How disturbing IS Euphoria? Show’s most controversial moments

Euphoria fans were left horrified by the long-awaited premiere of series three after watching characters partaking in fetish work and suffering with bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea. 

The HBO show follows the former students of East Highland High School after a five-year break, charting their new lives as adults.

Yet despite boasting a star-studded cast including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi, critics have not been impressed.

While the show was famed for breaking boundaries with its graphic portrayal of teenage drug use, sex and violence, fans claimed creator Sam Levinson’s ‘disturbing’ and ‘misogynistic’ storylines have ‘gone too far this time’.

Meanwhile, brutal reviews have said the new series has an over-reliance on ‘shock value’ elements such as nudity and sexuality rather than developing decent storylines. 

So, just how disturbing is Euphoria? And how does the brief glimpse at series three compare to the previous seasons? 

Substance abuse 

Euphoria has a ‘severe’ rating for alcohol, drug and smoking content on the parents guide section of IMDB. 

The first episode of season one wastes no time depicting drug use, with the show’s protagonist Rue (Zendaya) looking back on her battle with depression and how it led to her addiction and failed rehab stint. 

Rue’s overdose is shown, with the disturbing scenes depicting her being found unconscious in a pool of her own vomit by her younger sister. 

Another shot shows her being forced to take fentanyl by a dealer. 

Other characters are also seen abusing drink and drugs across all three seasons. 

Notably Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) has to be pulled out of a hot tub after drinking to the point where she projectile vomits on everyone.  

By the end of season two, Rue has landed herself in debt with a local drug dealer, who puts her in a bathtub and injects her with morphine.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, or D.A.R.E. was quick to criticise the show, claiming it ‘glamourises’ drug use. 

D.A.R.E released a statement that read: ‘Rather than further each parent’s desire to keep their children safe from the potentially horrific consequences of drug abuse and other high-risk behavior, HBO’s television drama, Euphoria, chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use, addiction, anonymous sex, violence, and other destructive behaviors as common and widespread in today’s world. 

‘It is unfortunate that HBO, social media, television program reviewers, and paid advertising have chosen to refer to the show as “groundbreaking,” rather than recognising the potential negative consequences on school age children who today face unparalleled risks and mental health challenges’. 

In response to the criticism, Zendaya told Entertainment Weekly: ‘Our show is in no way a moral tale to teach people how to live their life or what they should be doing. 

‘If anything, the feeling behind Euphoria, or whatever we have always been trying to do with it, is to hopefully help people feel a little bit less alone in their experience and their pain. 

‘And maybe feel like they’re not the only one going through or dealing with what they’re dealing with.’

Violence 

Euphoria has a ‘moderate’ rating for violent content on IMDB, noting: ‘Blood and gore is infrequent but when it happens there is lots of it.’ 

Nate (Jacob Elordi) is seen attacking several characters in the show, including his girlfriend Maddy (Alexa Demie) whom he strangles so violently that she is left with bruise marks on her neck. 

The couple’s on/off relationship features several scenes of physical violence, including Nate pinning her down and threatening her with a gun to her head. 

He is also seen attacking college student Tyler (Lukas Gage) who slept with Maddy, leaving him bloody and bruised and forced to wear a neck brace. 

Nate threatens more violence towards Tyler if he won’t take the fall for leaving Maddy with bruise marks on her neck. 

In season two, drug dealer Fez (Angus Cloud) beats Nate to within an inch of his life, leaving him bloodied and bruised and in need of a lengthy hospital stint. 

A throwback scene implies that Fez was beaten by his father as a child, and he is then raised by his drug dealer grandmother (Kathrine Narducci). 

His little ‘brother’ Ashtray (Javon Walton) is responsible for several violent scenes, with the 12-year-old attacking other characters with a hammer and a knife. He is killed by police in a violent shootout. 

Another disturbing scene depicting child violence shows a young Jules (played in adulthood by Hunter Schafer) cutting her wrists after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital because of her gender dysphoria.  

There are also several depictions of violent sex and rape.  

Sex and nudity 

Euphoria has a ‘severe’ rating for sex and nudity content on IMDB. 

Characters are seen in various states of undress, including graphic full frontal nudity from the men. 

Nate’s father Cal (Eric Dane) secretly records himself having sex with women, men and transgender suitors, some of whom are underage. 

His revenge porn stash is discovered by Nate in childhood, who later reveals he has frequent nightmares about being raped by his father. 

Cassie is a victim of revenge porn, with her videos of her performing sexual acts mocked by the male characters and passed around the school. 

She is seen topless in several scenes while having sex with boyfriend Chris (Algee Smith) including one violent exchange between the pair. 

Another disturbing scene shows her masturbating on a carousel in public while under the influence of drugs. 

Having struggled with body confidence, Kat (Barbie Ferreira) posts videos of herself in lingerie online, wearing a cat mask to conceal her identity, and starts making money as a financial dominatrix.

What’s disturbing about season three? 

Viewers expressed their disgust after the season launch, revealing they’d been left feeling sick by characters throwing up and suffering with bouts of diarrhoea.

Particularly nauseating scenes include Rue and Faye (Chloe Cherry) – struggling to choke down lube-covered balloons of fentanyl in order to smuggle it over the Mexico-US border. 

The characters are seen struggling for air and vomiting while forcing down the drugs – but the scenes for extracting the fentanyl are even more gruesome. 

In order to obtain the drugs, the pair are forced to defecate in a strainer – which is later washed off and used to serve spaghetti. 

While waiting for her turn to use the toilet, Faye struggles with a bout of explosive diarrhoea, with a dog eating the excrement. 

Another scene that shocked viewers took place between Cassie and Nate, who are now engaged and living in the suburbs.

While struggling to raise enough money for their dream wedding, Cassie turns to OnlyFans, shooting fetish content dressed as a dog and baby among other characters.