EUPHORIA S2 EP 3

‘Euphoria’ Season 2 Episode 3: Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys

(SPOILERS)

Hi babes!!! 

Welcome back to the unstable world that is Euphoria, this week was just as confusing, gruesome and dramatic as the others. Euphoria continues to surprise us with every episode and plot twist they take. This week we got Cal’s backstory and it seems as if everyone that is a significant character on the show has one, I know a lot of fans felt as if his wasn’t necessary but it could possibly foreshadow a lot with both Nate and Cal. I personally thought it was interesting to see how he was brought up and why he felt like he could not go through with what he knew his sexuality was. I believe he holds a lot of resentment against his oldest son being as he was the reason he could not be with Derek. His backstory is showing why he has such a huge family-oriented parenting style and as much as we don’t like the things he has done; we feel a little bit sorry for him after understanding his story. This season was the perfect time to show Cal’s backstory, as the directors are trying to go with a more nostalgic old school vibe and his story taking place in the 90s it allows the costume designers, makeup artists, and hair stylist to do just that. Cal ends up telling on himself this episode when he gets caught trying to “spy” on Fez. He is starting to put the pieces together of everything and as confusing as everyone in the scene was it was a moment of clarity for Fez and Cal. Cal is just going downhill at this point and with the deal that he made Fez about keeping Nate out of all of their lives, I think Cal is going to start being hard on Nate about the situation. Ashtray’s loyalty and sense of protection over Fez has him choosing violence in every situation. As much as it is badass of him, I could see him causing some trouble because of it, or will his past violence like killing mouse be brought back up? 

Zendaya has this way of making everyone like the characters she plays, her way of acting is very magnetic and likeable. Zendaya is already a loved actress so anything she does is almost automatically loved. Sam Levinson (director) says that he is trying to see how far Rue has to push the limits for fans to not really like her character. This episode is where a Rue crosses the line for a lot of the fans. We get to dive into her manipulative thoughts during her teacher segment on “how to get away with being a drug addict” and how she manipulates and gaslights everyone in her life just to be a functioning drug addict. She is trying to have her cake and eat it too and in a lot of these cases that doesn’t work out so greatly. It was so painful to see how she was able to manipulate Gia so easily, using such heavy topics as being suicidal and having anxiety just to get away with using her cover up drug (Weed). Rue and Gia’s fight was something that felt so REAL! Storm Reid and Zendaya really did that and their acting was SPOT on. One thing I did notice is how instead of Jules being her “assistant” during this teaching segment, it is Elliot. I’d like to think there’s a big significance to him being in It, instead of Jules but It’s definitely just because he is a drug addict that probably uses these tactics himself. I don’t know exactly what about Jules it is but every episode I am finding myself disliking her more and more. She just has a lot of hypocritical tendencies and when she was interrogating Elliot about his gender, sex life and plans with Rue, I just found her so hypocritical and annoying. I am glad Elliot and Rue switched It on her in that scene. The three of them are in this weird triangle of potential love and friendship. They are all loving this new friendship they have where they can joke and share secrets but they all have this tension where they are all attracted to each other. We just have to wait and see which one of them breaks first. Rue can be herself around Elliot with no judgement and their personalities are the same, Elliot is the male version of Rue and I think that is why Jules is getting attracted to Elliot later in the episode when he starts to flirt with her. I wouldn’t be surprised if the directors put Jules and Elliot together. Rue’s new drug plan is definitely going to get her into some trouble and there are a lot of theories that I have on what could happen with that. 

Theories: 

1.)   With Rue having all these drugs, she is going to share them with Elliot, possibly causing him to overdose. 

2.)   Fez or Ali is going to have to try to get Rue out of trouble with Lori and her team of drug dealers and one of them is going to get hurt or even end up dead. 

3.)   One of Rues family members is going to die because of Lori.

Either way this plan of hers is going to have negative affect, she’s is to pushing her limits with harder drugs like fentanyl and heroin, all of it just making it harder for her to get clean that it already is. All of our hearts broke (mine shattered) with Ali’s when Rue used his past as a way to taunt him and hurt him. I think all the fans are liking Rue a little less nowadays. But it just goes to show that, that’s how addiction can make someone be. I still don’t know how Rue’s mom can go from being so strict one season to barely knowing what’s going on with Rue in the second.

Moving on, I am so happy that Lexi is starting to get the screen time that she deserves, there are a lot of people that can relate to her character, including me. When Lexi states that she is an observer in her life and pretends she’s in a reality show, I connected with her a lot. Sometimes it’s easier to just sit and observer everything that goes on in your life than to try to control it. I love the fact that she is going to turn her life into a school play, I think she is going to be super passionate about it and be pretty occupied with that and I’m hoping Fez too. Lol. I do think this play is going to cause some issue with her and Cassie, seeing as she is trying to hide it from her, I don’t think there is anything that positive of Cassie in the play. Cassie is still feeding into her male validation addiction by trying to impress Nate with all these different looks to catch his attention. I’m sorry but I don’t think Nate likes Cassie too much if Cassie needs to wake up @4am and do a whole gua sha routine in order to get his attention. I do think it is funny that she has to dress like Maddy in order for him to give her that validation she needs. I really think that Cassie is just something Nate can control for the meanwhile. The bathroom scene where Cassie imagines confessing to Maddy was a jaw dropper, Sydney Sweeny killed that scene and I was so appalled when she just blurted it out like that. Unfortunately, it was just her imagination but I am sure Maddy will find out soon. I am DYING for a whole episode of all the girls just talking in that bathroom about their lives, their conversations are so entertaining.  

A scene from the episode I really want to talk about is the poolside conversation between Cassie and Maddy. Maddy is confiding in this girl about all her feelings with Nate and Cassie is just sitting there trying to manipulate her into not getting back with Nate for her own good. Maddy is just trying to hold back as hard as she can from going back to him and that toxic cycle and she was doing a great job until the end of the episode.  However, when I heard “Como la Flor” by Selena playing in the background of this scene I had to pause my tv and make sure I wasn’t hearing things. I love that they added a classic Selena song in this episode, it really does fit the vibe of nostalgia that the directors are looking for. Nothing is as old school as Selena. Nate showing up at Maddy’s door instead of Cassie’s was not shocking, but I feel as if Nate might put up an act just to get the tape back. I do think that whatever goes on between them, Maddy is going to tell Cassie and that is going to cause a problem between Nate and Cassie. We haven’t seen Nate and Maddy at all this season together and as much as they shouldn’t be together, I’m excited for some Maddy and Nate scenes. 

M U S I C 

The music is still revolving around the new nostalgic theme of season two. We got a Frank Sinatra “Call Me Irresponsible” number by Rue and an INXS “Mystify” song to go with Cal’s backstory that takes place in the 90s. As well as, a returning 90s song “If” by Jo Stafford. Just as I suspected we got a Lana del Ray song “Watercolor Eyes” that she actually wrote just for the show, when I was researching this, I was shocked. She wrote a whole song that is the perfect piece for Euphoria and they decided to put it in the ending credits. I am really hoping this song makes a comeback in one of the episodes. 

Top 3 Fashion Moments

    J U L E S 

There is something different about all of Jules outfit choices this season, instead of that super girly, anime like princess aesthetic from last year. She seems to be going more of the “E girl” vintage route. I think a lot of the characters are going to be wearing vintage pieces that fit them in order to go with the nostalgia aesthetic of season two. The costume designer says that is it almost as like Jules is “de-transitioning” with her clothes as she steers away from things like dresses and skirts now. My favorite outfit of Jules in the episode that really stood out to me was her long- sleeve printed top from KNWLS’ Spring 2020 collection with black shorts and knee-high laced boots that she wore sitting in the window listening to all of Elliot’s flirtatious comments. 

Makeup: “Little white whisker wings against terracotta eyelids. A new take on playful. Tiny almost hidden details that are only visible up close. It’s not that she’s trying to blend in, but I think she is in a place where she’s protecting herself a little bit. Look out for at least three sets of “triple wings” this season on Jules.” -Donni Davy 

M A D D Y

Maddy is just a euphoria fashion icon and I feel like she is going to be in my Top 3 a lot. I feel like her character is one where the costume designers, hair stylists and makeup artist’s all can really have fun and play around with her outfits while keeping it “luxury on trend”. In this episode this outfit isn’t really shown as much as it should’ve been. I feel like all my favorite outfits on her aren’t shown on screen too much. when she is standing at Cassie’s locker, she is seen wearing a Miaou’s blue floral mini dress with a black Dior saddle bag. I will forever dream of owning this outfit. 

Makeup: Donni Davy has stated that Maddy is the “queen of wings” it shows her sharp maturing personality and much more this season she will be going to clean, precise and simple. 

C A S S I E 

As Cassie is dying for Nates attention, she turns to over the top outfits to try and catch his eye in the hallways. Since her own style isn’t working, she turns to over the top outfits until she finally finds what works… her best friend A.k.a. Nates ex-girlfriends’ style. During this fun period of her trying out different styles, we find her in some pieces that are actually cute! She is seen in a cozy cropped sweater from “LPA” paired with high-waisted jeans from Levi’s as one outfit, a cropped sweater and high-waisted pants monochrome set with a metallic mini bag as another and finally for her “Oklahoma audition” her blue floral mini dress with a gingham cropped top. 

Makeup: “If this isn’t the most simultaneously endearing, adorable and f***ed up Cassie moment I don’t know what is. The makeup goal was obviously to take Cassie to a Maddy-level of snatched, while showing the underlying manic state that Cassie’s been in as she tries to get Nate’s attention. Initially I envisioned a soft baby blue for the liner until I realized how much more a stark white would show up on camera on @sydney_sweeney ‘s skin tone. The look had to pop so she could finally get Nate’s attention! Conceptually, I loved the idea of creating a high impact look without the use of any vivid colors. For a color devoid of “color,” white is actually super bold. It almost looks jarring in these stills — which I LOVE for this moment. And then there’s the classic symbolism of white (purity and innocence) which is just a little bit ironic in this case.” – Donni Davy

Thank you for enjoying another episode with me!

See you Sunday <3

XOXO, JOCE