Euphoria, a show for the ages, has officially wrapped its second season. Arriving after a lengthy hiatus, the show was met with rabid fans, incessantly high expectations, and anticipation for a long-awaited return to the series. Whilst the actual coherence of the show compared to the first season is questionable, there’s no doubt that the show delivered on the hype, capturing an audience that couldn’t help but tune in every Sunday.
With both Lexi’s play and the second season wrapped up, we’re ranking all eight episodes of Season 2 for you - to determine which one takes the crown. It goes without saying that this article contains major spoilers for Season 2 of Euphoria, so if you’ve yet to see the explosive season finale of the show, you have been warned.
8) Episode 6 — "A Thousand Little Trees of Blood"
With all the highs, there must come lows. This episode of the season comes in last, particularly because it is a jolty, incoherent kerfuffle compared to its preceding episode. Granted, this episode has Ali (Colman Domingo) cooking for Rue (Zendaya) and her entire family, which is a nice feature.
Aside from this, we have the confusing mess that is Kat (Barbie Ferreira) and Ethan’s (Austin Abrams) breakup, which seems not only out of character, but incredibly jarring and strange to insert into the episode. With Nate (Jacob Elordi) threatening Maddy (Alexa Demie) and then sharing a weirdly tender moment with Jules (Hunter Schafer), the episode is jolting and seems to jump around from plotline to plotline. At least we got to see Lexi (Maude Apatow) finally stand up for herself as Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) spirals from the fallout of the previous episode. Tiny wins, people, tiny wins!
7) Episode 2 — "Out of Touch"
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The second episode of the season is another example of how all highs come with lows. The season premiere, being quite a strong episode, makes it so that the fallout from New Years (the core event taking place on Episode 1) feels like a comedown in Episode 2. Nate recovers in hospital but fantasizes about Cassie, Cassie finds herself wanting to keep seeing Nate whilst being terrified of Maddy, and Rue introduces Elliot (Dominic Fike) to Jules, setting up a love triangle that starts to shape the later season.
One plotline that this episode gives us is possibly the only component of Kat’s storyline that feels true to her character — self-confidence issues and finding it hard to remain passionate in her relationship with Ethan. That, plus Nate confronting Cal (Eric Dane) about his underaged relations with Jules, make for semi-exciting points in an otherwise quite bland episode. Regardless, it does a solid job at setting up the rest of the season.
6) Episode 3 — "Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys"
Euphoria makes a point in demonstrating that no one person is an explicit villain or hero — everyone has their flaws, making it not as simple to determine black and white morality. The Jacobs family, however, definitely tend to be more antagonistic than other characters. Cal Jacobs is the perfect example of this but Episode 3 does a great job at making you feel at least a little sympathy for the patriarch of the Jacobs family.
This backstory, combined with a weirdly hilarious encounter that Cal has with Fez (Angus Cloud), Ashtray (Javon Walton), and Faye (Chloe Cherry) makes Episode 3 an interesting watch. Not the most exhilarating watch of the season, but it has its moments for sure. Plus, there’s also the scene where Rue butts heads with Ali, and their encounter scarred viewers all over — making the episode memorable at the least.
5) Episode 8 — "All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name"
The season finale of the show had its moments, but ultimately, didn’t deliver as strongly as it could have, which is what keeps it lower on this list. Several substantial plot lines from Season 2 were never addressed again — such as Rue owing Laurie (Martha Kelly) money — one of the larger plotlines that seems to have vanished into thin air. With another set of scenes that seem disjointed or confusing, it definitely couldn’t compare to the Season 1 finale of the show.
Regardless, there were definitely moments that had audiences on edge. The entire scene with Fez, Ash, and Faye, after they are stormed by police, was both heartbreaking and captivating. Sweet moments between both Lexi and Fez (albeit, in flashback mode) and Lexi and Rue are also fan favorites — providing a lot of closure for the close friendship that had been hinted at so heavily in Season 1.
4) Episode 4 — "You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can"
This episode does a brilliant job at setting up the explosion that is its successor. The scene is set for Maddy’s birthday, which provides us with hilariously dramatic hot tub scenes with Cassie and Lexi’s mother, Suze (Alanna Ubach), and also heightens the tension (subconsciously) between Cassie, Maddy, and Nate. Rue, Jules, and Elliot also play truth or dare and steal some alcohol, which results in an explosive fight between Rue and Jules.
The episode closes off with Cal finally deciding to leave his entire family after a drunken monologue expressing his disdain for their hostility towards him, and Elliot confessing to Jules that Rue isn’t sober. These two key events, but most notably the second, lay the groundwork for the next episode to take place.
3) Episode 7 — The Theater and Its Double
Season 2 was Lexi Howard’s season - there’s no denying it. Lexi spent the season coming into her own, with the writing of her play being a catalyst of change. Episode 7 showcases the play alongside real-life flashbacks, telling the stories and secrets of many of the characters on stage.
The highlight of this episode was the scene that showcased Ethan playing Nate on stage in a locker room, set to the song Holding Out For a Hero. The scene was a brilliant depiction of anti-masculinity, targeting one of Nate’s most deep-seated insecurities. The play, with its astronomical budget, was a pinnacle of the season.
2) Episode 1 — 'Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door'
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The season premiere took place on New Year's — after all — new year, new beginnings. The episode was explosive, to say the least, with Jules and Kat rekindling their friendship, Rue almost going into cardiac arrest, Cassie and Nate’s scandalous encounters beginning, and Nate getting destroyed by Fez - the episode had it all.
After such a long time away, the show needed to come back with a bang, and this episode didn’t disappoint in the slightest. It built up an incredible amount of anticipation for the rest of the season, leaving fans hanging on for dear life.
1) Episode 5 — 'Stand Still Like the Hummingbird'
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The fifth episode of the season is the most powerful episode of this entire season — possibly even the entire show. The episode is the perfect culmination of the essence of what Euphoria is about — Rue, her addiction, and all the frightening aspects that come with it. With brilliant, emotional performances from the whole cast, most notably Rue, Leslie (Nika King), and Gia (Storm Reid), the episode had audiences hanging on the edge of their seats.
With Cassie’s secret exposed, Laurie’s terrifying guise as she injects Rue with morphine and human trafficking undertones, the episode shows a completely broken Rue, and how much she hurts not only herself, but all of those around her, in an extremely confronting portrait of addiction and what it can do to a person.