The sadness of Euphoria: how the show captures teen melancholy
In the button-pushing new drama, sex and violence sit alongside a surprisingly tender look at the overwhelming anxieties faced by teens today
Much of the attention given to HBO’s buzzy new drama Euphoria has centered on how much it’s going to terrify parents. The show, which zeroes in on the lives of several high school students shows how they navigate a world filled with various kinds of violence, from overt bullying and sexual abuse, to the more private pain of neglect, anxiety and loneliness. Told from the perspective of 17-year-old drug addict named Rue, who is played with restraint by ex-Disney star Zendaya, the series is a compassionate examination of adolescent longing, as well as an indictment of a culture that is setting young people up for hopelessness.
Related: Euphoria review – dizzying high school drama is one of year’s best