“Euphoria” is the emotional rollercoaster that keeps on giving. Just when you think this show can’t get crazier, it does, usually in ways you don’t even see coming. These two episodes were a lot to take in, so get ready. 

EPISODE 4:

The two love triangles are quickly crashing down. Elliot (Dominic Fike) and Jules (Hunter Schafer) are hanging out, and end up kissing. Throughout the episode we see the two of them kissing when Rue (Zendaya) isn’t in the room. I begin to dislike Jules more as each episode airs. First, she was jealous of Elliot, now she’s hooking up with him behind Rue’s back? Towards the end of the episode Rue tells Jules that she can’t stand her, and I can see why. Jules pretends to be innocent, but in reality, she has her own demons. Now, I don’t support Rue hiding her relapse, but to me, cheating on your girlfriend is a lot worse than hiding pills. Something that made me really mad was that Elliot, who has aided Rue in her drug usage, spills it all to Jules. Like I said, this trio is more than messed up.

Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) becomes furious when she finds out that Nate (Jacob Elordi) has been talking to Maddy (Alexa Demie), and rightfully so. I know there’s a lot of people who don’t like Cassie for being with Nate… but in all fairness to her, he was single, and Maddy does nothing but talk trash about him. Maddy’s psychotic tendencies are obviously why Cassie isn’t saying anything. Nate, the master manipulator, quickly turns on Cassie, yelling horrible things and trying to place all the blame on her. Nate is doing everything he can to ruin their relationship and tear Cassie down. I’ve been there, and it’s not fun, so my heart broke for her. Say what you will about Cassie, but the girl obviously loves Nate, no matter the consequences. Watching the couple narrowly avoid being busted at Maddy’s birthday party was anxiety-provoking to say the least. 

 Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane) is absolutely wild as he drives drunk and gets kicked out of his favorite bar. The last scene of the episode shows Cal peeing on the floor, flashing his family, and admitting to sleeping with men. I have to say, his monologue was one of the funniest yet most twisted moments of this show. The worst part of this scene occurs when Cal tells Nate that he is his biggest regret. It definitely helps the audience understand how Nate developed toxic tendencies. Growing up in a home like that, the odds were stacked against him from the beginning. The last we see of Cal is when he leaves the house clutching a family portrait.  The episode then cuts to a shot of Cal’s construction site, and I’m almost positive that his days on the show are numbered. My overall episode rating is 4/5. This one was pretty heavy and there was a lot to process but also plenty of entertainment value.

EPISODE 5:

This episode was chaotic from the start. Writing a review that isn’t 3 pages long is proving to be challenging, but here I go. The episode seemed to be purely dedicated to Rue and while I found this interesting, my mind wandered to what has happened to the other characters since last week’s episode. Rue has relapsed, and now everyone knows, thanks to her now ex-girlfriend Jules and fellow addict Elliot. I think everyone was super frustrated with Elliot for ratting on her, because he isn’t any better. Zendaya portrays this character so well, watching her raid her house searching for drugs, yelling at her family and breaking down doors felt so real. I was fully convinced that she wasn’t just playing a drug addict but was one. But Rue isn’t done causing scenes yet.

Rue eventually agrees to go to the E.R. but realizes she’s being taken to rehab, jumps out of the moving car and runs into traffic. The remainder of the episode follows Rue as she searches for her next fix… which lands her at Cassie’s house. She makes a big mistake going there, as all of the girls are present and call Rue’s mom. They all try to encourage Rue to stay clean but as Cassie tries to tell Rue to take it one day at a time, Rue sees an opportunity to let things hit the fan. My jaw dropped when Rue ratted on Nate and Cassie… in front of Maddy, who loses her mind, causing chaos and leading to Rue’s escape. I was disappointed that we didn’t get to witness the aftermath of Rue dropping this bomb on her friends. Hopefully next week we will see more.

 By the end of the episode, Rue breaks into someone’s house, evades police in an intense chase and ends up at drug dealer Laurie’s (Martha Kelly’s) house and receives her first intravenous dose of morphine. The last 10 minutes of the episode were eerie as we watch Rue try to escape from what many on social media are assuming was an attempt at human trafficking. My overall rating for this episode is 3/5. 

SUMMARY:

I have one word to describe these two episodes: heavy. Each was full of information, emotionally draining moments, and anxiety-ridden cliffhangers. My favorite part of both of these episodes is the new music introduced. Labyrinth is a genius and the score for the show is spot on. For episode 4, “How Long” by Tove Lo was released as part of the official Euphoria soundtrack. Not only do I love this song and have listened to it on repeat but also feel like it perfectly encapsulates Cassie’s emotions as she struggles with being in love with her best friend’s ex. If you haven’t yet, go listen to it. After watching the teaser for next week’s episode, I’m hopeful to get a lot more of my questions answered. I really would like to know where Cal Jacobs is… mainly if he’s alive. Tune into HBO Max on Sunday at 9PM Central to see what the next episode holds.