5 wild moments from the Euphoria series premiere

HBO wasn’t messing around when they claimed Euphoria would be an edgy and controversial YA series. Here are five wild moments from the premiere.

When HBO claimed Euphoria would be a series that makes 13 Reasons Why look tame in comparison, they weren’t messing around. The first episode alone contains multiple intense sex scenes depicting teenagers and plenty of nudity, including an erect penis which is almost unheard of in television or film. Prosthetics were used and all of the actors are adults, of course, but it doesn’t make the material any less shocking.

Show star, Zendaya, even claims Episode 1 is the “most mild.”  I’m a little scared of what’s to come! But I admit I was impressed.

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I’ve had a feeling Euphoria was going to be a hit for HBO since I saw the first trailer. It’s garnering good buzz, creating controversy, and already a hot trending topic so I think this prediction will come true and allow HBO to become a competitor in the YA market. But for now, let’s recap some of the wildest moments from the series premiere.

5. Rue’s overdose

This is the moment that kicks off the series, although we don’t see it depicted in full on camera. Instead, we’re introduced to Rue in the aftermath of a stint at rehab. She has no interest in actually getting clean. We find out that her younger sister, who has always idolized Rue, was the one to find her unconscious in a pool of vomit. It’s disturbing and incredibly sad to know that Rue cannot find peace unless she’s high.

I found myself relating to her as she described her life with anxiety. It is a hard disease to manage. I understand her desire to feel safe in her own mind, and getting high shuts out all the noise for a little while. But of course, you get the feeling that this path won’t end well for her.

4. DominantDaddy

In easy one of the most disturbing scenes of the episode, Jules, a 17-year-old girl, pretends to be much older and meets up with a mysterious man from a dating app. He calls himself DominantDaddy in his screen name. Played by Eric Dane, this man forcefully has sex with Jules from behind in a sleazy motel room. He shoves his fingers in her mouth and treats her like a rag doll. I’m not entirely certain of what this scene was meant to prove except that the show is trying to be edgy.

Jules is a transgender girl who is new in town. She wants to figure out where she belongs. I suppose this was her way of experimenting and taking a risk. But in a shocking twist, we learn that “DominantDaddy” is actually Nate’s father at the end of the episode. I foresee he and Jules brief tryst becoming a problem down the line.

3. Kat makes a bold decision

I’m a plus-size woman myself, so out of all the characters introduced in the pilot, I felt like I could relate most to Kat. She is a body-positive teen trying to explore her sexuality after realizing how behind she is. Succumbing to peer pressure and an innate desire to prove herself, Kat agrees to have sex with a random guy at McKay’s party.

She does so with an audience, although it’s not clear if they stick around for the entire act. Afterward, she is eager to tell her friends about it and they cheer her on, despite the fact she obviously didn’t enjoy it as much as she pretends she did.

2. As seen in porn

McKay appears to be a sweet kid, particularly when compared to his misogynistic, jerk jock friends. But he gets ahead of himself with his new girlfriend Cassie, after seeing a slide of her nude photos that were apparently leaked at school. McKay attempts to choke her during sex without getting her consent or even approaching the topic.

I appreciate Euphoria’s sly exploration of how porn mindlessly influences people. McKay thinks choking someone out is alright because he’s seen it in porn. Cassie isn’t necessarily opposed to it, but the fact McKay did it without asking her first completely terrified her.

1. Jules goes a little cuckoo

By the time Jules finally arrives at McKay’s party, it’s in the midst of Nate’s drunken rage after witnessing his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Maddy, having sex with a random guy in the pool. He decides to take his anger out on Jules and begins to threaten her until she tells him who she is. Not wanting to be attacked, Jules grabs a knife and brandishes at Nate to make him back off.

Then she slits her wrist and yells, “I’m invincible!” He backs down instantly. I mean if her goal was to make a splashy introduction, she certainly succeeded. And she managed to catch Rue’s eye. Rue asks to sleepover at Jules and they spend a surprisingly tender night together with Rue helping Jules patch up her new scratch.

New episodes of Euphoria air Sunday nights on HBO. If you have the HBO channel through your Amazon Prime you can watch current episodes any time.