You Have HBO GO, Use it to Watch 'Euphoria'

Zendaya and Jacob Elordi Shine in the Controversial Drama

Every student on campus at Marist has access to HBO GO. Like many, I had no idea of this service until last semester. To gain access to HBO GO, simply choose Marist College as your cable provider and you will instantly have access to television classics such as The Sopranos, The Wire, Eastbound & Down, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

One of the most viral and prevalent HBO series in recent years is Euphoria, whose meteoric rise peaked this summer. Thanks to big names like Zendaya, who stars in the drama, and Drake, who features as an executive producer, the show was always bound for mainstream success. 

The series follows a group of high schoolers as they deal with a slew of controversial issues such as sexuality, drugs, addiction and teen pregnancy. The show can be very heavy and overly dramatic at times, but it plays on your emotions excellently and always leaves you asking for more, making it dangerously easy to binge-watch. 

The biggest downfall of Euphoria is its lack of relatability. My high school experience was nothing like the one shown on screen in Euphoria. The fact that the characters are in fact students is completely forgotten. It seems as if the characters have no real responsibilities whatsoever and are allowed to run wild by their parents. 

However, if you put the relatability aside, Euphoria makes for an extremely captivating and entertaining show. The amount of plot lines that feature in Euphoria is incredible. Creator Sam Levinson did a great job of bringing them all together and not making it confusing or overwhelming for the audience. Every episode is remarkably rich with substance and full of moments that will alter the entire trajectory of the overarching plot.

One of the most captivating of these plot lines is that of Rue, played by Zendaya. Rue is a high schooler who became addicted to a myriad of drugs including cocaine and opiods. She is sent to rehab for the summer after an overdose that rocked her family. We join the show as she returns from rehab and heartbreakingly starts using again almost instantly.  The first season follows her struggle with addiction and her budding relationship with Jules, a transgender girl who recently moved to town and has many troubles of her own.

The best performance in Euphoria comes from Jacob Elordi, who plays Nate Jacobs, the stereotypical high school quarterback who is the main antagonist in the story. However, there is nothing stereotypical about Elordi’s performance. His character is a truly vile person and he does a tremendous job of bringing that out on the screen. No matter where he goes in his career, I will always remember him as Nate Jacobs and unfairly despise him for it. 

Finally, I think the cinematography in Euphoria is crucial in what makes it so riveting. For example, there is a scene in the first episode where Rue gets high on cocaine and the entire room actually starts spinning. She stumbles but continues to walk as the room rotates around her. It is a true work of art and seeing it for the first time was jaw-dropping.

HBO has already renewed Euphoria for another season and I would be lying if I said I was not excited. There are so many directions Levinson can go in season two. He has created a deep and fascinating world with Euphoria where the possibilities are endless for the next season and even past that.