What I’m Watching: Euphoria

Euphoria: Season 1, Episode 7 “The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed” (B)

I didn’t realize we were so close to the end of the season, with just one episode left after this, and I’m glad that this show was renewed for a second season a few weeks back since it will have time to continue to grow after this expository first year. Aside from Zendaya and Eric Dane, Sydney Sweeney was the only known quantity for me going into this show, and her performance as Cassie has been revelatory. Explaining how her childhood was shaped by her father and mother and how she fell in love with every guy she dated, fully aware that there would be negative consequences to the things she let them film her doing, provided a clear pathway to where she is now, lost and unsure of what to do as her life has taken unexpected yet extremely predictable turns. After a less-than-helpful session with her friend group, which was more impactful for the rift that’s now brewing between Maddy and Kat, Cassie sharing the news of her pregnancy with Chris didn’t go particularly well, and his lackluster response indicates just how much less invested in the relationship he is than her. Rue was in bad shape, and I found the representation of her mental state, from her more serious misery to the humorous representation of her as a coffee-drinking detective, to be very effective. Fez telling Nate to back off Rue and Jules backfired completely, and now it looks as if Nate has once again deflected blame away from himself to throw someone far nobler under the bus. Jules’ trip back home felt dreamlike, though that dream turned into a nightmare when Nate showed up. I don’t expect we’ll get much closure in the finale, but I do feel that we’ve been substantially acclimated to this particular group to make me interested in following their journeys.