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In the long-awaited Euphoria Christmas-special episode released this December on HBO, creator Sam Levinson and actress Zendaya showcase exactly why she won the 2020 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Moving away from the character-centered narrative episodes we enjoyed in season one, the episode titled ‘Trouble Don’t Last Always’ follows Zendaya’s character Rue Bennett in the aftermath of a relapse following drug addiction. Although the 60-minute special, which comprises of merely two scenes, is hard to follow at times, the episode serves as a bridge between the events of the first season and the upcoming second season. The series followed a group of high school students as they tackled issues such as sexuality, identity, drugs and love.
The special episode begins with a surreal scene of Rue and her lover Jules (played by Hunter Schafer) in a cosy apartment, sharing a moment of intimacy. The characters talk about love and Jules leaves for work, “It’s everything we dreamed of,” Jules states. Rue then turns to drug use in her partner’s absence – mirroring the haunting cliffhanger ending of season one, where Rue collapses after a ‘euphoric’ drug experience when Jules leaves her to move to New York. Audiences were left wondering about Rue’s safety as she had previously been hospitalised due to substance abuse and this built up much anticipation for a second season.
It’s then revealed that the scene is in fact a dream, as the setting changes to Rue sitting in a diner with her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Ali (played by Colman Domingo) on Christmas Eve. The hour-long episode takes place in this scene mostly, where Ali helps Rue work through issues such as recovery, religion, morals, and death.
In the absence of musician Labrinth’s compelling, critically acclaimed original music score which worked alongside the narrative of season one, we are instead immersed in the discussion between these two complex characters as Ali pushes Rue to see that her recovery can’t be based on the people around her.
The conversation serves an intimate look into Rue’s thoughts, and, although the episode features no time jumps or scene changes after this, it gives us satisfaction as we feel closely involved in the pair’s conversation.
Accompanied by close-ups and beautifully framed shots which is common of Euphoria, we are engulfed in Rue’s feelings as she discusses how she wants her family to remember her in the case of her death. Zendaya’s acting style as Rue sobs at the idea draws us in and we see the emotional toll the character is dealing with.
Despite the engaging conversation topics and artistic camera shots however, a 50-minute conversation between two characters will often be hard to follow, as at some points I found myself drifting from the show.
Fans took to social media to express their opinions, with some describing the episode as an hour-long therapy session. However, this bridge episode was essential to watch for audiences to understand the complexity of these issues before the release of the new season planned for next year.
A second bridge episode following Jules’ story is showcasing on January 24 on HBO, where creator Levinson hopes to make audiences “understand the burden of loving an addict,” as he told GQ. Part one is streaming now on Sky Atlantic and HBO.
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