Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Euphoria isn't exactly the show that comes to mind when you think of the quintessential American high school.
But for a moment in episode three of season two, the HBO series reminded viewers of what it was like to be a teenager. We see Jules (Hunter Schafer) and Rue (Zendaya) strike up a relationship with Elliot (Dominic Fike), who brings out a silly side in the normally somber characters. They play a game of truth or dare that leads to Jules peeing in the middle of a street as Rue and Elliot laugh.
And though Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) dresses in clothes we wouldn't dare to wear to school, her dedication to self-care and getting ready in the morning to impress Nate (Jacob Elordi) is peak teenager. Yes, there's something toxic about the consumerism that's become an innate part of self-care culture, but we'd be lying if we said that we haven't spent hours preening and prepping before class or a school dance.
It's just too bad no one appreciates Cassie's passion for fashion. When the pretty blonde shows up to school in a Dolly Parton-esque dress, Maddy (Alexa Demie) asks why she's dressed like a "country music star."
"In a good way or a bad way?" Cassie cries, to which Maddy says, "Bitch, you better be joking." Naturally, Cassie loses her s--t and goes off on a rant in which she reveals she's in love with Nate—only this doesn't actually happen, it's just Cassie's internal reaction.
Then, there's sweet Lexi (Maude Apatow), who is living in her own little world. She begs the vice principal to let her put on a school play after realizing that her inability to speak up for herself is because she's an "observer" to other people's experiences. If the world was a movie, she'd be writing or directing it, choosing which outfits Cassie looks "sluttier, tackier, sloppier," or chastising Rue for showing up to set (class) high.
Even Cal (Eric Dane) has a moment of relatability in the intro, where we are introduced to him as a young, athletic and attractive teen. He seemingly has it all, with girls clamoring after him and a best friend named Derek, who feels like an extension of himself. But he secretly has feelings for Derek and they're briefly reciprocated—until his girlfriend finds out she's pregnant with Nate.
On a less relatable note, Cal decides to confront Fez (Angus Cloud) about his sex tape with Jules, which Nate claimed was the cause of his fight. Little does Cal know that Ashtray is Fez's biggest protector, and he ends up getting the lights beat out of him. As blood streams down his face, Cal pleads with Fez to give him the tape and not tell anyone that he slept with Jules, inadvertently revealing that he filmed himself having sex with a 17-year-old he met online.
Fez, being the man of reason that he is, lets Cal go on one condition: "Keep your bitch-ass son out of my life."
The rest of the episode shows an entrepreneurial Rue as she propositions that monotone drug lord from the previous episode. Ali isn't stupid and confronts her about the suitcase filled with drugs, at which point she ruins her relationship with him by asking if he's going to hit her like he did to his ex-wife.
And Nate decides to get back with Maddy. Obviously, he doesn't actually love her because he's still sleeping with Cassie, but he needs to be with her if he's going to get his dad's sex tape back.
Euphoria airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.