Jules smiling at the carnival in Euphoria
Euphoria was a singular vision from the very beginning, but it wasn’t until season 1, episode 4, “Shook Ones Pt. II,” that the series became a modern classic. Sam Levinson’s English-language reimagining of the Israeli miniseries of the same name is one of the most salacious, controversial, deeply divisive TV shows of the 21st century.
It’s been praised for its moody cinematography and star-making performances, but it’s been criticized for its shallow writing, inconsistent character development, and excessive graphic content. It’s been alternately hailed as a powerful portrait of the horrors of addiction, and lambasted for sensationalizing and glorifying drug use. Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny that there’s no other show quite like Euphoria. But, like any TV series, it took a few episodes to find its feet. The pilot episode hooks you right away, with Rue being born in the aftermath of 9/11 and Jules threatening Nate with a knife at a house party. But it wasn’t until episode 4 that Euphoria lived up to its full potential and went from a promising new teen drama to a modern TV classic. Euphoria's Carnival Episode Got The Whole Ensemble In One Location The first four episodes of Euphoria had introduced a bunch of fascinating characters across the sprawling ensemble, and it had explored a small handful of key relationships within that ensemble. We got hints of Rue’s complicated history with Fezco, her burgeoning romance with Jules, and the staggering toxicity of Nate and Maddy’s relationship. There were a few key connections holding the ensemble together, like Rue’s childhood best friend Lexi being Cassie’s sister or Jules’ middle-aged hookup being Nate’s dad. Within just one or two episodes, Levinson had clearly defined all of the show’s main characters. But he didn’t put them all in one place until season 1, episode 4, “Shook Ones Pt. II.” This episode used the town carnival to put the whole cast in one location and get them interacting with each other. We saw Cassie and Maddy buying pills from Ashtray. We saw Rue and Jules piecing it together that Jules had sex with Nate’s dad. We saw Ethan’s awkward flirtation with Kat, and Kat’s insecure rejection of a healthy relationship. This is where Euphoria becomes a true ensemble show and starts shaking up which characters can share the screen. This would lead to all kinds of crazy team-ups in season 2: Lexi’s adorable romance with Fez, Cassie’s absurdly toxic affair with Nate, Cal’s encounter with the butt of Ash’s shotgun. This Episode Proved Just How Chaotic Euphoria Could Get “Shook Ones Pt. II” is full of iconic moments that helped to define the kind of show Euphoria would be. This is the episode that gave us the scene with Cassie on the carousel, putting on an erotic show for the whole town, which would later be repurposed as the centerpiece of Lexi’s play. This episode proved just how chaotic Euphoria could get. When Maddy senses that Nate’s parents are judging her, she marches right up to them in the midst of the chili cookout and — in front of a huge crowd — she calls Marsha the C-word and dumps Cal’s chili on the ground. “Shook Ones Pt. II” culminates in Jules’ first in-person meeting with “Tyler.” When Nate shows up and reveals it’s been him the whole time, Jules is devastated. We knew this was coming — the shock, the betrayal, the heartbreak — but it doesn’t make it any easier to watch when Jules realizes she’s been tricked and manipulated by someone she loves yet again. Euphoria’s fourth episode encapsulates what makes the show unique. This series is as beautifully shot as In the Mood for Love, but it’s messier than Real Housewives. It’s the perfect intersection of prestige television and trashy, soapy melodrama. There are valid criticisms to be made about Euphoria, but you can’t deny that it gets a strong reaction. People either love it or hate it — no one is indifferent to it. Jules' Backstory Is About As Dark As Euphoria Has Ever Gotten In its first couple of episodes, Euphoria settled into a format of exploring a different character’s backstory in every cold open. The first episode began with Rue’s backstory, then the second one revealed Nate’s dark history with his depraved dad, the third one explored Kat’s childhood insecurities, and so on. The series would drop this format in the second season when it became a lot less tightly structured and a lot more aimless and navel-gazey, but the first season kept it up until the finale. The opening of “Shook Ones Pt. II” dived into Jules’ origin story, and it’s easily the bleakest and most shocking of the bunch . Subscribe for deep dives into Euphoria and TV Get closer to what makes Euphoria tick—subscribe to our newsletter for detailed episode analysis, character backstories, and thoughtful takes on the show's moments and controversies, plus deep dives into other standout TV series. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. We see an 11-year-old Jules take a mysterious trip to a psychiatric hospital with her mother. As she’s being given a tour of the facilities, she slowly realizes she’s not just being shown around; she’s being admitted. But by the time she realizes that, it’s too late. Her mom is gone, and she’s not allowed to leave. It’s a truly horrifying backstory, and it goes a long way toward explaining why Jules has such a hard time developing healthy relationships later in life. It also creates the perfect dramatic bookend for the episode. The episode begins with 11-year-old Jules being betrayed by her mother, and it ends with 17-year-old Jules being betrayed by “Tyler.” Every time she trusts someone, it blows up in her face. Euphoria is about to return for season 3, more than four full years after the last new episodes aired on HBO, and it’s one of the most hyped-up, highly anticipated TV shows of the year. Season 2 was all over the place, but it made for wildly entertaining, utterly watchable television. Even if season 3 is just as messy, it’ll surely be a crazy ride. The third season of Euphoria will be a ratings hit by its reputation alone. This is must-see TV, and it’s all thanks to “Shook Ones Pt. II.” From Cassie dry-humping a merry-go-round to Maddy passive-aggressively overturning a pot of chili, this episode is full of iconic moments that established exactly what would make Euphoria so popular.
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