Euphoria Reached the Top Spot As the Most Popular Show
How fans react to a popular American teen drama show
—By Sara Sherazi
After completing the second season finale, HBO’s Euphoria has been trending for the past two months all across social media. Euphoria fans streamed and live-tweeted their reactions to the episode on social media every Sunday at 9 pm EST on HBO. From Twitter to TikTok to Instagram, Euphoria has been a hit for both old and new fans worldwide.
Euphoria is an American teen drama show that follows a group of high school students through their experiences of drug addiction, mental health, sexuality, gender issues, physical and emotional abuse, social media, and trauma. Due to its relatable content for teenagers and even young adults, this show has reached new levels of popularity on social media. Since its debut, Euphoria has received positive reviews from fans for its cinematography, plot, performance of the cast, and handling of mature topics. Amira Salloum, a film, television, and media student at the University of Michigan reports, “The cinematography in this show is impeccable. The new season used the Kodak Ektachrome and Vision 3 500T films to shoot most scenes, and the directors of photography did a phenomenal job to showcase this season.”
The series stars Emmy award winner Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Nika King, Eric Dane, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Angus Cloud, Maude Apatow, Javon Walton, Jacob Elordi, Dominic Fike, Storm Reid, and Barbie Ferreira. The hit TV series reached a new record with the Season 2 finale of 6.6 million viewers. The season finale left fans shocked and heartbroken.
The hit American TV series is created, written, directed, and executive produced by Sam Levinson. Other executive producers are Kevin Turen, Ravi Nandan, Drake, “Adel” Future Nur, Zendaya, Ron Leshem, Will Greenfield, Ashley Levinson, Daphna Levin, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, Gary Lennon, Tmira Yardeni, Mirit Toovi and Yoram Mokady.
Looking back on season one
Season one of Euphoria dedicated each episode of an eight-episode season to a specific character. Each episode was anchored to a central character in the show while tying into the overarching plot of the season. For example, season 1 episode 4 “Shook One Pt. II” was dedicated to Jules, played by Hunter Schaefer, and her past.
However, after a two year-long wait for season two, Euphoria had different plans for the plot and characters. Season two didn’t highlight a specific character for each episode but rather jumped from character to character. “I felt like this season was all over the place rather than focusing on a specific character,” states Joselyn Cordero, a senior at the University of Michigan. On the other hand, another senior at the University of Michigan, Manal Rizwan, states “This season was very different from season one but I love how everything transpired. Instead of having each episode focus on a character, this season was all about chaos and showing the consequences of each character’s actions from season one.”
Mature topics and adult themes
Euphoria focuses on adult themes and mature topics which is why this show is rated TV-MA and is intended for mature audiences. From drug use and sexual content/nudity to violence and explicit language, some scenes can be graphic and triggering for the audience and are not meant for young children and teenage viewers. Due to its recent popularity, it is important to be cautious before viewing the mature topics that Euphoria presents.
Some fans agree that Euphoria does a great job at handling mature topics but others tend to disagree. “I don’t want to spoil it for the people who have not watched the show yet, but there is a character that the show does not address and the trauma they may have faced after the sexual assault,” reports Jacklyn Camargo, a senior at the University of Michigan. “Season two did not go in-depth or properly handle the storyline with this character and leaves the audience with more questions.”
Rizwan states, “The Euphoria directors could have talked more about the character and how it affected his life instead of completely sweeping that issue under the rug. There were new mature topics in this season without addressing the old ones. That left some fans unsatisfied.”
How Euphoria Became A Hit On Social Media
Every Sunday at 9 pm EST, Euphoria fans and even cast members, such as “Angus Cloud,” who plays Fezco, live-tweeted their reactions to the new episode. “It became like a community on social media every Sunday,” reports one U-M junior. “We were all hyped about the new episodes and eagerly waited every week to be surprised by the chaos of Euphoria. People tweeted, made TikToks, and pretty much posted about the show on almost every social media platform. That’s why it grew so much popularity in such a short time.”
For people who have not watched Euphoria even after the live tweets, countless videos, and memes on social media, they were feeling FOMO or a fear of missing out. Sanna Ghafoor, a senior at the University of Michigan, was one of the few people who did not watch Euphoria even during its hype. “It was all over my social media and I never even heard about the show until now. On Sundays, I’d see everyone talking about the show and knew about the whole plot without even watching it. That’s how much it was all over social media,” reports Ghafoor.
Cordero states, “My friends and I hosted Euphoria watch parties and gathered everyone in the apartment. We ordered food and had drinks while watching the new episode. It was such a nice way to get our friends all together and we all looked forward to it every Sunday.”
What Fans Predict for Season Three
Euphoria was recently renewed for season three by HBO but fans are already itching for another season. Some fans have stated that there isn’t an official release date while others think that it won’t be out until 2024 due to Zendaya’s, who plays Rue, busy schedule.
“There are a few things that haven’t been addressed and were left as a cliffhanger,” states Cordero. “I can’t wait for the next season and I hope the directors can wrap up a few loose ends they didn’t get to in season two.”
Rizwan states, “Some topics were not addressed in season two which many of the fans were hoping to see. Although season two was amazing, the season finale left the audience with more questions rather than answering the other ones from last season. I think season three will address some of the major questions the fans have.”
Camargo states, “The season finale was very heart-wrenching and I was hoping to see more but that’s what keeps me waiting for season three. I think many fans are eager to see season three with the character developments and whether there will be a time jump or not. I already can’t wait.”
Many fans are looking forward to season three and how the overarching plot unfolds, especially with the season finale. Will there be new characters or will old characters be written off the show? Some speculate that the third season can go either way- lead the characters to more problems or have a resolution from the past seasons. What makes Euphoria stand out from other shows is that it is unpredictable and leaves the audience wanting more.
Feature photo credit: Karl Edwards on Unsplash