After having to wait two years because of COVID-19, season two of the show “Euphoria” aired on Jan. 9, 2022. Continuing on with the journey of our favorite high schoolers–Rue, Maddy, Lexi, Jules, Nate, Cassie, Kat and Fez–this season was filled with jaw-dropping drama and beautiful scenes.

This season introduced complicated love triangles, betrayal and shade that kept the audience captivated till the next episode, which aired every Sunday at 9 p.m. Rated TV-MA, for mature audiences, the show can be watched on the streaming service HBO Max. Those who want to watch the show should first check the trigger/content warnings before watching, as the show deals with many serious, heavy topics.

Warning, this article contains spoilers.

As Rue, played by Zendaya, faces many challenges in this season, she is arguably the most important character of the season. Diverting back to drugs after being clean, Rue goes down a rabbit hole of danger. Befriending Elliot, played by Dominic Fike, Rue goes back to doing drugs and the dangerous habits that follow its use.

In the first episode, the audience sees Rue go through a bad trip, resulting in her having a seizure. This relapse creates a problem for Rue as she struggles throughout her addiction and journey to become clean.

Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, and Rue reconnect but instantly face problems as Elliot interferes in their relationship. Similar to Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, and Cassie’s situation, Jules cheats on Rue with Elliot and a heartbreaking scene develops when Jules tells Rue’s mom that Rue is no longer clean.

I am very proud of Rue at the end of the season, although she lost my support during the middle of the season. I believe that Rue breaking up with Jules was beneficial to Rue’s mental health, although I do think she owed Jules an apology.

The main drama throughout season two of “Euphoria” revolves around Nate, Cassie and Maddy. In the first episode, set on New Year’s Eve, Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeny, is shown engaging in sexual intercourse with Nate, played by Jacob Elordi, Maddy’s ex.

Despite Cassie being Maddy’s best friend, Cassie is thrown into an evil light this season, taking a transformation that the fans and characters don’t like. Cassie is known to have a toxic obsession with male attention and appreciation. In season two, it is prevalent that Cassie loses herself to please Nate. This season, the audience sees that Cassie is going through many mental issues with her identity.

Dealing with heartbreak and betrayal, Maddy, played by Alexa Demie, is forced to confront her best friend and her abusive ex. Maddy goes through many emotionally traumatic episodes this season, and many scenes represent her more sensitive side.

Many fans, during this love affair mess, created polls and tweeted who they wanted to win if the season resulted in a fight between Maddy and Cassie. The majority of the vote was in favor of Maddy, as she has the better personality out of the two. I, along with many fans, wanted to see Maddy put Cassie in her place. Yet, the finale showed that the drama did not end with season two and could very well leak into season three.

Kat is rarely seen in this season, resulting in outrage from Kat fans. Supposedly, the actress that plays Kat, Barbie Ferriera, had an argument with the producer, Sam Levinson, which fans think is the reason for many Kat scenes being cut from the season. Regardless, Kat is shown having problems with her boyfriend Ethan, played by Austin Abrams. Kat’s maladaptive daydreaming is shown in detail this season, but no questions are answered about Kat’s development and side business as a cam girl.

A surprising kinship between Fez, played by Angus Cloud, and Lexi, played by Maude Apatow, is formed, which many fans support. Lexi confides in Fez regarding her play, “Our Life,” which takes up two episodes and serves as the big climax that the fans have been waiting for all season. Lexi produces a play that demonstrates the cast’s life.

Revealing all the secrets and personal experiences that each of the characters go through, Lexi creates the most dramatic event of the season. Ethan was the spotlight of the play, and he is one of my favorite characters after this season. Fans loved Lexi’s play and called her “the woman who ended Nate,” an ongoing joke on TikTok and Twitter. I was very happy that Lexi got her spotlight, as she was underappreciated last season.

However, the season had many flaws. Fans were not happy with the dragging storyline and the unresolved questions in the finale. The nudity was excessive during the season and was not prompted during most of the scenes. Personally, I think season one was better than season two, although season two had many iconic moments.

The finale also created contradictory opinions. One side liked the finale because it showed a minor physical altercation between Maddy and Cassie, while the other side did not like the finale because they thought it didn’t answer any questions that were formed during the season. The vague ending created even more questions, with several fans speculated when season three would be released, and what it would entail for our favorite characters. Season three is rumored to be released in 2024.