in Season 2, Euphoria devolved into aesthetically pleasing social-media fodder for cynics and disaffected teens

The Atlantic

Sam Levinson probably "didn’t intend to make a show that would thrive in the form of screenshots," says Shirley Li. "Yet the second season delivered the necessary ingredients for collective processing: The visual flair that made Euphoria stand out overshadowed the writing, the story hopscotched from one salacious vignette to the next, and the rumored behind-the-scenes clashes between Levinson and some cast members amplified the show’s air of confusion and calamity. The series was running on showy performances and shocking moments but little else—which meant that those of us who watched Euphoria weren’t really watching Euphoria; we were rubbernecking." Li adds: "Euphoria has become an aimless show—even though it remains a hypnotizing one. In the disarray of Season 2, the series’ sense of nihilism is magnified. Familiar characters, such as Kat (Barbie Ferreira), regressed after making strides in Season 1. Fresh faces disappear after making little impact on the story. Lexi (Maude Apatow) spent the entire season writing a play that narratively and stylistically rehashed the show itself: indulgent, with a wildly impressive budget, but pointless. Rue wraps up the season assuring viewers that she stayed clean through the end of the school year, but doesn’t clarify whether that means she relapsed afterward. Euphoria’s teenagers lead extremely unrealistic lives, yet that feeling of meaningless chaos perhaps rings true for a generation that faces a largely image-driven, digital world, navigating global crises and cynical outlooks on the future." ALSO: Dominic Fike's just-released Euphoria finale song is shorter than it was in the finale.