Sunday, December 6, 2020

What I’m Watching: Euphoria (Special Episode)

Euphoria: Season 1, Episode 9 “Trouble Don't Last Always” (A-)

In a time where the return of many shows has been delayed due to the difficulties of filming during a pandemic, it’s great to see a series come back with a limited offering because it’s certainly preferable to nothing. This is the first of two “special episodes” that will theoretically bridge the gap between the first and second season of this show, and I’m all for it. It’s also impressive that it mostly features two characters on screen together – surely a safer way of doing things with a highly contagious virus out there – and yet still felt normal and very worthwhile. That opening scene was full of legitimate passion and joy, the opposite of what Rue experienced once she acknowledged that it wasn’t real. This is the first time we’re seeing Rue since Zendaya pulled off an upset win to take home an Emmy for her performance, and she’s just as good as ever. I’d also like to commend the tremendous contributions of Colman Domingo, an excellent actor who was memorable in a different way in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” streaming soon on Netflix. After first calling her out on needing to focus on her sobriety, he was actually very gentle in reassuring her that she wasn’t as bad a person as she thought for having threatened her mother and other terrible things she wasn’t willing to forgive herself for doing. Sharing his own stories of relapse and providing an example for her were very motivational, and I’m glad to see this show offer up a firmly resounding and powerful episode just as fascinating as everything that’s been shown so far but in a more even and fully well-executed way. I’m eagerly awaiting the next special episode and all of season two.

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