Social media users dubbed the Sundays of Winter 2022 as #euphorianight. Jan 9-Feb 27, the second season of Euphoria premiered on HBO every Sunday. The 2019 Emmy Award winning hit continued with much anticipation after a brief delay in production due to covid. 

The Home Box Office network sensation stars popular actress Zendaya (widely known for her role in the recent Spiderman films) as Rue, a high school junior who has just gotten out of drug rehab with no intention of staying clean. After making a new friend, Jules the new girl at her school, she finds purpose in sobriety.

As Rue and her friends navigate the stressful years of high school they also are plagued by problems with drug addition, sexual identity, gender identity, parental abuse, domestic violence, drug related violence, the loss of loved ones, – and overall their struggles with their mental health.

The show has been widely acclaimed as well as considered controversial. Critics of the show say that it glorifies drug use among teens and portrays drug problems as a cool and effective escape mechanism.

Some could argue that it has pretty much the worst parental advisory rating on television. Euphoria is rated TV-MA (LSV) which stands for: suggested for mature audiences and that violence, nudity, strong sexual content, adult content, as well as adult language will be present. A disclaimer before every episode warns: The following episode contains violence, nudity and sexual content that may be disturbing to viewers.

Oakton student Ishana Patel says she enjoys the show but feels that the drug use is a bit excessive and overused as a plot device.

Others have said that it shows a relatable and more refreshing take on young women struggling with their mental health.

The main character Rue struggles with her mental health, but this is overshadowed by her struggle with drug addiction. Rue’s friends and family are the most important thing in her life.

And because of this she does her best to be sober. One could argue that this is inspiring and could convince kids to not do drugs as

well as to find mental health support. 

The most repeated quote on the show is Rue saying, “Every time I feel good, I think it’ll last forever. But it doesn’t.”

To quote Rue’s sponsor from rehab, Ali, “You may be functioning, but the longer you do drugs, the more you’re gonna lose,
‘til you don’t recognize who the fuck you are”.

Link to the season 2 trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hvEq9fGys8

Find Euphoria on HBO, HBO Max, and Hulu.