If you listen closely, you’ll hear what students are talking about on campus. “What’s going to happen in the next Euphoria episode?” It seems like nearly everyone is watching the show on HBOMax.
The cast of Euphoria features Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard, Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard, and Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs. (Photo: IMDB)
Euphoria follows a group of high school students as they try to navigate teenage life while dealing with drug addiction, physical and emotional abuse, sex, gender identity, and body insecurities.
It’s a favorite of Northwood students, but why? Maisie Crane ’23 likes the show because it depicts real-life issues high school students face but in a fantasized way. “Younger viewers connect with the show because it’s a fantasized version of the modern-day high school life. Some of the scenarios the writers thought up, happen to multiple teenagers on a day-to-day basis,” Crane said.
The show depicts teenage life through the variety of characters developed by Sam Levinson, the show’s creator. The issues that are shown in the television series are the same ones that your classmates could be dealing with and you wouldn’t have any idea.
The show being rated TV-MA (Mature Audience) makes some parents nervous, and if the rating doesn’t raise concerns, the warning at the beginning of the most episodes will: “This episode contains depictions of drug abuse, very strong language, some strong violence, scenes of a sexual nature and strong images of nudity from the start.” The idea of a fifteen-year-old watching a show based on the horrors within high school is unsettling for most parents.
Students understand parents’ concerns, but they still the think they should be allowed to watch. “Some adults don’t realize that although we are still in high school and learning, we know right from wrong, and we can choose to be persuaded or not,” said Bryan Jones ‘22 a Euphoria viewer.
Season Two of Euphoria just concluded and is available to stream. HBOMax recently announced plans for season three.
