Review: The Tragedy of Rue, Cassie, and Nate in HBO’s Euphoria
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
Euphoria finally comes to an end. Many are disappointed, but many fail to realize the grim reality that Euphoria depicts. This season proved that American television goes beyond entertaining audiences and teaches the general public the realities of life. The general public seemed to have a problem with the storylines of three characters in particular: Rue, Cassie, and Nate. This is my psychological take on the performance and ultimate fate of these characters.
Rue, the protagonist of the series, perfectly portrays the struggles and life of an addict whose consequences ultimately lead to her death. Addiction is real, and it bears grim and devastating consequences. Addiction, in Rue’s case, leads to poor decision-making, but ultimately reveals something extraordinary about her character or the average addict. Rue died hopeful. In a world short of hope, Rue was the only one who hoped for an alternate ending. This reveals the reality of addiction and how addiction can take everything good about someone, but the mind is something that is untouched by the consequences of taking pills if left up to the victim. Even when pills brought Rue to her death, her hope gave her the closure and ending she was always hopeful for: to be with her mother. Many were disappointed with the death of her character, but it made the most sense for her. Euphoria has always been about Rue and her addiction, and like many who are addicted to pills, their story ends in the reality of death.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
Cassie, the overly sexualized mess of a character, sparked major controversy with the release of this new season. Deemed as “too much” or “dramatic in her sexual expression,” Cassie is simply the sad reality of what men sexualize. Many people seemed to feel as if Cassie was being portrayed in a manner that felt unaligned with sexual desires and fantasies. These fantasies exist. They are real. They are uncomfortable. It is refreshing to see a television series bring these desires and realities to life because not only does it bring awareness to the oversexualization of women in today’s world, but it reveals the dark truth about femininity. Cassie is written to expose the dark truths that exist in this overly sexual world. If uncomfortable by anything that Cassie did or says, it is worth thinking if your uncomfortableness is someone else's pleasure.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
Nate Jacobs, the closeted retired playboy, perfectly exemplifies the life of a man too concerned with the state of his image. Many felt as if the storyline that was developed between him and Jules was forgotten or had failed to be addressed. But like all things in life, sometimes humans create stories or problems that go unaddressed and fade into the distance. The storyline, in my opinion, was created to highlight the fragile and complex state of his character. On the outside, Nate was the man of Cassie’s dreams, yet he could not pull himself to live by that standard he set. He conducted business not because he cared, but because he felt as if it were his responsibility. Every decision that led to the death of Nate Jacobs ultimately reveals the amateur who stood before everyone. Nate Jacobs, a gay and inexperienced businessman, thought that the prerequisites of life (marriage, beautiful home, etc.) would enable him to live free of misery. In my opinion, Nate Jacobs did exactly as his father did. His father just luckily allowed himself to strategically make it out alive.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest
Euphoria’s ending can be described as bittersweet. Many people have their opinions, yet no one seems to find common ground in their feelings toward the series finale. That’s what is extraordinary about this series. Sex, drugs, and money will never satisfy you. No matter how much you have of each, the human being will always want more. Euphoria gave the public the same feeling someone struggling with addiction feels daily: dissatisfaction. No matter how much you take the pill, you will always leave dissatisfied. So you take it again.
