S02.E07: The Theater and It's Double

[juno]

Art imitates life as the East Highland crew watches their complicated dynamics play out onstage.

Episode airs Feb 20, 2022

 

[SeanC]

Forget Fez, Lexi's ideal man is Max Fischer from Rushmore; only he could truly appreciate her dedication to high school theatre production values.

Technical masterclass there, I expect this to be nominated for a lot of production-related Emmys.

The makeup department on this show does a really good job of making the twentysomething actresses look younger.

[dmc]

I need a hero

I loved Lexi's play.

Nate and Cassie as it dawned on them what they were seeing and their faces LOL

Nate was definitely abused by Cal that's why his behavior changed and he gets so angry at his mom for defending his dad. 

Maybe that's why phantom brother wants nothing to do with them

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by dmc

[DrSpaceman73]

I mean the play is great. 

But there is just no way that would be written, produced, made of allowed in any fashion at a high school theater level. It's just way beyond suspension of disbelief.  

No high school would ever let a play like that be shown for one. 

Maybe she's a genius and could wrote the play but the acting, production, etc, by a high school, no....

But beyond that sure, great play within a show episode. 

[dmc]

2 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I mean the play is great. 

But there is just no way that would be written, produced, made of allowed in any fashion at a high school theater level. It's just way beyond suspension of disbelief.  

No high school would ever let a play like that be shown for one. 

Maybe she's a genius and could wrote the play but the acting, production, etc, by a high school, no....

But beyond that sure, great play within a show episode. 

Our high school plays were amazing.  It depends on how much money and talent your school has

[juno]

Not a big fan of the filler type episodes where they look back at the past, so the Fez story had me quite interested but it was cut short with little  resolution.

Did enjoy the mirror being placed in front of everyone and their reactions.

[aghst]

1 hour ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I mean the play is great. 

But there is just no way that would be written, produced, made of allowed in any fashion at a high school theater level. It's just way beyond suspension of disbelief.  

No high school would ever let a play like that be shown for one. 

Maybe she's a genius and could wrote the play but the acting, production, etc, by a high school, no....

But beyond that sure, great play within a show episode. 

 

1 hour ago, dmc said:

Our high school plays were amazing.  It depends on how much money and talent your school has

In this case, they had a professional choreographer who designed the "I need a hero" gay orgy dance number.

Yeah you have to suspend a little disbelief that a high school play would have these production values and be smart in the writing.  Or that a school would allow that musical number, especially when it could be seen as mocking a student.  Sure the other characters in the show got tweaked but those were short one-liner type of things where as the musical number went on and on, probably endlessly from Nate and Hallie, I mean Cassie's POVs.

 

But you wonder, did all the students and parents in the audience think that Nate had these unresolved issues about his sexuality?  The big man on campus football star?  The way they were screaming during the musical number, it was like some cathartic release of something they believed but it exploded out into the open.

 

The scene at Fezco's was tense, kind of unbelievable the way Ash sees Custer has to be killed.  And he cooly goes into the living room with the knife under his sleeve.

[methodwriter85]

Damn, Ethan. Austin Abrams has my undying devotion now.

[Marley]

Good episode. 

I doubt a high school could do that intense of play but I still enjoyed the episode. I don’t know in this day and age they’d be allowed to do something like that but Nate sucks so oh well. I guess the whole school hates him lol.

Cassie and Nate bleh. No shock there things blew up quickly. Cassie is gonna snap I’m pretty sure.

Rue is starting to lose my interest. Her mom should just kick her out if she’s giving up on her. I don’t care about her and Jules either. I actually don’t care about Jules at all.

So was Nate’s dream telling us his dad abused him. I was disturbed watching that. I remember the one ep his mom said Nate’s behaviour changed at a certain age. Was that when his dad sexually abused him? So fucked up.

Whatever is gonna happen at Fez’s place is not gonna be good.

I did think the last musical number went on a bit long.

[dmc]

5 hours ago, aghst said:

 

In this case, they had a professional choreographer who designed the "I need a hero" gay orgy dance number.

Yeah you have to suspend a little disbelief that a high school play would have these production values and be smart in the writing.  Or that a school would allow that musical number, especially when it could be seen as mocking a student.  Sure the other characters in the show got tweaked but those were short one-liner type of things where as the musical number went on and on, probably endlessly from Nate and Hallie, I mean Cassie's POVs.

 

But you wonder, did all the students and parents in the audience think that Nate had these unresolved issues about his sexuality?  The big man on campus football star?  The way they were screaming during the musical number, it was like some cathartic release of something they believed but it exploded out into the open.

 

The scene at Fezco's was tense, kind of unbelievable the way Ash sees Custer has to be killed.  And he cooly goes into the living room with the knife under his sleeve.

That was the disbelief for me that the school would allow the sexual connotations there. It was also kind of a disbelief for me that they would let her put on a play they hadn’t read.  The money aspect was not. 
I still remember when my school did Anything Goes and we literally had a double decker cruise ship set.  Some schools have a lot of money in the theater department.  And yes my theater teacher Ann Martin used to bringing ringers to teach things like choreography too.  
 

 

[SunnyBeBe]

I like Lexie, but was not a fan of the play episode.  

[Ruby Red]

I did like Lexi's play, I think it was done with sensitivity and some humor. You get more insight into Lexi. The Lexi and Rue scenes were nice and aw, the Lexi/Rue/Fez scene, I knew Lexi and Fez met before!! And they have been talking every day in the past few months! I don't really understand the timeline of Fez not being at the play though, were the scenes at his house meant to be before the play? I guess that was before the play and we'll find out next week why he didn't show up.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Ruby Red

[DrSpaceman73]

7 hours ago, aghst said:

 

In this case, they had a professional choreographer who designed the "I need a hero" gay orgy dance number.

Yeah you have to suspend a little disbelief that a high school play would have these production values and be smart in the writing.  Or that a school would allow that musical number, especially when it could be seen as mocking a student.  Sure the other characters in the show got tweaked but those were short one-liner type of things where as the musical number went on and on, probably endlessly from Nate and Hallie, I mean Cassie's POVs.

 

But you wonder, did all the students and parents in the audience think that Nate had these unresolved issues about his sexuality?  The big man on campus football star?  The way they were screaming during the musical number, it was like some cathartic release of something they believed but it exploded out into the open.

 

The scene at Fezco's was tense, kind of unbelievable the way Ash sees Custer has to be killed.  And he cooly goes into the living room with the knife under his sleeve.

I think the other students likely just viewed it as a general comment that football despite being such a 'manly' game is filled with homoerotic allusions. Probably nothing specific about nate unless you knew him well enough to have an inkling of his background with his dad. 

It's like the volleyball scene in top gun. Does it mean all those fighter pilots were gay?  No.  Is it funnier with all the years of tom cruise gay rumors?  Sure. 

5 minutes ago, Ruby Red said:

I did like Lexi's play, I think it was done with sensitivity and some humor. You get more insight into Lexi. The Lexi and Rue scenes were nice and aw, the Lexi/Rue/Fez scene, I knew Lexi and Fez met before!! And they have been talking every day in the past few months! I don't really understand the timeline of Fez not being at the play though, were the scenes at his house meant to be before the play? I guess that was before the play and we'll find out next week why he didn't show up.

Yes the show certainly blurred the lines between what was in the play And what was happening/ happened in real life, somewhat purposely I'm sure. 

[dmc]

So Rue was doing drugs before her dad died?

 

[MrWhyt]

4 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I think the other students likely just viewed it as a general comment that football despite being such a 'manly' game is filled with homoerotic allusions. 

I laughed out loud at Nate's complaint of "that was so homophobic" when he walked out of the play at that part. Like he's suddenly a friend to LGBTQ+ people.

[qtpye]

 

11 hours ago, Marley said:

So was Nate’s dream telling us his dad abused him. I was disturbed watching that. I remember the one ep his mom said Nate’s behaviour changed at a certain age. Was that when his dad sexually abused him? So fucked up.

It is terrible if Nate was sexually abused by Cal. We all know that Cal already emotionally abused him. it would make sense with what his mom said about him.

However, I am a little tired of everything always centering around him. There have to be other boys in this community. Lord, please don't also have Kat be involved with him next season.

It feels like Cassie is a masochist and Nate is a sadist.  He will soon get bored with her.

11 hours ago, Marley said:

Rue is starting to lose my interest. Her mom should just kick her out if she’s giving up on her. I don’t care about her and Jules either. I actually don’t care about Jules at all.

Yeah, I feel that they want me to be invested in Jules and Rue's relationship, and most of the time I forget that they were together.

We have been told since season 1 that Rue is madly in love with Jules but really never given a reason why.

I remember Fezco said in season 1 that he knew Rue would dig Jules' "Sailor Moon" type vibe...okay? 

I don't believe they are a great love. They seem more like a high school infatuation that usually dies out by the time the characters reach college.

Edited February 21, 2022 by qtpye

[dmc]

I have a theory
 

If Nate was sexually abused the reason he gave the tape to Jules is because he’s hoping she will come forward as a victim that way he won’t have to.  I think he is secretly hoping she turns his dad in to the police. 

I think we all know him giving the tape to Jules had nothing to do with his dad’s business.  It would be safer for him to keep the tape or to destroy it himself.  As long as the tape is out there his dad’s business is not safe.

I think he miscalculated because Jules doesn’t see herself as a victim or Cal as a perpetrator but I think that was his intention.  

He says to her I was protecting someone who didn’t deserve it.  

I think he speaking both to Jules and himself.

I think he wants to hold his dad accountable but he doesn’t want the role of a victim.

 

I also think that the third brother is older and just doesn’t want anything to do with them

[meligator]

3 hours ago, dmc said:

So Rue was doing drugs before her dad died?

 

Yes, she was shown taking his pills and sitting with him watching TV - he was on so many drugs he didn't realize she was high.

[dmc]

59 minutes ago, meligator said:

Yes, she was shown taking his pills and sitting with him watching TV - he was on so many drugs he didn't realize she was high.

This is interesting because she always alludes to the fact that her father’s death was the precipice for her addiction.  

15 hours ago, aghst said:

 

In this case, they had a professional choreographer who designed the "I need a hero" gay orgy dance number.

Yeah you have to suspend a little disbelief that a high school play would have these production values and be smart in the writing.  Or that a school would allow that musical number, especially when it could be seen as mocking a student.  Sure the other characters in the show got tweaked but those were short one-liner type of things where as the musical number went on and on, probably endlessly from Nate and Hallie, I mean Cassie's POVs.

 

But you wonder, did all the students and parents in the audience think that Nate had these unresolved issues about his sexuality?  The big man on campus football star?  The way they were screaming during the musical number, it was like some cathartic release of something they believed but it exploded out into the open.

 

The scene at Fezco's was tense, kind of unbelievable the way Ash sees Custer has to be killed.  And he cooly goes into the living room with the knife under his sleeve.

I think they just all hate Nate 

[Guy Incognito]

If any of you are Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, this episode reminded me of the Avatar episode "The Ember Island Players".  A lot of over the top exaggerations of the actual facts for comedic reasons, mixed in with the serious tones of what actually happened.  One of my favorite Avatar episodes for sure.

Wonder if Lexi got a lot of her inside level info from a local cabbage merchant... 

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, Guy Incognito said:

If any of you are Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, this episode reminded me of the Avatar episode "The Ember Island Players".  A lot of over the top exaggerations of the actual facts for comedic reasons, mixed in with the serious tones of what actually happened.  One of my favorite Avatar episodes for sure.

Wonder if Lexi got a lot of her inside level info from a local cabbage merchant... 

One of my favorite episodes of a tv show ever.

[Marley]

The Fez stuff was happening before the play and I think we will see what happened there next episode.

Cal would prob get away with what he did to Jules even if she turned him in. Guys like him always do.

Cassie and Lexi’s mom being so pumped she was in the play did make me laugh.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Marley

[tennisgurl]

I will just suspend my disbelief that their school could not only afford such massive production values for a students autobiographical self written play or that a school would allow such obvious sexual themes concerning actual students who are sitting right there, Lexie's play was pretty awesome. Doing all of that as a high school students, she might be an actual genius with that level of commitment and talent in just a high school play that she seems to have written, directed, and choreographed mostly by herself. That was a really good episode, I enjoy these really stylized character episodes, they play into the shows strengths with music and cinematography. Everyone's reactions to the play were great, especially Lexie's mom just loving the shit out of it.

Lexie had to know she was playing with fire with the Nate song. Even if the school at large didn't know it was specifically Nate, he certainly does and she knows what a ticking time bomb he is. I always wondered if Nate had sexual abuse in his past somewhere, it really explains a lot about his issues, so if that's what the flashback was really about, that makes a lot of sense. Especially after his mom said that Nate was a sweet little boy and then a switch suddenly seemed to flip and Nate got rather uncomfortable. Disturbing stuff. 

The part that really got me was when Lexie was talking about how close she and Rue used to be and how she felt like there got to be a point where she couldn't refer to her as her best friend anymore, its just really sad seeing them grow apart, they barley even interact anymore. 

[Shorty186]

This was definitely the most entertaining ep of the season. I was so upset when it ended. But what the hell am I suppposed to feel about Cassie?

I don't feel sorry for her because she's literally asking Nate to abuse her. To control her in whatever way he wants. Maddy, I feel sorry for because like the play pointed out, Nate was like her first relationship. Her first "love" was a sociopath. But they are making it seem like she's distancing herself from him now. Maybe she has gained perspective about how their relationship was from the outside.

But Cassie had a previous relationship with McKay and even though they had problems, it was way less f*cked up than what she has with Nate. She's like her own abuser. Isolating herself by driving her friends and family away. Willingly giving away all her power to Nate.

I know "Euphoria" isn't supposed to be a morality tale, but honestly I feel like this "romance" has the ability to f*ck up more people than the drug use.

[CynicalGirl]

5 hours ago, qtpye said:

 

It is terrible if Nate was sexually abused by Cal. We all know that Cal already emotionally abused him. it would make sense with what his mom said about him.

However, I am a little tired of everything always centering around him. There have to be other boys in this community. Lord, please don't also have Kat be involved with him next season.

 

Actually, I was thinking (definitely not hoping) that his next conquest might be Jules. Because of the connection they had during the Tyler thing, and that he gave her the dvd, she might see some compassion there. These girls all seem to think there's someone worth saving under his fucked up exterior (wrong). Also, during his dream, when he hugged the blonde, they only showed her eyes, and I swore those eyes looked like Jules to me. (I could be wrong). He may also be intrigued by the whole trans thing, which of course he does not want to admit.

3 hours ago, meligator said:

Yes, she was shown taking his pills and sitting with him watching TV - he was on so many drugs he didn't realize she was high.

 

2 hours ago, dmc said:

This is interesting because she always alludes to the fact that her father’s death was the precipice for her addiction.  

 

Yes, she started stealing her dad's narcotics when he was dying, so it's more like her father's illness AND subsequent death was the precipice for her addiction. 

[dmc]

6 minutes ago, CynicalGirl said:

Actually, I was thinking (definitely not hoping) that his next conquest might be Jules. Because of the connection they had during the Tyler thing, and that he gave her the dvd, she might see some compassion there. These girls all seem to think there's someone worth saving under his fucked up exterior (wrong). Also, during his dream, when he hugged the blonde, they only showed her eyes, and I swore those eyes looked like Jules to me. (I could be wrong). He may also be intrigued by the whole trans thing, which of course he does not want to admit.

 

Yes, she started stealing her dad's narcotics when he was dying, so it's more like her father's illness AND subsequent death was the precipice for her addiction. 

I feel like Nate and Jules is coming next season.  

[Bluesky]

20 hours ago, dmc said:

Our high school plays were amazing.  It depends on how much money and talent your school has

Unless you’re at a performing arts school, all the money on the world couldn’t have pulled that off.  A huge cast, a dozen professional male dancers, a tiny stage that supposedly held about 15 different sets ready to roll in.   
There’s usually a handful of talent in a typical high school doing dated musicals and Shakespeare.   Not enough to make anything amazing though.  

[dmc]

5 minutes ago, Bluesky said:

Unless you’re at a performing arts school, all the money on the world couldn’t have pulled that off.  A huge cast, a dozen professional male dancers, a tiny stage that supposedly held about 15 different sets ready to roll in.   
There’s usually a handful of talent in a typical high school doing dated musicals and Shakespeare.   Not enough to make anything amazing though.  

I’m sure some schools have a handful of talent and minuscule budgets, I just didn't go to one 

[Bluesky]

19 hours ago, aghst said:

 

In this case, they had a professional choreographer who designed the "I need a hero" gay orgy dance number.

Yeah you have to suspend a little disbelief that a high school play would have these production values and be smart in the writing.  Or that a school would allow that musical number, especially when it could be seen as mocking a student.  Sure the other characters in the show got tweaked but those were short one-liner type of things where as the musical number went on and on, probably endlessly from Nate and Hallie, I mean Cassie's POVs.

 

But you wonder, did all the students and parents in the audience think that Nate had these unresolved issues about his sexuality?  The big man on campus football star?  The way they were screaming during the musical number, it was like some cathartic release of something they believed but it exploded out into the open.

 

The scene at Fezco's was tense, kind of unbelievable the way Ash sees Custer has to be killed.  And he cooly goes into the living room with the knife under his sleeve.

I think the football dance was funny to the audience because of the way male athletes sometimes act, not about Nate in particular.  
They better not kill off Fezco, the fact that he  didn’t show up for the play ruined it for me.  

[heatherchandler]

3 hours ago, Marley said:

 

Cassie and Lexi’s mom being so pumped she was in the play did make me laugh.

Suze was loving it! 

[luckyroll3]

I'm just wondering who the faculty advisor is for this production. Wow. Cause:

 

[Zima]

Lexi's mom's reactions to the play, and Maddie shouting, "LEXI! YOU'RE A G!" during the whole gay football dance sequence had me laughing out loud. 

[DrSpaceman73]

14 hours ago, Marley said:

The Fez stuff was happening before the play and I think we will see what happened there next episode.

Cal would prob get away with what he did to Jules even if she turned him in. Guys like him always do.

Cassie and Lexi’s mom being so pumped she was in the play did make me laugh.

I think the moms and also Rue are at least comfortable with themselves so just being included in the play is fine because they won't be embarrassed by what is shown, good or bad.  They've made peace with who they are and their lives, good and bad. Rues reaction I think was literally like a shrug, 'ok'.. 

That is as opposed to Cassie, nate and Maddy, who are more like, 'oh shit people are going to be shown what horrible, shallow people we are!'

Of course most probably already view them that way anyway, but I think they are arrogant enough to believe otherwise

Edited February 22, 2022 by DrSpaceman73

[DrSpaceman73]

13 hours ago, Shorty186 said:

This was definitely the most entertaining ep of the season. I was so upset when it ended. But what the hell am I suppposed to feel about Cassie?

I don't feel sorry for her because she's literally asking Nate to abuse her. To control her in whatever way he wants. Maddy, I feel sorry for because like the play pointed out, Nate was like her first relationship. Her first "love" was a sociopath. But they are making it seem like she's distancing herself from him now. Maybe she has gained perspective about how their relationship was from the outside.

But Cassie had a previous relationship with McKay and even though they had problems, it was way less f*cked up than what she has with Nate. She's like her own abuser. Isolating herself by driving her friends and family away. Willingly giving away all her power to Nate.

I know "Euphoria" isn't supposed to be a morality tale, but honestly I feel like this "romance" has the ability to f*ck up more people than the drug use.

Yes i think this is part of the theme of the show. Obviously rue and her drugs are ruining her life, but in the same way the passions of each character and the 'euphoria' they seek is each their own demon that is destroying them. 

Nate is a control freak who can't control everything. 

Cassie wants to be loved, by everyone, and anyone, no matter the cost.

Maddie is obsessed with nate and the glitter, glamour, rich lifestyle. 

And on and on.....

It's the dont go chasing waterfalls song turned into a series. 

[cmfran]

Random observation: the music playing over the end credits was the theme from the notorious 80s horror film, "Cannibal Holocaust." I recognized it immediately since I'm a horror nerd, but considering how obscure that is, I feel like it has to mean something. 

[qtpye]

17 hours ago, Marley said:

The Fez stuff was happening before the play and I think we will see what happened there next episode.

Cal would prob get away with what he did to Jules even if she turned him in. Guys like him always do.

Cassie and Lexi’s mom being so pumped she was in the play did make me laugh.

 

16 hours ago, Shorty186 said:

This was definitely the most entertaining ep of the season. I was so upset when it ended. But what the hell am I suppposed to feel about Cassie?

I don't feel sorry for her because she's literally asking Nate to abuse her. To control her in whatever way he wants. Maddy, I feel sorry for because like the play pointed out, Nate was like her first relationship. Her first "love" was a sociopath. But they are making it seem like she's distancing herself from him now. Maybe she has gained perspective about how their relationship was from the outside.

But Cassie had a previous relationship with McKay and even though they had problems, it was way less f*cked up than what she has with Nate. She's like her own abuser. Isolating herself by driving her friends and family away. Willingly giving away all her power to Nate.

I know "Euphoria" isn't supposed to be a morality tale, but honestly I feel like this "romance" has the ability to f*ck up more people than the drug use.

 

14 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

Suze was loving it! 

 

2 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I think the moms and also Rue are at least comfortable with themselves so just being included in the play is fine because they won't be embarrassed by what is shown, good or bad.  They've made peace with who they are and their lives, good and bad. Rues reaction I think was literally like a shrug, 'ok'.. 

That is as opposed to Cassie, nate and Maddy, who are more like, 'oh shit people are going to be shown what horrible, shallow people we are!'

Of course most probably already view them that way anyway, but I think they are arrogant enough to believe otherwise

It was so nice to see Lexi's mother being so supportive of her for once.

 

 

[methodwriter85]

15 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Maddie is obsessed with nate and the glitter, glamour, rich lifestyle. 

I wonder if it's not that Minka Kelley is trying to seduce her, but trying to get her into prostitution. Being a high profile Madam living in a suburban neighborhood is totally within the wheelhouse of this show.

[Arthur Jury]

So far they are ignoring the giant 3000# gorilla in the room: Ru lost (Actually her mother flushed it down the toilet) $20,000 worth or drugs from the scary dealer lady who said she'd kill her, her family, or kidnap her into prostitution slavery if she didn't pay it back.  Does anyone think the show would stoop so low as to kill off sister Gia as punishment ? How does Ru get out of this ? Turn informant for the cops, gonna need witness protection if that happens...

45 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

I wonder if it's not that Minka Kelley is trying to seduce her, but trying to get her into prostitution. Being a high profile Madam living in a suburban neighborhood is totally within the wheelhouse of this show.

Yeah I wondered that too.... especially after the hot tub scene. 

[Krizz]

What's bothering me is why is no one talking about Laurie and what she is going to do to Rue because obviously she doesn't have the money or the suitcase anymore so I'm going crazy wondering what is gonna happen next lol 

[aghst]

On 2/24/2022 at 10:30 AM, Krizz said:

What's bothering me is why is no one talking about Laurie and what she is going to do to Rue because obviously she doesn't have the money or the suitcase anymore so I'm going crazy wondering what is gonna happen next lol 

No problem!  Rue isn't going to do drugs any more so she won't go by Laurie's place.  Or Fez's for that matter.

Yes Laurie did say she always gets her money one way or another and has a bunch of scary-looking men working for her.

But she's happy for Rue that she kicked the habit, even though she tried to get her hooked on heroin!🙄

[AWhittle]

Well...

Support the arts, specifically the high school theatre arts, the drama clubs etc...

i won't rehash it, but that production looked so professional and well budgeted for a high school play.

I remember Shakespeare' s Hamlet, where Hamlet did a play exposing something and sending a message to a person in the audience,

 

Interestingly, a lot of women have made comments about Cassie taking Nate from Maddy situation. The women said that somethings similar happened to them when they were a teen and spent half of their early 20s not trusting anyone. The betrayal  messed up their relationships, mindset, etc. Then there is this Lexi and Fez, and this whole dangerous bad boy crush thing, this "I can fix him and take care of him" thing.

[Scarlett45]

On 2/21/2022 at 4:38 PM, Shorty186 said:

This was definitely the most entertaining ep of the season. I was so upset when it ended. But what the hell am I suppposed to feel about Cassie?

I don't feel sorry for her because she's literally asking Nate to abuse her. To control her in whatever way he wants. Maddy, I feel sorry for because like the play pointed out, Nate was like her first relationship. Her first "love" was a sociopath. But they are making it seem like she's distancing herself from him now. Maybe she has gained perspective about how their relationship was from the outside.

But Cassie had a previous relationship with McKay and even though they had problems, it was way less f*cked up than what she has with Nate. She's like her own abuser. Isolating herself by driving her friends and family away. Willingly giving away all her power to Nate.

I know "Euphoria" isn't supposed to be a morality tale, but honestly I feel like this "romance" has the ability to f*ck up more people than the drug use.

I don't think the universe of the show is saying anything about Cassie is aspirational. Last season with McKay, they had issues, but it was in the "typical" realm of growing up, asserting yourself, the emotional complexities of romantic relationships etc. McKay had his issues but he wasn't evil like Nate. I think we are supposed see that Cassie is SO DAMAGED that she has "jumped ship" and Nate is just an example of that. Cassie was always jealous of Maddie and Maddie's faux confidence- but I have to give it to Maddie that she is no push-over. 

Cassie didnt steal Nate from Maddie though. They were broken up and it was shady for them to hook up given their history with Maddie and Cassies close friendship with her (and keep it a secret as long as they did), but Nate is a POS and everything he touches is so toxic, we are scared for Cassie, we were never scared for Brenda or Kelly after the Summer of Deception (90210) no matter what side of the triangle you were on. 

[FrancescaFiore]

I am admittedly way late. But there's no way a high school would allow this theater production to do that I need a hero number.