What I’m Watching: Euphoria

Euphoria: Season 2, Episode 4 “You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can” (B+)

It is true that this season has a LOT of penises, but I don’t think this show needs to be reduced to that, and it’s much more worthwhile to consider what’s happening in those scenes aside from just that extended sight of an appendage. This episode started with those reenacted love scenes with Rue and Jules but then ended with Rue being very high and imagining being with her father while Elliott finally told Jules that Rue wasn’t sober. After Rue wasn’t really responding to what Jules was doing to her because she was so high, Elliott stepped in to reciprocate, and they wasted little time in acting on their feelings. If the three of them were actually into each other and wanted to find a way to turn that into a relationship, that would be fine, but Jules was evidently and understandably so upset by what Elliott told her that she’s regressing back to dangerous behavior. I’m not sure the way that something said something has ever been quite so triggering as it was for Maddy in the hot tub, prompting her to list for Nate all the things he had done for her that made Cassie throw up all over everyone. Cassie was certainly not doing well, and seeing how Lexi remembered Cassie treating her while she was holding auditions for her play suggests that she won’t be the one to take care of her clearly spiraling sister. While the teenagers did plenty of note in this episode, I think it does belong to Eric Dane, whose Cal got thrown out of a gay bar for trying to drunk wrestle everyone and then returned home to pee on his floor and share some harsh truths with his family. Commenting on Aaron’s porn and telling Nate he was his biggest regret were particularly intense moments, and I’ll be very curious to see how he acts in the morning and whether he does make legitimate changes in his life based on how he has finally expressed that he feels.