Emotions From Beauty and Pain
I can count on one hand the number of TV shows that have left a serious impression on me over the years, and perhaps I’m particularly bland, but almost all of them fall under the theme of being produced by HBO. Westworld left me thinking, Game of Thrones had me screaming, and Band of Brothers humbled me, but it is Euphoria that continues to leave me in a state of indescribable hollowness. I find myself coming away from each episode with a sense of emptiness, whether because I can’t fill that void with the next episode until the following week, or because of the emotion that is intwined within the stories that are told.
If I had to put my finger on the cause of this sentiment, I think it would have to be, simply put, the characters. The broad array of personalities and personas not only makes for authentic conflict and plot device, but it also allows for a greater propensity to connect with characters on multiple levels. I think this became most apparent to me, and to the others I have so far spoken to, in episode 3 of season 2, with Cal Jacobs cold open. The man who quite neatly fits into the role of a typical villain, who is despised almost universally throughout the show by even his own son, is shown in a completely new light that to an extent instigates a degree of sympathy towards him. As much as you want to recoil at the thought, the show does an excellent job at shifting the dynamic of characters to continually keep you on your toes, and this makes it hard to resist.
Going beyond the shifting nature of the characters, a compounding reason for the shows effect would have to be the aesthetic of both the show and its characters. The entire cast is striking and beautiful in their own way, and with this as a feature of the show that runs alongside the horrors of drug addiction and the other vile behaviour that humanity is capable of, it creates an elusive contrast that unknowingly impacts on the viewer. We are used to seeing these types of people on social media, living the façade of a perfect life and without a grimace in sight, so when we are shown first-hand the trauma that they endure, we are exposed to a new side to these characters. The show spares no detail in doing this, with its notably graphic portrayal of intimate acts and consumption of drugs, Euphoria is almost a documentary on the livelihoods of today’s youth. It is, however, oddly reassuring to see this – today the notion that life can be lived without suffering is gaining traction, and Euphoria is a reminder that everyone suffers in some way, no matter how pretty they are.
The phrase that something is only as good as the sum of its parts is often thrown around, but for Euphoria, putting characters briefly aside, not a single part under-delivers. Its iconic purple hues, coupled with some revolutionary camera techniques compounds the shows brilliance, but perhaps what most will notice is its soundtrack. Labrinth has once again demonstrated his exceptional talent, but what often goes unnoticed in film, is the accompanying songs. Watching Cassie skate on the ice to Arcade Fire’s ‘My Body is a Cage’ was both superbly moving and touching, it is a clear demonstration that music cannot only compliment, but sometimes elevate a scene to new heights.
Euphoria remains remarkably popular amongst the youth today, for perhaps obvious reasons, but don’t let its cult like status deter you if you are yet to watch it. It is a show I will continue to recommend for the foreseeable future, because in perhaps a very unusual way, it teaches us just a little bit more about the lives we and others live.
