S01.E02: Stuntin' Like My Daddy

[Primetimer]

Episode Synopsis:

On the first day of school, Rue's excited about her new friend Jules, but struggles to put the past behind her and gets herself into trouble at Fezco's. Nate becomes obsessed with Maddy's hookup, Tyler, while trying to get back together with Maddy. Kat finds out a video of her has surfaced online. McKay takes the stress of college out on Cassie.

[meatball77]

Why doesn't Rue's mother control where she goes?  She's just riding her bike through orange trees with a beautiful mountain view to her drug dealers house and then passing out at her new friends house. . . .

[I-Kare]

So this town/city is large enough that there's a selection of "twinks and fembois" if that's your preference, but small enough that a father and son both choose the same one? 

I mean, it makes an interesting plot twist I guess, but really? 

[Zima]

51 minutes ago, I-Kare said:

So this town/city is large enough that there's a selection of "twinks and fembois" if that's your preference, but small enough that a father and son both choose the same one? 

I mean, it makes an interesting plot twist I guess, but really? 

I was under the impression that jock guy knows that it's Jules, knows what his dad did with her (from the porn CD stash), and is catfishing her to get revenge. 

[MrWhyt]

2 hours ago, meatball77 said:

Why doesn't Rue's mother control where she goes?  She's just riding her bike through orange trees with a beautiful mountain view to her drug dealers house and then passing out at her new friends house. . . .

and how would she do that? stern words? shackle her to a radiator?

[VagueDisclaimer]

How did Fezco know to call Jules to help with Rue? 

[scrb]

1 hour ago, Zima said:

I was under the impression that jock guy knows that it's Jules, knows what his dad did with her (from the porn CD stash), and is catfishing her to get revenge. 

They also had that confrontation at the party.

[scrb]

How did Rue ingratiate herself to Fezco?

She doesn’t have money so this drug dealer has a heart?  Guess he must, since he paid $600 to keep Rue from being raped.

Rue is kind to some like her little sister and Jules.  Absolutely monstrous to most other people, including her mother.

Sure she’s savvy enough to blackmail that guy but she was in over her head and is going to get in trouble again.  

She thinks she cares about her sister but her recklessness will hurt her sister, mess her up.

All these teens at this school are so good at blackmail and taking advantage of adults.  A little incredible.

I would think Nate would have lost all interest in Maddie if he believed she had sex with that guy.  But the actor playing him says in the Inside the Episode that she represents some kind of safe space for him.

Perfect summation of the character,  a scared little boy in this big, dangerous body.

[DiabLOL]

Nate is terrifying and I'm worried sick about everyone else.

Having said that, I think the writers are adults who have no clue about the characters they're writing about so I feel unsafe, to paraphrase Jules.

ETA did Nate rape Tyler?

Edited June 24, 2019 by DiabLOL

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, scrb said:

Perfect summation of the character,  a scared little boy in this big, dangerous body.

Jacob Elordi is massive. I remember people kept commenting on it in Youtube reviews of The Kissing Booth, and it works to pretty good effect here.

Quote

ETA did Nate rape Tyler?

I thought they were going there, but it seemed to have been left pretty vague. I did kind of wonder if it had just been a brutal beating, why he'd bother to take a shower but whatever.

I kept feeling like this show wanted to be Skins, but without the fun campiness. I don't know- I'm kind of interested because I do think the Nate plot is interesting, but this feels incredibly bleak.

[I-Kare]

8 hours ago, Zima said:

I was under the impression that jock guy knows that it's Jules, knows what his dad did with her (from the porn CD stash), and is catfishing her to get revenge. 

The tape didn't show a face though (I mean, I gues maybe from the side), and it looked dark and grainy. Not sure how he'd recognize her from that and his adrenaline charged 1 minute he "met" her at the party.

Edited June 24, 2019 by I-Kare

[Rickster]

Euphoria vs Real Teenagers

Not sure if this is behind a paywall

[luckyroll3]

1 hour ago, I-Kare said:

The tape didn't show a face though (I mean, I gues maybe from the side), and it looked dark and grainy. Not sure how he'd recognize her from that and his adrenaline charged 1 minute he "met" her at the party.

I think he knows enough about his dad's proclivities that he recognized (especially during their confrontation) that she's exactly his dad's type.

[I-Kare]

13 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

I think he knows enough about his dad's proclivities that he recognized (especially during their confrontation) that she's exactly his dad's type.

Hmmm...I'm still dubious. Maybe I'm just too skeptical but there's a difference between "oh this is the kind of person my Dad would like" and "this is the person out of everyone else in my city that my dad is having sex with." I mean, a lot of folks here didn't even know Jules was trans until they read comments, so again not sure how Nate figured that out from his few minutes with her. I guess he could be more "in tune" with looking for trans people due to his father? 

But this is all just a sticking point with me that I felt the need to comment on. There's no right or wrong and it's not like there's anything that can be done about it. Ha! So yeah. 

[SHD]

9 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I thought they were going there, but it seemed to have been left pretty vague. I did kind of wonder if it had just been a brutal beating, why he'd bother to take a shower but whatever.

I assumed it was such a brutal beating that he’d gotten blood all over himself so he took a shower to clean up. Same reason he changed clothing. They did keep it vague, though it seems like this show wouldn’t shy away from the chance to show something graphic if more had happened.

[jellybean1231]

11 hours ago, DiabLOL said:

ETA did Nate rape Tyler?

I was wondering the same thing. I got the impression he did based on the shower afterwards but hopefully we find out.

Jules went to the party right after having sex with Nate’s dad so I don’t think he would’ve seen a video with her in it at that point but maybe based on all the other videos he’s seen he’s able to recognize that she’s trans. 

Rue doesn’t act like a sober person and her mom has to realize that. I hope she doesn’t now get addicted to fentanyl or whatever drug that guy gave her at Fezco’s. Also I hate those situations when someone doesn’t listen. He told her to leave and then they all ended up in trouble. 

[revbfc]

First of all: someone better send Gregg Araki a check.

Second: during the cafeteria scene I was like “The episode is over.  Cool!”  Sadly, there was half an hour left.

Third (and finally): I stand by my Showgirls analogy from last week, but Showgirls was much less exhausting, and over by now.

Edited June 24, 2019 by revbfc

[methodwriter85]

35 minutes ago, revbfc said:

First of all: someone better send Gregg Araki a check.

Second: during the cafeteria scene I was like “The episode is over.  Cool!”  Sadly, there was half an hour left.

Third (and finally): I stand by my my Showgirls analogy from last week, but Showgirls was much less exhausting, and over by now.

I think this is HBO's attempt at capturing the Gen Z zeitgeist. I'm not that generation but I'm around a lot of them. I do think what it gets right is that these kids are HEAVILY influenced by porno- I'm around teenagers a lot and I swear to god I hear them talk about getting "choked" and other such porn buzzwords. (I mean, it makes sense- you are heavily influenced by your hormones at 17 and thanks to the internet porn is a readily available outlet for that.) And the internet is in general an all-encompassing thing.

That said, other than the trans actress, the lead not looking like a teenaged Chloe Sevigny, and smart phones, I feel like this is something you could have easily watched in 1995, just with the added gloss of an actual budget. I mean, at this point, is it really shocking that 17-year olds have sex and do drugs? I find it weird that this show is clearly trying to shock Generation Xers (who would be the parents of these kids) when they themselves had things like Kids and Doom Generation.

Nate is the only thing I'm finding interesting, because something is seriously, seriously wrong with that kid.

Edited June 24, 2019 by methodwriter85

[revbfc]

1 hour ago, methodwriter85 said:

I think this is HBO's attempt at capturing the Gen Z zeitgeist. I'm not that generation but I'm around a lot of them. I do think what it gets right is that these kids are HEAVILY influenced by porno- I'm around teenagers a lot and I swear to god I hear them talk about getting "choked" and other such porn buzzwords. (I mean, it makes sense- you are heavily influenced by your hormones at 17 and thanks to the internet porn is a readily available outlet for that.) And the internet is in general an all-encompassing thing.

That said, other than the trans actress, the lead not looking like a teenaged Chloe Sevigny, and smart phones, I feel like this is something you could have easily watched in 1995, just with the added gloss of an actual budget. I mean, at this point, is it really shocking that 17-year olds have sex and do drugs? I find it weird that this show is clearly trying to shock Generation Xers (who would be the parents of these kids) when they themselves had things like Kids and Doom Generation.

Nate is the only thing I'm finding interesting, because something is seriously, seriously wrong with that kid.

I love a good exploitation yarn as much as the next guy, but this just gets tedious.  Yes, kids can be venal, self-involved monsters; ho-hum.

[kokapetl]

Porn is everywhere, but Nate chose to watch all 40 dvds of his daddy’s “look at me while you choke on it” home movies? 🤢 

I think Nate raped Tyler, because Nate broke his never-nude rules in the apartment. Did he also get dressed in Tyler’s clothes afterwards? Wouldn’t they be too small for him?

Edited June 24, 2019 by kokapetl

[DiabLOL]

I'm still boggling at Nate's dad keeping his porn collection basically out in the open like that.

[tennisgurl]

We are still in early stages, but I feel like this show is trying too hard to shock adults instead of actually telling a story about this current generation of kids. Like they want adults to be so shocked and horrified by what kids are getting up to, like teens having sex and drinking is a brag new shocking revelation. And honestly, none of its hot takes are THAT shocking or interesting. Oh my God, teens are having sex! And doing drugs! Teenage boys are almost all sex obsessed pervs and teenage girls are just messy and into Instagram! Wow, I have NEVER seen any of that before in the media! Next up, lets hear your routine about airline food! 

The show is at its most interesting when its style matches the borderline surreal vibes, or when it actually deals with things that make this generation distinct, instead of stuff thats always pretty much been a thing, or even seems old fashioned and not very in keeping with kids these days. 

I do think this has a lot of potential still, as the acting is all great, the style is fascinating, and the characters have good bones to them, as long as they dont go too far into stereotypes or just being assholes all of the time. I think that Nate might actually be the most interesting character so far, even if being around him as a character is almost always deeply uncomfortable. Having a father like that, and finding his dads creepy porn stash clearly left him with some super fucked up ideas about gender roles, sex, and empathy works. Whats kind of interesting is that, while his misogyny is obvious, he isnt really a fan of men as a whole either, being disgusted by their bodies and their comfort with each other, and seeing most of them as potential abusers and rapists out to attack beautiful virgins for him to protect. And he sees any apparent "weakness" as a horribly offensive defect, which, yeah you can see why that creates problems. I didnt think that he raped Tyler, but I dont know with this show. I think if that happened, they would make it more obvious, in their attempts to be as shocking as possible. Maybe his story is the most interesting because there actually does seem to be a lot to dig into there, so hopefully we get more from the other characters as the show goes by. It was kind of darkly funny how Rues narration was saying how he had "no clue" where his anger issues came from, as he looked at the computer featuring his dads porn collection of the young gay men and trans women he gets off on subjugating and degrading. Gee, what could have been a slight factor in those issues?!

So that was the infamous multiple dick scene huh? Honestly I wasnt that shocked, beyond how weird seeing that many dicks on TV or a movie is. I think I saw that many vaginas on Game of Thrones in any episode featuring Littlefinger, and I dont remember much of a freak out. 

Edited June 25, 2019 by tennisgurl

[methodwriter85]

7 hours ago, kokapetl said:

I think Nate raped Tyler, because Nate broke his never-nude rules in the apartment. Did he also get dressed in Tyler’s clothes afterwards? Wouldn’t they be too small for him? 

There was also just this weird catonic look on Tyler's face that makes me think he got raped, but then again, that was a pretty brutal beating. In Nate's case, it's possible that he saw Tyler as less than a guy because he asserted his dominance over him in the beating and therefore it was okay to be nude around him? That could also go with the rape interpretation, though.

Quote

The show is at its most interesting when its style matches the borderline surreal vibes, or when it actually deals with things that make this generation distinct, instead of stuff thats always pretty much been a thing, or even seems old fashioned and not very in keeping with kids these days.  

I thought it was interesting in the pilot episode where Rue placed her birth as happening right after 9/11, but then it drifted off into things that for the most part could have happened to someone who was 17 in 1993 or in 2003. Hell, when I was 15 in 2001, I hooked up with an older man that I met online that was like 40, so even that part isn't THAT unique to this generation of kids. I also knew kids that were taking nude pictures of themselves and putting it up online. And then Rue's addiction story is pretty much as ho-hum as possible, including the fact that she has OCD, which was something that was already recognized in the 1980's. And if she does have OCD, why don't we see her doing as a teenager? Is that because she's self-medicating with the drugs? I don't really feel like Zendaya is playing the character as having OCD/possible schizophrenia- it really feels like chronic depression.

Like other than the dealer and his kid brother, none of these kids seem like they would have been shaped by the fact that their childhood occurred in the midst of the Great Recession, which bothers me. They could have had Kat deciding to become a cam girl because she wants to raise money for college, which by the way, is massively expensive for this generation of kids. That would have been a better motivation than just wanting to have attention and feeling "pretty" or whatever that scene was supposed to show us where Kat is loving the lust comments she's getting.

Edited June 25, 2019 by methodwriter85

[Fuzzy Logic]

Nate's character seems to pull focus and I think that is to the detriment of the show as a whole.  The actor is charismatic and talented, the character's backstory is tortured...but I am sick to death of the 'drama' of sociopathic men who are really scared little kids deep-down.  I am tired of being asked to understand the psychology of the abuser.  I get it.  We all get it.  I wish this show had a different story to tell.

[izabella]

I gave this two episodes and I am out.  I'm tired of unrelentingly grim stories about addiction, abuse, sexual assault and coercion, rape and violence.

Edited June 25, 2019 by izabella

[sadie]

2 hours ago, izabella said:

I gave this two episodes and I am out.  I'm tired of unrelentingly grim stories about addiction, abuse, sexual assault and coercion, rape and violence.

Agreed. I tried. Part of my issue is they haven’t given me much reason to even care about these people. It’s just all dark and ugly, there’s no relief, gosh show me a scene of one of them feeding their dog or visiting a nice grandma. One scene of the girl singing a song after she just got out of REHAB isn’t what I’m talking about because even that seemed depressing since the next scene is her just getting high again. It’s  just all dark rooms, rape, porn, drugs and the seediest group of humans I think I’ve ever seen in one collective. How this whole town hasn’t killed themselves out of sheer desperation about their lives is the only real mystery. 

[endure]

On 6/24/2019 at 12:08 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I think this is HBO's attempt at capturing the Gen Z zeitgeist. I'm not that generation but I'm around a lot of them. I do think what it gets right is that these kids are HEAVILY influenced by porno- I'm around teenagers a lot and I swear to god I hear them talk about getting "choked" and other such porn buzzwords. (I mean, it makes sense- you are heavily influenced by your hormones at 17 and thanks to the internet porn is a readily available outlet for that.) And the internet is in general an all-encompassing thing.

That said, other than the trans actress, the lead not looking like a teenaged Chloe Sevigny, and smart phones, I feel like this is something you could have easily watched in 1995, just with the added gloss of an actual budget. I mean, at this point, is it really shocking that 17-year olds have sex and do drugs? I find it weird that this show is clearly trying to shock Generation Xers (who would be the parents of these kids) when they themselves had things like Kids and Doom Generation.

Nate is the only thing I'm finding interesting, because something is seriously, seriously wrong with that kid.

I personally am shocked how big porn is with these kids.

Edited June 26, 2019 by endure

[endure]

8 hours ago, sadie said:

Agreed. I tried. Part of my issue is they haven’t given me much reason to even care about these people. It’s just all dark and ugly, there’s no relief, gosh show me a scene of one of them feeding their dog or visiting a nice grandma. One scene of the girl singing a song after she just got out of REHAB isn’t what I’m talking about because even that seemed depressing since the next scene is her just getting high again. It’s  just all dark rooms, rape, porn, drugs and the seediest group of humans I think I’ve ever seen in one collective. How this whole town hasn’t killed themselves out of sheer desperation about their lives is the only real mystery. 

You bring up a point i find over and over again with a lot of the series I have watched in recent years is that  I have no feeling or like for any of the characters.  So far this show is the same in that regard so there is just no feeling, connection or empathy.  

[merrick715]

I watched the first and second episode back-to-back and realized Cal and Nate's sexual style is uncomfortably similar. In the first episode, Cal pushes Jules face down into the mattresses, just like Nate does to Maddy, and neither Jules nor Maddy look like they enjoy it. To add an extra layer of creepiness, Nate learned those moves from watching his dad's homemade porn.

 I don't think Nate raped Tyler, but he did get off on wearing Tyler's clothes on his date with Maddy.

 

[qtpye]

I think l’m out. There is no substance to any of these characters and Zendaya is just not a strong enough of an actress to make this compelling. Her stumbling around looking like a pretty girl trying her best to be edgy is kind of sad. Jules is the most compelling character and we have to observe her through Zendaya’s eyes. The 90’s movie Kids was much mores successful in showing the horrors of adolescence in the first world then this bs. 

[GoldenHera]

Whew, this show. I am a fan of grim-dark series so the melancholy and abject horribleness of some of these characters does not put me off. 

Rue is a fascinating character and I am interested in watching her spiraling addiction. Nate is fucking terrifying. Jules seems very lovely, very vulnerable, and bound to be seriously hurt.

One thing that sticks out to me in this show is the absence of parents. I realize we are focused on the teens but even when we catch glimpses of the parents (like Cassie's mom and Nate's dad) the actual parenting shown is subpar. This, more than anything, rings the most true to life for me. I know The Media likes to describe this generation as being the product of 'helicopter parents,' but I have seen so much more hands-off, bordering on negligent, raised by YouTube parenting. Not to say that this is everyone, but along the two extremes, I see more of the later than the former. Rue and Jules' parents are probably the best and they are clearly out of their depth. 

On 6/25/2019 at 12:49 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Like other than the dealer and his kid brother, none of these kids seem like they would have been shaped by the fact that their childhood occurred in the midst of the Great Recession, which bothers me. They could have had Kat deciding to become a cam girl because she wants to raise money for college, which by the way, is massively expensive for this generation of kids. That would have been a better motivation than just wanting to have attention and feeling "pretty" or whatever that scene was supposed to show us where Kat is loving the lust comments she's getting.

I think this is ascribing a lot of forethought to the actions of an insecure teenager. This is only the second episode, but we have not seen these kids thinking critically about their future. They seem very id-driven. And honestly, that may be a reflection of growing up during the Great Recession and with a Climate Apocalypse approaching. 

[methodwriter85]

That's a good point. I am a Gen Yer who had friends at a very competitive high school (one went to Princeton) so my perspective is different. I'm assuming these kids are juniors at least and everything was about going to college because at the time it was still seen as the surefire bet to a good future. These kids being apathetic would actually make sense in the context of being Great Recession kids who probably know college educated millennial baristas or whatever. Really good point!

[Chaos Theory]

I was looking forward to a nice dark and gritty drug drama.  That is kinda my jam.  I like drug stories and I don’t mind if they are dark and depressing as long as there is something to it.  That being said I forgot how much I dislike HBO shows.  There has been maybe a handful I have liked.    This isn’t one of them.   My problem is that it is less dark  and more overly pretentious.    I think I am out.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[BigDfromLA]

The kids in this show are rotten human beings and the space-cadet adults are absolutely clueless...or rotten themselves. That principal was an incompetent fool and milquetoast who obviously gets walked all over by the students. I thought the 13 Reasons Why kids were disgusting, but they look like choirboys compared to this group. 

Lexi is like the one normal kid with good morals who is stuck with a collection of peers/classmates who live in the sewer. She should transfer schools.

I'm trying to figure out 1) where it is filmed and 2) where is the setting of the show (city/state). It looks like it is filmed in California, with the snow capped mountains in the background on the outdoor scenes. Possibly the L.A. area, Inland Empire or maybe even the Central Valley (Fresno or Merced) with the Sierras in the background. I have no clue where the story is set, in regards to city or state.

Edited June 30, 2019 by BigDfromLA

[xingu]

I think the writers are trying be clever with time and geography, but I don't understand why.  For example, all the interiors of the houses scream late '70s early '80s.  From the dark kitchen cabinets and formica tops to the foil wallpaper and furnishings.  The exception is the cell phones.  As for geography, is there really an orange grove that is that close to snow-capped mountains?  

Otherwise, I'm in for the ride. I see this as a subculture representation of life. 

[methodwriter85]

35 minutes ago, xingu said:

I think the writers are trying be clever with time and geography, but I don't understand why.  For example, all the interiors of the houses scream late '70s early '80s.  From the dark kitchen cabinets and formica tops to the foil wallpaper and furnishings.  The exception is the cell phones.  As for geography, is there really an orange grove that is that close to snow-capped mountains?  

Otherwise, I'm in for the ride. I see this as a subculture representation of life. 

Riverdale has been doing this thing where everything is kind of "time mashed" and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been following that. I think they're trying to go for that, too- I guess because they want to make things sort of timeless. Although that kind of goes against the whole, "We're trying to capture Gen Z" vibe of the show.

[xingu]

Thank you for this.  I follow neither show so I appreciate that input.  I just hope this show doesn't turn into an "Upside-down World" or heaven forfend another "Lost".

On a completely shallow note, are they using male prosthetics?  If not, it would be a nice change from the usual HBO titsafloppin' shows.

Edited June 30, 2019 by xingu

[kokapetl]

On 6/27/2019 at 1:08 AM, qtpye said:

Zendaya is just not a strong enough of an actress to make this compelling. Her stumbling around looking like a pretty girl trying her best to be edgy is kind of sad. Jules is the most compelling character and we have to observe her through Zendaya’s eyes.

Her opening narration is very blah, and I don’t understand why they don’t just have the other actual characters describe their own inner lives. 

Whats the deal with the ten year old tattooed drug dealer? 

Edited July 1, 2019 by kokapetl

[Patzing]

On 6/23/2019 at 10:11 PM, meatball77 said:

Why doesn't Rue's mother control where she goes?  She's just riding her bike through orange trees with a beautiful mountain view to her drug dealers house and then passing out at her new friends house. . . .

I think she has more than one job due to the loss of the father, plus she has to care for Gia, and in the third episode it's clear that her mom was contacting her very often but Rue never answered but idk.

[Patzing]

Just now, Patzing said:

I think she has more than one job due to the loss of the father, plus she has to care for Gia, and in the third episode it's clear that her mom was contacting her very often but Rue never answered but idk.

On 6/24/2019 at 12:56 AM, VagueDisclaimer said:

How did Fezco know to call Jules to help with Rue? 

I thought about this too, but I think Jules goes to Fesco for steroid shots or something. Also other people at the school know about Fesco and Ashtray. 

[heatherchandler]

On ‎6‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 1:23 AM, BigDfromLA said:

I'm trying to figure out 1) where it is filmed and 2) where is the setting of the show (city/state). It looks like it is filmed in California, with the snow capped mountains in the background on the outdoor scenes. Possibly the L.A. area, Inland Empire or maybe even the Central Valley (Fresno or Merced) with the Sierras in the background. I have no clue where the story is set, in regards to city or state.

Found an article -

Where is Euphoria on HBO filmed?

Euphoria was filmed all over Southern California in the US.

Some of the filming locations include Sherman Oaks and Torrance in Los Angeles County.

The high school scenes were filmed in Ulysses S Grant High School in Valley Glen.

This filming location was revealed by Sydney Sweeney, who plays Cassie in the show, who posted a video of her co-star Jacob Elordi interacting with fans at the school.

The school has also appeared in other televisions shows, including Saved by the Bell and The Office.

Another filming location for the HBO show is Del Amo Fashion Centre in Torrance.

Some of the scenes were also shot in Sony Studios in LA as cast members Jacob Elordi and Barbie Ferreira posted Instagram pictures from the location.

I can't decide if I like this show or not... are we giving up on it?  No new episode thread?

[revbfc]

Is there going to be a thread for episode 3?

[IndyMischa]

11 minutes ago, revbfc said:

Is there going to be a thread for episode 3?

I just started one. I'm still very much in for this show, although it looks like our numbers are dwindling.

[rue721]

On 6/24/2019 at 2:41 AM, DiabLOL said:

ETA did Nate rape Tyler?

I think so, mostly based on how they acted after -- the way Tyler was looking at Nate, and how Nate was strutting around. Honestly, I was pretty shocked.

On 6/24/2019 at 2:31 PM, jellybean1231 said:

Rue doesn’t act like a sober person and her mom has to realize that. I hope she doesn’t now get addicted to fentanyl or whatever drug that guy gave her at Fezco’s. Also I hate those situations when someone doesn’t listen. He told her to leave and then they all ended up in trouble. 

I felt pretty terrible for Fezco in that. You could see him freaking the fuck out and nobody was listening to him, he couldn't stop anything. Thank god he had enough money to pay off the supplier. And fuck Rue for getting in that position in the first place. She's so naive, it's exhausting.

And then Fezco's kid brother or cousin or nephew or whatever was eyeing the dealer's gun, like he was going to start a shootout? Wtf. Why?! That little kid is looney tunes.

On 6/24/2019 at 6:35 PM, DiabLOL said:

I'm still boggling at Nate's dad keeping his porn collection basically out in the open like that.

And on CDs, in a special little case? The whole thing is so weird.

On 6/24/2019 at 8:00 PM, tennisgurl said:

Maybe his story is the most interesting because there actually does seem to be a lot to dig into there, so hopefully we get more from the other characters as the show goes by. It was kind of darkly funny how Rues narration was saying how he had "no clue" where his anger issues came from, as he looked at the computer featuring his dads porn collection of the young gay men and trans women he gets off on subjugating and degrading. Gee, what could have been a slight factor in those issues?!

I dunno, I don't feel like his anger is really that justified. What his dad is doing is gross, but he's basically just any womanizer. I get why Nate doesn't like that, but it really has nothing to do with him, so *shrug*

It seems to me that Nate seems to have a very black-and-white view of things, and since he doesn't want to be the victim, he's going to be the bully. Because of course the whole world is just victims and bullies, natch. But that just makes him a garden variety asshole, pushing people around all the time. And what's especially weird is that he himself never gets pushed around. So it just ends up seeming like a big ego trip, to me.

I dunno, I think that Nate is a pretty dull character. But maybe he'll get in over his head and have to grow up a little or something.

[MissScarlett]

I feel like this makes me old but the amount of sex and sexual violence they've shown between "teenagers" in the first two episodes makes me feel deeply uncomfortable. Yeah, I know it happens but geezus... I don't need to be hammered over the head with it every other scene. It's overkill and detracts from the story in my opinion. It's almost scene-chewing at this point.

I think Zendaya is doing an incredible job in this. Her father's cancer diagnosis was the thread that unraveled her. I almost feel like the writers didn't need the extra step of the OCD diagnosis to show how neurodivergent her brain is. Someone up-thread mentioned this but she's more or less displaying manic depressive tendencies in between the highs.

Nate is a curious character but makes me feel like i'm watching a young budding serial killer in every scene. He's totally unpredictable, has deep-seated anger and misogyny issues, has no problem with extreme violence and is overall just one creepy dude. After the barbaric beating (and whatever else) he gave Tyler, i'm really thinking this kid is about ready to make his first kill.

 

 

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

On 6/23/2019 at 10:56 PM, VagueDisclaimer said:

How did Fezco know to call Jules to help with Rue? 

In the first episode, Rue goes to see Fezco right after she gets out of rehab. He tells her that there's someone new who he thinks she will be friends with (Jules) so even though he isn't a student at the high school, he seems to know everyone and what they're up to.

Part of me was so furious that Rue refused to listen to him when he told her repeatedly that she had to leave. But then I remembered how teenagers are often melodramatic ("I got a C on my math quiz - it's the end of the fucking world!") so I'm guessing she just didn't believe how serious he was. She was still rude for barging in and refusing to leave, but I think it was a case of total cluelessness. I mean, yes, from a rational perspective, if your drug dealer tells you that you need to go, you should probably listen but someone who is an addict isn't always being rational.

Nate is a ticking time bomb. I already thought it was gross when Rue described his relationship with Maddy (how he loved that she was a virgin and he wanted to protect her from all the men who would prey on her) but to see him stalk and then attack Tyler was sickening.

I want to like that Kat is taking charge of her sexuality but I hate that her self esteem and her overnight change are still due to other people's opinions of her. I wish I could tell her that you can be a confident badass without relying on feedback from guys.

 

[larapu2000]

On 6/30/2019 at 2:39 AM, xingu said:

I think the writers are trying be clever with time and geography, but I don't understand why.  For example, all the interiors of the houses scream late '70s early '80s.  From the dark kitchen cabinets and formica tops to the foil wallpaper and furnishings.  The exception is the cell phones.  As for geography, is there really an orange grove that is that close to snow-capped mountains?  

 

Visalia, California is in the San Joaquin Valley with the Sierra Nevadas very close by.

[Mattipoo]

On 6/26/2019 at 1:17 AM, endure said:

Agreed. I tried. Part of my issue is they haven’t given me much reason to even care about these people. It’s just all dark and ugly, there’s no relief, gosh show me a scene of one of them feeding their dog or visiting a nice grandma. One scene of the girl singing a song after she just got out of REHAB isn’t what I’m talking about because even that seemed depressing since the next scene is her just getting high again. It’s  just all dark rooms, rape, porn, drugs and the seediest group of humans I think I’ve ever seen in one collective. How this whole town hasn’t killed themselves out of sheer desperation about their lives is the only real mystery. 

This is such a depressing show, based on the 2 episodes I have watched so far. I don't think I want to re-live high school in such a bleak way so I am probably out. Zendaya is a good lead actress though, and I am glad she is getting recognition for this role.

[Scarlett45]

On 6/24/2019 at 2:08 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I do think what it gets right is that these kids are HEAVILY influenced by porno- I'm around teenagers a lot and I swear to god I hear them talk about getting "choked" and other such porn buzzwords. (I mean, it makes sense- you are heavily influenced by your hormones at 17 and thanks to the internet porn is a readily available outlet for that.) And the internet is in general an all-encompassing thing.

Hell- I was born in 1985 and I think my generation was heavily influenced by porn. No it wasn’t in our pocket, but it was on high speed internet and FREE and most of our parents didn’t know anything about blockers etc. So I firmly believe kids who had smart phones as they were hitting puberty are influenced by what they see on places like PornHub.

I felt awfully for Kat, at least we rarely had to wonder about dudes filming us without our consent (although I did have that concern in college). Remember the episode of Sex and the City where they guy was filming women without their consent and it was 1998. I did love how she clapped back on the Principal, “all fat people look like huh?” That made me chuckle. 

[Scarlett45]

On 2/7/2020 at 10:07 AM, MissScarlett said:

Nate is a curious character but makes me feel like i'm watching a young budding serial killer in every scene. He's totally unpredictable, has deep-seated anger and misogyny issues, has no problem with extreme violence and is overall just one creepy dude. After the barbaric beating (and whatever else) he gave Tyler, i'm really thinking this kid is about ready to make his first kill.

I feel the same way too. They left it vague but I too thought he raped Tyler. Nate’s the type that would be an “upstanding member of the community” and found to have bodies buried in the cellar.