Connect with us
Zendaya on the special episode of "Euphoria" (HBO)

TV

Euphoria‘s Temporary Return is Amazing, in a Whole Different Way

Euphoria: “Trouble Don’t Always Last” Review

When Euphoria debuted on HBO in the summer of 2019, it came across at first like the latest edition of the sort of TV show or movie that comes along every decade or show: The “shocking,” “controversial” depiction of teenagers in crisis, having sex, doing drugs, and everything else. This was Kids in the ’90s, and Thirteen in the ’00s. 

That, combined with a kinetic visual style that wore out its welcome quickly, made Euphoria not have the greatest first impression. It also didn’t help that creator Sam Levinson’s 2018 movie, Assassination Nation, had a similar vibe, without being especially good. Euphoria is also a rare American adaptation of an Israeli show that didn’t have anything to do with spies. 

But I must admit that Euphoria seriously grew on me throughout its first season. It had a talented, deep cast, full of multifaceted characters, and the show had the great idea of filling entire episodes with the backstories of each character. The season also included one of the better TV episodes of the year, set at a local carnival. 

Trouble Don’t Always Last

The cast was led by multi-platform star Zendaya, and also included several performers- Barbie Ferreira, Sydney Sweeney, and Alex Demie- who have appeared in movies since Euphoria last aired. But the breakout on the series was Hunter Schaefer, a trans actress playing a trans teenager, and pushing boundaries in the way that type of character has been depicted in television. 

In a normal world, Euphoria would have returned in the summer of 2020, to considerable buzz. But like everything else, coronavirus ruined all that, delaying both the production and the debut of season 2. But in the meantime, HBO has given us a taste of more Euphoria, with a two-part special before the full season comes back at some undetermined point in 2021. 

The first part debuted Friday on HBO Max and will arrive on “regular” HBO Sunday night… and it’s kind of amazing. Even though it has a significantly different pace and tone from a typical episode. 

Trouble Don’t Always Last

The new episode takes Euphoria to a level it had never before reached, by doing something completely different.

Yes, it’s called a “special episode,” and it deals with a specific social episode, but the new Euphoria installment rises above both of those cultural archetypes. 

The episode is called either “Trouble Don’t Last Always” or “Part 1: Rue,” depending on which episode guide you’re looking at, and while it begins with a brief scene of Rue and Jules in bed together, the bulk of the hour is a two-hander, featuring Rue (Zendaya) and her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Ali (Colman Domingo) sitting together in a diner on Christmas Eve. 

The two discuss their personal histories, the nature of sobriety, and both of their considerable regrets about the past. There are confessions, and there are tears. It’s tough to watch at times, but also expertly written, directed, staged, and acted. 

Domingo is a longtime stage actor, who may recognize from Fear the Walking Dead, and such movies as If Beale Street Could Talk and the upcoming Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. This episode is an acting tour de force from him, met at every beat by Zendaya, showing a vulnerability in the Rue character that was mostly hidden by false bravado through most of the first season episodes. 

Trouble Don’t Always Last

Levinson, the creator, who also wrote and directed the episode, said in a post-episode featurette that he had planned to include the diner discussion as a much briefer scene in a Season 2 episode, but once the pandemic postponed production, he decided to make an entire episode out of the concept. 

This was a great decision because the new episode takes Euphoria to a level it had never before reached, by doing something completely different. 

Written By

Stephen Silver is a journalist and film critic based in the Philadelphia area. He is the co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle and a Rotten Tomatoes-listed critic since 2008, and his work has appeared in New York Press, Philly Voice, The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Tablet, The Times of Israel, and RogerEbert.com. In 2009, he became the first American journalist to interview both a sitting FCC chairman and a sitting host of "Jeopardy" on the same day.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Warfare review: Joseph Quinn and Will Poulter suffer the horrors of combat — but to what end?

Film

IShowSpeed Brings Chaos And Star Power To DICK’S Sporting Goods

Celebrity

Summer Walker Channels Marvin Sapp After Chris Brown Announces More Breezy Bowl XX Dates

Celebrity

Billie Eilish and Finneas Join Jason Owen’s Sandbox Management

Celebrity

Eminem Officially Becomes A Grandpa As Daughter Hailie Jade Welcomes First Child

Celebrity

The White Lotus Creator Mike White Responds To Composer’s Controversial Exit

Celebrity

This Cancelled Minecraft Movie Concept Art Looks Better Than What We Got

Film

G20 review: President Viola Davis goes Rambo against Antony Starr’s crypto bro terrorist

Film

The Weeknd Reveals His New Album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” Was Originally A Film

Celebrity

22 acts we can’t wait to see at Coachella 2025

Celebrity

Nelly Wants Court To Impose Sanctions On Ali Jones For Dropped St. Lunatics Lawsuit

Celebrity

How Did Havoc End? Unpacking the Shocking Twists in Netflix’s New Tom Hardy Action Movie

Film

NLE Choppa Introduces His New Children’s Book To Memphis Preschoolers With A Read-A-Long

Celebrity

Big U Is Considering Asking Donald Trump For Help With His Massive RICO Case

Celebrity

Megan Thee Stallion Called Out By Houston Rapper For Allegedly Stealing Her Song

Celebrity

Danny Brown Teases “SCARING THE HOES” Volume 2 With JPEGMAFIA

Celebrity

Connect