EUPHORIA S2 E2

‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Episode 2: Out of Touch

(SPOILERS)

Helloo loves!! 

AHHH so much to talk about and so much to review on! Again, just my thoughts/predictions I’d like to share for those who are just as obsessed with the show as I am! 

Euphoria does not fail to surprise us every episode, and they like to leave us guessing, which I think is simultaneously fun because it makes you try to guess what’s going on. Let’s jump into it with Nate and Cassie as the episode starts off that way. I was a little confused on Nate’s love life, he has this whole dream moment about Cassie and then some clips of Jules popped up in there. It’s clearly some sort of love triangle within itself. Maddy?? Jules?? Cassie?? I really think that he always has loved Maddy but she is such a strong headed person and has always been 100% real and blunt with Nate. She says the first thing that comes out of her mouth and we know she isn’t scared to stand up for herself ever since she called Nates mom a c*** in season one. He wants someone pure, angelic, someone he can control and I think that since Maddy knows him and his dads secret, she’ll always have something to hold over him and she’ll end up being the one in control. Which is why I think that after having this interaction with Cassie on New Year’s Eve, he actually felt something with her and realized he can be with Cassie to fill that void of his and Maddy was replaceable. If that makes any sense. Only problem is she’s Maddy’s best friend and Maddy has the tape so he has to try and keep Maddy close. I feel like he fell for Jules too while catfishing her but she will always be something he has to hide to protect his family and after blackmailing her he knows there’s no shot in that. I am not a fan of Nate and Cassie. Cassie made a mistake, not once drunk but another time sober. She wanted Nate to chase her and, in that moment, she chooses what relationship she wanted more, Nate and not Maddy. Just because she feels bad about It and it makes her spiral into a depression doesn’t mean she regrets not doing it. Feeling bad after doing something wrong doesn’t make it okay. She is also going to Nate for comfort the whole time she was sweating it. However, her backstory tells us why she is the way she is, she has been oversexualized her whole life because of how “mature” her body is which is why when someone gives her sexual attention, she thinks it’s real love and respect. If she was smart, she would stick to her word and focus on trying to heal that part of her, I feel like she also self-sabotages a lot of the time because she doesn’t feel worthy of love. I know she wants to not feel that way, she has these conversations with Maddy and others about becoming better and “joining abstinence” but she loves to be loved and in moments where she is feeling “love” she just doesn’t use her head. Almost as if, love, attention, and male validation is her addiction. Knowing how picky Nate is and how he worshipped Maddy, I’m sure she also just really enjoys the fact that he chooses her and continues to choose her over Maddy, she’s loving the competition. I am really hoping Maddy finds out, she needs to know and I have a weird theory on how it’s going to go down. But I am surprised that Maddy hasn’t caught on already, Cassie was not slick about holding his hand in the car on the way to the hospital or hiding her emotional worry for Nate. I’m sure Maddy just has a lot of trust in her that, it wouldn’t even cross her mind that they were getting together and that’s why I think it would be best for her to just find out. 

Theory:

Since Rue saw Cassie and Nate in the car together, (which I am hoping she wasn’t too high to forget that she saw that happen) I feel like she is either going to stay quiet about it because she just always minds her business or use it as a way to get Nate to back off of Jules! And since Nate is “in love” with Cassie, he’s going to do it because he doesn’t want to see her hurt and he probably feels guilty because he is the one that approached Cassie and he knew better than to get with one of Maddy’s friends. 

 M U S I C

This episode’s soundtrack definitely confirmed that the vibe they are going with is old school, vintage and more of a memory. They are trying to make it feel nostalgic and it is really working with all these 70s/80s/90s music they are bringing in. We did get a sneak peek on the new Labrinth song “Understand Me” that was exactly what that moment needed. I felt like I went back in time when Rue and Elliot were dancing to a 70s song “Right Down the Line” by Gerry Rafferty. The warm film, the song, wardrobe, 70s like aesthetic bedroom and let’s not forget drugs…took me to a more serious, “Gen Z” episode of “That’s 70s Show”. 

Moving on, Rue and Jules are BACK and are in a relationship. Are we happy about that? Ehh not sure. We have never really seen them be labeled as a relationship and that’s a step but like I said in the last review, I feel as if they are getting boring and a lot of their relationships makes me annoyed. If I am being 100% honest. Jules is over here acting like she wasn’t in love with 2 other people and leading on Rue all of last season. She def has some nerve to get jealous of Rue knowing Elliot when she was doing all that, but it is very obvious that Rue does have some feelings towards Elliot but my question is if she just likes his friendship/drugs or as something more…but after Elliot’s friends’ question, we know he does have more of a romantic feeling for her. Which leads me to believe that he is going to fall hard for Rue. It’s so obvious that this is going to become another triangle. Elliot is really going to put some pressure on their relationship and I’m not sure if Jules can handle it. I don’t think Rue is as into Jules as she was in season one. Rue would have never blown off Jules, not even for drugs and now she is to hang out with Elliot. In my opinion, both of Rue’s “love” interest aren’t good for her. Elliot and Rue really have a natural connection and vibe, but they are addicts. They will never get clean together. I am becoming nervous that if by any chance Rue does end up with him romantically or if they become really close friend something bad is going to happen. Jules on the other hand, plays with Rue too much, puts unnecessary stress on her and Rue needs to be by herself and want to get sober FOR herself and not just for Jules. While Elliot and Rue were talking about how loss is bigger than love, it made me think that there is going to be some type of loss that affects Rue and pushes her to get clean. In the end, I am rooting for Rue with sobriety.

Maddy, my girl Maddy. My heart hurts for this girl. I just feel like she really does have a big heart, despite her defensive attitude (which I think is just a wall she puts up). She was stuck in a toxic and abusive relationship with Nate and she unconditionally loved him, and still does. Even when she found those pictures on Nates phone, she showing that she would’ve supported him and loved him regardless of his sexuality. Everyone is expecting her to get mad and kill Cassie when she finds out about her and Nate but I think she’s going to find it more heart wrenching than anything and not “kill” her right away (I’m sure at some point she will though). I think that will be a good way for the show to see her more vulnerable side. Toxic relationships can really leave you wondering if you will ever have a healthy one or if you even deserve one and when she says she doesn’t know if “a relationship without darkness would ever be enough” for her she’s feeling that. In the meantime, I love that she is girl bossing the single life and nannying. It is iconic. Maddy getting a job really just shows that she is trying to be single, work for herself, and try to not let her temptations with Nate get to her. I am really curious what Minka Kelly’s character (Mom of Theo) is going to bring to the table, I feel like she is going to be significant in some way I am just not sure how. It’s possible (considering that she is everything Maddy wants to be) that the mom turns into a mentor for Maddy, allowing her to continue to girl boss and want a better future for herself and I think that will start by her catching her wearing her clothes or “borrowing” them. However, the scene where she unzipped her dress was way over sexualized in my opinion. I really loved that Jules and Maddy are building a friendship, they both are in a position of feeling lonely. While Rue and Cassie are being occupied in other endeavors, they are kind of forced to make other connections in order to not be lonely and I think they have surprisingly found that they make really great friends. I’m excited to see them more together, I really believe in this season they are going to be each other’s rock. 

As if Cassie didn’t just break girl code, she also SNITCHED on Fez. They are really making it hard to like her character. In all honestly, I don’t think she was scared of the cops, I think she wanted Fez to get in trouble for hurting Nate. It’s like already she is becoming protective over him. This whole scene got me so mad!! Not to dig too deep but I’ve seen a lot of viewers saying how messed up it was that Cassie and Lexi’s mom allowed Cal to interrogate and threaten them how he did and I agree but I think it was just to show that Cassie’s mom seeks male validation as well. It kind of seemed like she was drooling over Cal the whole time. LEXI!!!! I love her character so much and I feel like she is really coming out of her shell and trying to not let herself be a pushover anymore. A lot of people are forgetting that her and Cassie have the same back story and trauma and they both handle it differently. It has made Lexi more passive, shy and not interested in male attention. The complete opposite of Cassie but It’s like talking to Fez gave Lexi an epiphany on life and a sense of confidence to be more fearless. It’s starting to show in her wardrobe and makeup, as well. However, when she goes to tell Fez everything, Faye caught her off guard and she got a little overwhelmed and sadly backed down. Their conversations make me cheese so hard and I wish could get more with them. This whole scene had everyone on the edge of their seat and I think once Cal saw Lexi, he knew that she was going to tell him that he knew Fez beat up Nate. So instead of starting something right then and there, he wanted to instill some type of fear in them to keep Fez on his toes and wondering what Cal is going to do. Not sure why or if that was even his intention but after this episode, I think Cal has more things to worry about than his son getting beat up…Ashtray is a real on for always being ready to literally kill anyone in Fez’s way.

I am really glad that the show is shedding light on how hard it is to love yourself sometimes, it is not talked about enough and in Kat’s case, she is given the boy, the friends, everything that should be making her happy now but without self-love it’s still hard to enjoy it all. The scene where she had every influencer tell her that she needs to love herself was so ironic and iconic but that’s how social media really is these days, “picture perfect women” always preaching self-love. This is affecting her relationship because it’s hard to love someone how they deserve when you don’t love yourself and then you start to feel guilty about it and wonder why you can’t love them how they love you and I think that is what she is feeling. Pretty much everyone in the show needs to be single and work on themselves and their traumas with the exception of Lexi and Fezco but that’s unrealistic for the show so let’s just keep watching. 

This episode left off with a BANG and major cliffhanger. I was not expecting the Cal bomb to drop like that so nonchalantly. I think that Nate was really just fed up with covering for him, getting beat for him and now he couldn’t have Cassie because of him. I am sure he just wanted to let him know “I know everything”, therefore Cal would get off his back about Fez and he can hold it over his dad’s head for future “needs”. Nate likes to control and right now he is doing just that with this situation and end scene. I cannot wait till Sunday because I NEED to know how this conversation ends but I have a feeling they are going to make us wait for it. 

M A K E U P

The makeup artist Donni Davy, has said that this season their makeup is going to be really symbolic to what their going through. She calls it an “emotional glam”. Euphoria has become an aesthetic for makeup itself that’s consisting of graphic liner, glitter, bold colors and shadows. Donni puts her makeup sketches and how it symbolizes on her Instagram and I will be quoting them if you’re interested for each character of the top 3 fashion moments. 

Top 3 Fashion Moments

Maddy “dream wardrobe”: “The closet Maddy deserves”. As she is babysitting for a wealthy family, she finds the moms wealthy closet full of iconic fashion gowns, shirts, dresses, jewelry and purses all that are from the 90s. A lot of the other pieces like the sleek Valentino from Spring/Summer 1993, a sculptural velvet Mugler confection from Fall/Winter 1991, and a bold printed Chanel shirtdress from Spring/Summer 1997 all bring out Maddy’s confidence so well, almost as if she is born to wear them. I was obsessed with the gold shimmering gold vintage Dior gown and only dream of trying that on. The costume designer went with the new theme of vintage for the show and added pieces all from Brynn Jones’ boutique Aralda Vintage in LA. This was definitely a highlight of Maddy and I think seeing herself in all these luxury pieces will add some fuel to her fire of becoming an independent strong successful woman. I am obsessed with Maddy’s style in general, I wish her blue fuzzy beret and safety pinned cropped white beater top got more screen time because that was an iconic “Y2K” look.

Makeup (Maddy): “A Maddy wing is always THE sharpest wing. Sharp like a knife to cut through whatever stands in her way: Ex boyfriends, bathroom doors, etc. The biggest thing about Maddy’s makeup this season is that @alexademie took the lead on her own makeup designs. She came into the makeup trailer with established and well-thought-out ideas for her looks, with her own character back stories. @alexandraafrench collaborated w/ Alexa to bring her ideas to life, picking out colors and textures in a more understated palette this season than we’re used to seeing on Maddy. Stay tuned for @alexademie ‘a fresh new take on Maddy! “– Donny Davy

Kat: Kat’s style is always changing with her in this show. As someone who is trying to find out who she is, she is just going with what she likes and doesn’t follow her friend’s styles. She definitely likes to be fashionable but in a way that she will throw things together and if she likes it, she won’t care what anyone thinks about it. The costume designer has stated that since she is now in a relationship and let go of her “cam girl” era, she has toned down that super edgy style. Never the less, she defiantly has more of an edgy rock girl style and this episode she has a green cardigan moment that I thought was perfect for her character. The costume designer made this green and red outfit stand out in the small amount of time it was shown without anyone thinking of Christmas and that’s an amazing accomplishment in my opinion. 

Makeup (Kat): “Kat continues experimenting with different looks this season, but in a way I didn’t expect. Instead of taking the gothxgrungexfairy-inspired direction that I had imagined, @Euphoria creator/director/writer and the all-around visionary @samlev00 challenged me to bring a playful freshness to Kat’s makeup. You’ll see that many of her looks involve a super clean lower lash line and bright colors. I interpreted this as Kat still being kind of new to wearing makeup, and still very much using it to help figure out who she wants to be.” – Donni Davy 

Lexi: Lexi really is Cassie’s opposite younger sister. While Cassie likes to flaunt what she’s got and pop off and out, Lexi is more reserved, nerdy and is trying to steer attention away from her with her outfit. Her style is really giving “library” but make it fashion. As she starts coming out of her shell with Fezco, we see her style start to really evolve as well. She is starts to wear more form fitting clothes that show off her figure. Like during the scene where she goes to tell Fez everything, she wears a hot tight cardigan and form fitting plaid pants with a bold red lip. The costume designer says that she is going to be seen wearing a lot of Miu Miu which is an Italian high end fashion brand that’s known for its avant-garde, provocative style. 

Makeup (Lexi): “The return of LEXI! And her whole vibe feels so much more intentionally and uniquely Lexi-ish than where we left her last season at the Winter formal. With @maudeapatow ‘s input, we decided to keep her makeup simple but eye-defining, and bring in a lip color that would tie into her incredible outfit [ @heidibivens !] and softly punctuate her sweet updo by @kimblehaircare . @tlangmakeup and Maude tried some super vibrant fuscia lip shades, but those felt too self-assured for the first episode, so they landed on this pretty shade of berry. Lexi’s whole aesthetic and frame of mind just juxtaposes so much with Fezco’s whole life basically, and it makes their NYE interactions SO endearing. This episode marks the start of Lexi’s self-actualization journey, and you know her makeup will echo her character’s evolution! “– Donni Davy

Thank you for reading and enjoying this episode with me!

See you next week :***