It’s no secret to Euphoria viewers that East Highland High School is full of teenage drug addicts and toxic relationships. However, there are still a lot of questions to be answered as the HBO show’s second season comes to an end.
Created by Sam Levinson and produced by Drake and Future, the series premiered its first season in June 2019. Fans were immediately introduced to the life of teenager Rue Bennett (Zendaya) and her group of friends as they deal with addiction, mental health, sexuality and love, among other issues. From the start, viewers praised the series for its poignant portrayal of real-world topics.
“It’s been very, very special,” Zendaya told Vogue Australia in February 2020, about the fan reaction to the show. “I think the most special thing is when people come up and say: ‘Hey, I really needed that.’ Or: ‘That was my story and I just want to say thank you.’ The fact that the story was so personal and that it couldn’t have been written by anyone who hadn’t lived it, people are going to respond to it.”
The Disney Channel alum went on to praise Levinson for creating a show that “put words to feelings that people have a tough time being able to articulate.”
She added: “I’m just extremely lucky that I was able to be a part of that story and really humanize what Rue is going through, which is what I think a lot of people have gone through or are going through. For every person who says something to me about what the show meant to them, it warms my heart — and it means we’re doing something right.”
Throughout season 1, viewers watched Rue grapple with her sobriety after falling in love with Jules (Hunter Schafer). Following two special episodes that were released among the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Euphoria premiered its second season on January 9.
Earlier this month, Zendaya told The Cut that filming season 2 was “f–king brutal,” but that she can “mostly shake it off,” appearing to refer to the hardships of her character.
Rue fully spirals in season 2 — she stops herself from having a heart attack in the first episode and at one point runs away from an intervention. “There are days where you’re just in it, and even if your brain knows it’s not real, your body takes on this anxiousness and anger,” Zendaya told the publication, noting that what fans will see at the end of season 2 was originally “very different.”
She teased: “Episode eight is where we’ll get that sense of redemption. That you aren’t the worst thing you’ve ever done in your life. I think Rue deserves it, and I think anyone who suffers with the same thing she does deserves it.”
Euphoria was renewed for a third season in early February.
Keep scrolling to read fan theories about Euphoria season 2:
If you or anyone you know is facing substance abuse issues, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information 24/7.
