Euphoria is known as a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness. The HBO television show is the complete opposite. The show follows a group of high school students, who try to navigate themselves through life with the pressures of drugs, trauma, and the internet. 

The main character Rue Bennett, (Zendaya), is a drug-addicted girl, who went to rehab and it clearly didn’t work. In the show, she openly admits that she had no real intention of getting better. Rue is the type of person where any minor inconvenience gives her a reason to do drugs, and sometimes she does them just because. She is known for pushing away the people that love her because the drugs she takes corrupt her mind in unexplainable ways. 

Jules Vaugn, (Hunter Schafer), is a teen girl who struggles with her identity as a transgender woman. Throughout the show, Jules struggles with gender dysphoria. She believes she knows what she wants, but deep inside she is very confused with herself. Jules is Rue’s best friend/girlfriend. Even though Jules wants the best for Rue, they are truly toxic for each other. 

Rules relationship is full of gaslighting and pettiness. In my opinion, I believe that they shouldn’t be friends because if one wrong thing happens in the friendship they both spiral out of control. With Rue being on drugs it gives her the perception that everyone is against her, and Jules isn’t smart enough to realize that by now. She barely realizes that Rue is on drugs, so are they really friends? 

Speaking of pettiness, let’s talk about Maddy and Nate. Madeline “Maddy” Perez, (Alexa Demie), is a bossy, strong, independent, and feisty Latina cheerleader. Nathaniel “Nate” Jacobs,(Jacob Elordi), is the show’s narcissistic, gaslighting, manipulative, star football player. Together they are a ticking time bomb. And it’s even worse when they break up. Nate will do anything to stop Maddy from talking to any guy, even if they are just friends. Nate plays no games when it comes to Maddy, he gets even crazier when they are broken up and it was his fault.

A few other characters that play a major part are Fezco (Angus Cloud) local drug dealer and Rue’s long-time friend, Cassie Howard ( Sydney Sweeney), Maddy’s best friend, Lexi Howard ( Maude Apatow), Cassie’s little sister and very much an all-around good person, Gia Bennett (Storm Reid) Rue’s little sister,  and Ashtray (Javon Walton) young drug dealer, and a bit of a hothead.

My opinion about the show is that it is extremely good if you like watching other people’s drama. I wouldn’t recommend it if you have a sensitive personality to certain subjects and things, because the show displays a little bit of everything. The show doesn’t really glorify drugs, but, it helps you come to the realization of what drugs can do to a person. It can be used as a coping mechanism and a way to know you’re not going through certain things alone.

The show helps one realize things from other perspectives. It has helped me realize that one can put on a happy face, but really could be struggling on the inside. It lets the world know that people shouldn’t be judged based on what they may have done. Others shouldn’t be judged because there is no telling what could be going on with their home life.