The Most Disturbing Moments In Euphoria Season 2

Ever since the second season of "Euphoria" kicked off in January — after a nearly one-and-a-half-year long delay — the show's creator, Sam Levinson, has been under fire. Although the series' ratings exploded with its premiere, his writing and creative decisions have been constantly criticized by viewers in the last eight weeks. The basis for these criticisms is the excessive and frequent depiction of drug use, nudity, and violence in Levinson's drama.

It's no secret that the show's portrayal of its teen characters is a much bolder and darker approach than what we've seen on television before. After the debut season, Levinson has taken it up a notch, which caused controversy all over the internet and among certain cast members — who vocalized their dissatisfaction in various interviews. These eight episodes delivered some truly unsettling and disturbing moments.

Here, we gathered most of these instances that include spoilers from "Euphoria" Season 2. So, only dive in if you're up to date with "Euphoria" or don't mind learning about essential plot points.

This article contains discussions of drug use and addiction.

Before we get to the ominous party, Nate bumps into Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) in a parking lot and offers her a ride. Feeling low due to her recent breakup with McKay (Algee Smith), she agrees to go with him. Once they hit the road, Nate turns up the music while chugging down beers and the tension rises rapidly. The vibrating sexual chemistry between the two is undeniable.

The sequence becomes more distressing as Nate speeds up and keeps looking at Cassie with a devilish smile. We expect something tragic to happen — knowing Nate's erratic and often raging behavior — as we watch them on the edge of our seats, waiting for a disaster. But the catastrophe we anticipate happens internally, in a much more dangerous way: The two begin to fall in love with each other. That's probably the worst thing for both of them — we later witness the consequences of their destructive romance and how they hurt the people they love because of it.

In Episode 3, we learn about Cal's (Elias Kacavas/Eric Dane) past and how he fell in love with his best friend, Derek (Henry Eikenberry), when they were teenagers. After they graduate from high school, Derek insists the two should go and celebrate together. He knows a place when they will serve them alcohol: a gay bar out of sight. The two get drunk and, for the first time, express their feelings to each other before summer ends and they attend different colleges.

In the following episode — which takes place 25 years after that night — Cal decides to revisit the same bar and relive his memories. He drinks heavily, puts a song on the jukebox, and starts dancing with one of the customers. Then he begins imagining what it would be like with Derek, which makes him emotional. He asks the guy he's dancing with to wrestle — just like he and Derek did back in the day — and even though he refuses, Cal keeps insisting and eventually gets thrown out of the place. 

Levinson's depressive yet heartfelt direction recreates a painful memory we can relate to. It's one of those scenes that uses music and visuals in a perfect combination to channel a character's internal suffering, in a way that goes beyond words.

"Stand Still Like the Hummingbird," the fifth episode of the season, might be the most intense one Levinson has ever made. It focuses entirely on Rue after her mother finds out she's doing drugs again. Once she tells her daughter that she got rid of the suitcase full of opiates, Rue completely loses it. She lashes out at her in a furious fit. She shouts how bad a parent her mother is and that she has no idea what she's done to her. The scene is one of the toughest cold opens in the series, one that portrays the ugly side of drug addiction. The camera exposes the cruelest details, and the actors involved give their absolute best as well — especially Zendaya.

Witnessing a teen going through withdrawal symptoms is never an easy watch. Every word, every kick, and every shout cuts deep emotionally. Undoubtedly, it's one of the most disturbing moments of the season — and it's also an extremely important one. Although the depiction is raw and brutal, the scene emphasizes how crucial it is to pay attention to a teenager's mental health state as a parent and try to make the best decision ... even if it hurts like hell.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

One of the season's major conflicts is Cassie's secret relationship with her best friend's (Maddy) ex-boyfriend, Nate. Once she falls in love with him, the guilt eats her up inside. Her internal suffering comes to a tipping point when all the girls are celebrating Maddy's birthday at Cassie's place. She begins to drink excessively and almost loses total control when Nate shows up at the house and completely ignores her. Later on, when everyone is chilling in the hot tub, Cassie decides to join them. That's when Maddy and Nate get into an argument about their relationship status while Cassie silently observes the fight. Then she suddenly throws up on the girls and freaks out everyone.

The whole scene is pathetic and disgusting on many levels. It's depressing to see how Cassie's love for Nate makes her miserable and devastated. On the other hand, though, her moral dilemma is valid because she's sleeping her best friend's ex. There isn't a good way out of this for either of them, and they will have to face the consequences of their actions very soon.

After pitching a potentially lucrative deal to Laurie, Rue walks away with a suitcase full of drugs and, ironically, she heads straight to a NA meeting. When she walks in, Ali (Colman Domingo) spots that something's off about her. Once the meeting is over, he asks her what's in the suitcase. Rue lies and tells him that she doesn't want to hear another lecture about how her life would be better if she stopped doing drugs. When he insists, Rue mumbles "shut the f*** up," which upsets Ali. He says that he always accepted her for who she is — "the good, the bad, and the ugly" — and doesn't deserve to be disrespected. Then Rue makes a horrible remark on Ali being an awful parent, and he goes berserk — for a good reason.

Although Season 2 attracted the most attention via on-screen violence and nudity, it can also be equally cruel mentally and emotionally. Ali is the only person that truly understands and accepts Rue, despite her flaws. Thus her insensitive comments cut deep, because we know their relationship up close — including all the desperation, vulnerability, and depression they shared with each other before. Even though we're aware that she's relapsed, it doesn't make it easier to watch how she berates all the people who love and support her the most.

After the chase, Rue ends up at Laurie's home, trying to settle what she owes her. The old lady seems understanding and caring, but her priority is clearly the business. She appreciates that Rue brought jewelry, but she tells her that she'll need to pay the whole amount in cash. If she can't come up with it, she might have to compensate her in another way — the luck of being a woman, she says.

Eventually, the most excruciating period of her withdrawal catches up with Rue. She spends the night there and begs Laurie to ease her unbearable pain. As she gets worse — vomiting, shaking, running a fever — she even agrees to take morphine intravenously. If there's one thing that "Euphoria" depicts without any glorification, it's drug abuse and addiction. Watching her go through these extremely severe stages of withdrawal is not just disturbing but alarming, too. Any teenager or young adult who's considered taking drugs will think twice before they touch any substance in the future after seeing this sequence — and those who already did will empathize with Rue for going through the suffering.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).