“Euphoria”

Creativity over content

Television show “Euphoria” brings uniqueness, despite controversy

Ava Hunt huntava000@hsestudents.org

HBO’s “Euphoria,” a television show that gained incredible develop a strong connection and a budding romance, which is something viewers did not traction among teenagers during its second season, can be seen as a parent’s worst nightmare. The show is centered around a group of high schoolers who engage in substance abuse, sexual activities and physical altercations. The relentlessly explicit drama depicts the teenage experience, often unrealistically, as being defined by the extreme struggles that characters face. Not to mention, the actors and actresses are years older than the intended ages of their roles. Although “Euphoria” tends to inaccurately depict the lives of average American teenagers, the television show is more than its crude plot lines: it is a testament to how unique storytelling and cinematography can create an impactful show. Creative/executive producer Sam Levinson built a captivating storytelling style that penetrates through the character’s surfacelevel. In particular, he used flashbacks to draw a connection between the character’s current actions and what they experienced at an earlier date. This deeper insight into the characters’ lives causes the audience to empathize with them, despite the poor choices they are making. Levinson continually found new ways to stitch the characters together and relate them to one another in ways they haven’t been before. For example, two characters that lead very different lives, Fezco and Lexi, are brought together because they were both “loners” at a party. They foresee for season two. Levinson found the similarities within the differences of the characters and exemplified them to emulate how complex the characters are. The complexity of the characters is amazing to watch unfold, especially in the ways Levinson chooses to present them. “Euphoria” does an excellent job of capturing the emotional roller coaster of adolescence, despite how obscene the angle is. In adolescence, it feels like everything that happens to teenagers, no matter how big or small, carries a substantial amount of weight. “Euphoria” portrays that theme through the pettiness of the characters and the grudges they hold towards each other. The use of ambiant lighting in scenes where the characters feel happiness and darker lighting when they are upset contributes to the unsteadiness they feel. Levinson has a tendency to prolong scenes when a character is feeling an abundance of an emotion, such as showing Cassie’s morning routine. This creative choice serves to highlight how unstable the characters are, which gives this show a more meaningful and relatable feel. Although Levinson uses extreme examples to convey a message, the emotions conveyed by the characters have parallel to everyday teenage emotions. The relatable themes of betrayal, guilt, loss and insecurity are common feelings among teenagers and should be addressed head-on, which is what “Euphoria” does. The cinematography used in “Euphoria” developed a gorgeous aesthetic that creatively depicts the teenage experience. In an article published by Deadline, Levinson explained that he wanted the show to look the way teenagers imagined their lives to be. I believe he hit the nail on the head with this one. Through the movie-like lighting and saturation of bright colors, Levinson accurately shows the extent of how much a teenager dramatizes their life. He proves how strongly a teenager craves attention and acceptance through the aesthetic of this show, and the close-up shots of the characters’ expressions also narrow the focus to the feelings the characters portray. Because the camera angles zone in on the characters’ countenances, it further contributes to the teenage troupe that “it is all about them.” “Euphoria” is an excellent show because of its artistic uniqueness and compelling storytelling style; the thrilling plot lines are merely an added bonus. Although the teenage explicitness of the show is unrealistic, the dysfunction of the characters works to create a universally tragic and emotional result, which is incredibly realistic. This show is a very mature show and should be watched with extreme discretion, but I believe it is a very impactful show, and for that reason, I will continue to watch it in the future. Despite the problems “Euphoria” has, I encourage you to look past the controversy and view the show through a more artistic lens.