now from finding out what happens to Fez, but maybe it’s possible
that he doesn’t do time or does minimal time while the blame all falls on Ash.Again, just my take on what happened.
Fez put his finger prints on the murder weapon.
Very true. And he had Custer’s blood on him. But I would doubt that he got rid of Ash’s fingerprints/DNA completely from one quick swipe. I forget if Ash had any of Custer’s blood on him as well.Honestly Fez’s fate totally comes down to whatever works for Sam Levinson’s aspirations for next season.
I agree 100%. Ashtray decided to die.
Why was Cal arrested? Maybe it’s due to me binging the show late at night that I missed the reason.
Someone turned in their homework late.
I have absolutely no control over when the recaps are posted.
I had no idea! Still though, whoever does control that gets an F. And owes you an apology. All that work to get posted days later after enthusiasm has waned has gotta be disappointing.
They may have been holding onto the recap for a few extra days knowing the strike was coming.
Made no sense that Ashtray wouldn’t have either taken the murder charge being underage or just not engaged in a shootout. Ruined an otherwise great episode.
You mean a little kid who has grown up around drug dealing and violence might not make the perfect calculated decision under pressure?
Jeez these reviews really remind me of a bad high school essay. 95% straight up plot recap. 5% analysis that is confidently incorrect most of the time (the audience hates Jules because of transphobia! Cassie is breaking down because she had an abortion!)Yikes
Cassie cannot just be a villain with no exploration of how she got here.did you… not watch this entire season? Cassie and Lexi’s backstory is given a fair amount of screen time; ie: when we learned about their father, whose struggle with addiction mirrors Rue’s. also, uh, the play that Lexi wrote is literally an exploration of how they all got there. (it’s called OUR LIFE, ffs.)It is also disrespectful to Jules; she deserves forgiveness and understanding. Her mistakes are far from the worst compared to those of other characters. This dismissal of Jules plays into and gives validity to the hatred that she receives from the audience that is due to transphobia.so, Cassie got what she “deserved” for her mistakes, but Jules cheating on Rue with Elliot deserves forgiveness? why is your logic here so inconsistent for these two characters? additionally, what transphobic hatred has Jules received on this show? Jules is treated with more dignity and respect than pretty much any trans character in TV history. Rue ending their relationship with a sweet, forgiving, sober forehead kiss is all the closure we need for now. lastly, what “audience” are you even referring to here; it’s clearly not the students sitting in the auditorium, as Jules’ character is not even featured in Lexi’s play. did you mean the viewing audience, as in, us? because, if so, where is this assumption that “everyone hates Jules” coming from? Hunter Schafer co-wrote one of the series’ best episodes (her special between-seasons episode) and has arguably become one of the show’s brightest stars, walking in international fashion shows (for Mugler, Miu Miu, Erdem, Helmut Lang, and Coach) and becoming a veritable star in her own right. projecting this nebulous transphobic hatred of her from some indeterminate “audience” seems like it’s stemming more from your own personal experiences than from any observable objective reality. Euphoria’s second season has been a mixed bag of heavy-handed aesthetics and odd narrative structure, but also brilliant deceptions of grief and addictionyeah, pretty sure you meant to say “depictions” here.
It’s honestly baffling to me how the author can extract so much meaning and nuance from Cassie’s storyline and in the same breath complain that the show doesn’t care to portray that meaning.
Thank you for this comment. I was too mentally exhausted to type these points myself.
It helps to realize Michael-Michelle is 23. He’s got a long way to go, but plenty of time.
hi, #1, pretty certain MM is a woman. #2, this isn’t a creative writing class in college, it’s a publication that used to publish some of the sharpest cultural criticism of pop culture on the internet. and now, thanks to union-busting capital vultures, this is what it’s come to; 23 year-olds who have no business writing for this site because all of the qualified writers were either unceremoniously fired or refused to cross the picket line.
I’m glad that the Breaking Bads/Mad Mens of the world went off the air before this site pivoted to seeing everything through “did the characters get what I think they deserved?” lens of criticism.
This tracks with what many people think about the writing:
https://www.papermag.com/euphoria-ashtray-death-2656826249.html?
on a side note the drugdealer storyline where Rue gets 10k of drugs to sell; lose it and gets pretty much away with it without any consequences is a bit hard to swallow. also it never gets mentionned to her family or Jules (who flushed it down the toilet and put her life at great risk doing so. well she’ll probably’d have ended up using it all but still)
Yeah, unless this is being set up for some Sopranos-style reappearance later when we have presumably forgotten about it, it is a huge plot hole.
I would’ve expected someone out of that flush it crew would have thought “there’s WAY more than personal consumption here…” and wondered if they were getting Rue killed a whole different way but it seems for at least the time being that there was no consequence to this at all.
I don’t see how she’s gotten away with anything. All this went down over a matter of weeks, from Rue getting the suitcase to the intervention to the night the play debuted. Laurie has only just been made aware that Rue can’t make good on the payment, and Rue scarcely escaped from her place the next morning.Laurie’s whole thing is that she’s coldly pragmatic and utterly ruthless, so I’d guess that she didn’t forget or forgive and there’s some fallout yet to be explored. Or some plot where Rue has to come up with the $8000 remainder in no time while trying to stay sober.
Hate to necro but I just finished bingeing the whole series, and I strongly agree. Laurie hasn’t let Rue off the hook. Ffs she “graciously” got her on the needle for the first time, while clearly implying that she intends on Rue turning tricks to make up the money. “When I first saw you, I knew you [Rue] would be in my life for a long time…” Thats pretty fucking ominous. Laurie and her clan are going to be major villians in season 3.
“She didn’t just wake up one day behaving like this. Cassie cannot just be a villain with no exploration of how she got here.”I think people are constantly forgetting that these characters are TEENAGERS. They sleep with people they shouldn’t. They make bad decisions. No one needs an origin story to figure out why a teenage girl would sleep with her best friend’s ex, it happens all of the time.
I think the issue is less that a teenage girl would sleep with her friend’s ex, and more than a teenage girl would sleep with that ex and offer to submit to his every whim and control forever. She is not well, and not in a “hormonal teens make bad choices” way
“This dismissal of Jules plays into and gives validity to the hatred that she receives from the audience that is due to transphobia.”I hope you stretched properly before that massive reach.
I agree that the kiss from Rue to Jules was not remotely satisfying. It was apparently just a way to depict her as making a healthy choice at the time to express that she loves & forgives Jules but can’t be with her due to her own shit, but the general reaction seems to think it was some sort of deserved “kiss-off” because of the Jules/Elliott thing, which makes no sense but a lot of folks do seem really hung up on Jules betraying Rue with Elliott (while considerably less so about Rue betraying Jules with Elliott). I don’t get it, but I should probably worry less about the general public reaction to the show — it’s just that nobody in my life actually watches it for me to discuss it with.At any rate, I’m hoping that the moment will have follow-up. I agree that Jules got wildly underserved this season, which was odd after the excellent special last winter (I think? I’ve lost the ability to track time). She’s a good kid, so I hope she gets to matter.
Levinson is giving me major Pizzolatto vibes with this second season. First season was great if a little heavy handed and then, I donno if it’s because once they make it big no one at HBO wants to offend with editing and critical feedback, but this, like TD, managed to both lack coherence and be trite at the same time. And just ring emotionally hollow (aside from some of the addiction pieces with Rue). The actors are all amazing and the only reason this totally didn’t crash and burn.I know that the whole drama with Barbie Ferreira probably shifted the flow, but if the person at the helm is so offended by an actress not wanting to do a worn out eating disorder story (because only larger women have those btw) that he chops the season to bits, that probably says something too.
Oh here’s the finale article. I hope you submitted this before the strike.