Much like the first, Season 2 of Euphoria is proving to be just as jarring and explosive as its predecessor. With the heavy subject matter featured in the show, what more could you expect? The storyline is packed full of sex, drugs and violence. Almost 2 years after Season 1 aired, viewers finally got to see what happened after the fateful night where Jules (Hunter Schafer) left Rue (Zendaya) at the train station.  Here’s a recap of Euphoria’s first two episodes. Spoilers ahead.

Episode 1:

The first episode starts off with the classic character recap, this time focused on how Fezco the drug dealer, played by Angus Cloud, came to be. I personally enjoyed this scene and having the chance to know more about Fezco, though I could have done without the shooting murder of an elderly man. The episode then follows the characters at a booze-filled New Year’s Eve party. As for the other characters, Rue, who has relapsed, and Jules finally reconnect after that fateful night on the tracks. Something tells me this reconciliation may not last long, due to Rue’s newfound friendship with fellow addict Elliot, played by Dominic Fike. My favorite part of the episode was when Cassie (Sydney Sweeny) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) become something of an item. I’m not a fan of Nate’s, but with the chemistry between him and Cassie, I can’t help but hope they become a couple. But Nate’s ex and Cassie’s bestie Maddy (Alexa Demie) will surely threaten the possibility of this growing beyond a hookup. However interesting this episode was, nothing compares to the scene at the end when Fezco brutally bashes Nate’s head in with a liquor bottle and his fists. The viewers are left with an unsettling feeling after the screen cuts to black as his seemingly lifeless body is carried out to the car. Overall, I would rate this episode 4/5. The scenes were full of details that would take hours to explain, and most of the characters were given some screen time, so viewers could catch up with the storylines. At the same time, I felt that with all the information given, more than an hour needed to be allotted to fully catch everyone up.

Episode 2:

Instead of a character recap, we are given a look at a fantasy of how Nate and Cassie’s relationship could play out. This sex-filled dream ends with a fast-paced montage of both real and fake scenarios. One thing I found interesting during this montage was the simultaneity of Cassie giving birth and Nate convulsing in the E.R., almost signifying something about the pain of childbirth and this second chance Nate is given after almost being beaten to death. Meanwhile, Rue’s relapse and new friendship with Elliot begin to eat away at her relationship with Jules. We see Rue keeping secrets and telling lies, once again self-sabotaging. One thing I appreciate about this series is that while the content matter is extremely heavy, the writers don’t glamorize drugs, violence and abuse. Back in Cassie’s world, Nate is sending mixed messages and at one point tries to break their fling off because of how complicated it could get due to Maddy. But as Cassie runs away from Nate, he goes after her and when he finds her, it’s like a switch has flipped inside him. He realizes he can’t let go of Cassie, completely enamored by her. In my opinion, the best part of this episode is when Nate’s dad Cal (Eric Dane), confronts Nate about a sex tape missing from his desk drawer. Nate then lets Cal know that he knows everything about his dirty sex-capades with men and underage women, and that he could easily turn his father in. Then, Cal once again nervously asks where the tape is. I would rate this episode 5/5. I loved the portrayal of these two love triangles, and I was really excited to see Nate stand up to his dad and threaten him with everything he knows. As I stated before, Nate is not my favorite person, but I dislike Cal Jacobs even more.

Episode 3:

The character recap of this episode focuses on Cal Jacobs, and while it was probably meant to show a different side of him and summon a bit of sympathy, I still have zero for that man. Elliot is no good for Rue, as she’s back to her old drug ways. There’s a scene where she describes how to get away with doing drugs and I felt like this scene was really eye-opening. It shows how a drug addict’s mind might work and how they really will do anything to hide and maintain their habit, which leads Rue so far as to start a new business opportunity: selling drugs. One thing I love about this episode is how we’re given a really deep look at Cassie’s current state, trying anything to get Nate’s attention. It’s a perfect representation of how girls and women act when they like someone and are trying to show that person they are worth it. Unfortunately for her, while he does take notice and continues hooking up with her, that doesn’t stop him from keeping secrets that will break Cassie in the end. Watching Nate text Cassie that he can’t meet up as he takes flowers to Maddy made me really mad. I mean, I was almost starting to want good things for Nate and he goes and does something like that! My rating for this episode is 3/5. It’s a good episode, with lots of information to take in, but the ending really ruined it for me.

I’d say Euphoria has had a pretty good start to season two. My overall rating for all three episodes comes to 4/5 stars. I’m really interested to see how the love triangle between Cassie, Nate, and Maddy plays out, as well as Rue’s newfound venture in the business world.