Euphoria has been the perfect anti-binge TV show

Wired

The HBO teen series prioritized slow-watching in a Peak TV era that prizes binge-watching through seasons. "Euphoria privileges real issues that warrant time," says Jason Parham, adding: "Binge culture doesn't allow for that same kind of viewer contemplation—we sit with characters for hours over a weekend or late at night for ungodly amounts of time, but just as quick as they enter our lives, so too do we shuffle them out, making room for others. That's partly the joy of an anti-binge show like Euphoria; it's not meant to be fussed over in 72 hours. The characters demand examination. Splayed out across eight weeks, we begin to find common ground, even with characters we never thought we would (notice how Angus Cloud's Fez went from a periphery note to a universal fan favorite). In a weird way, they become a bit like family. They're people we know. They mirror issues we've seen or have been challenged by up close. The beauty in that kind of difficulty is that when a show like Euphoria ends, it doesn't feel rushed and we don't feel totally cheated by it, because it's earned our love and respect over time. We're able to see it for what it really is: an imperfect but valuable thing, scars and all."