Euphoria is finally here with its third installment. The Season 3 trailer was disappointing for some, but it seems like the first episode lived up to it. Here’s the good, the bad, and everything in between!
Misplaced and misaligned characters
Misplaced is probably the best way to describe the first episode. This also goes for the characters, mainly Nate and Cassie’s dynamic, where Nate seems to have become docile all of a sudden, and Cassie is playing into the social media fame stereotype. While this follows through a 5-year timeskip, it does, however, seem misaligned for the most part, considering the show’s dark and brooding setting.
Wild West, The Hangover, and everything in between
Right off the bat, the first episode starts in Texas, then we have California, and then New York. It’s not the geography that is in question, but the overall dark psychological elements that seem to be missing in the show. It’s become more of a black comedy fused with slice-of-life elements, especially with how they approach the aspect of substance abuse with comedy. Breaking Bad much?
The Saving Grace
The only saving grace of this episode is Colman Domingo. Domingo plays Ali, and that scene where he and Rue have a pep talk is a lovely moment in the episode. They discuss beliefs, Rue’s future, and so much more.
To add to that, Lexi’s reunion was something that brought a smile to my face. Both she and Rue shared a troubled friendship, mainly because of the latter’s addiction. The fact that they cling to these glimmers is what remains a saving grace.
Bidding farewell and goodbyes
Season 3’s first episode was all about welcoming change, inevitable or not. This also calls for bidding farewell to characters and their respective actors. In this case, Eric Dane and Angus Cloud passed away, leaving both fans and the cast devastated. The episode had a weird way of giving closure to both characters. Dane’s character, Cal Jacobs, is serving time in prison, and Nate thus took over the family business.
Fezco, played by Cloud, is also in prison and misses Lexi Howard deeply, as revealed by Rue. She tells Lexi that she should give him a call whenever she can, and this is exactly what Sam Levinson spoke of. The show would keep characters alive through storytelling, though they could have done it better through flashback scenes or end credits.
The Apple-Shot
The episode concludes with Rue standing with her arms crossed. There’s an apple on her head, and Alamo Brown attempts to shoot off the apple. It’s almost like Russian Roulette involving the same rinse and repeat strategy, and guess what? Rue survives, and it is downright dramatic. It’s quite contrary and opposed to what one would expect Euphoria to be.
The final verdict? Season 3 of Euphoria is a mash of slice of life, black comedy, and satire. It’s amusing and entertaining only if you don’t watch it as a hardcore Euphoria fan. The timeskip was necessary, but it seemed to dilute most characters’ authenticity and go down the drain.
While I’m grateful the show gave its tribute to the late actors, the first episode seemed disjointed from the source. The good part is Rue’s character development, Lexi’s dynamic with herself, and Maddie’s career shift.
