The hit HBO original series is back, bringing new storylines with the characters we all love and hate. Euphoria follows Rue (Zendaya) and her friends as they navigate high school, drugs, and violence.

The Season 2 premiere drew 2.4 million viewers, more than doubling the series premiere back in June 2019. The latest episode, Episode 3, scored the series’ highest viewership, with 3.6 million viewers.

So what makes a show about high school so intriguing to viewers? The short answer: the characters we all love and the ones we love to hate. The first season caught our attention with the beautiful makeup and amazing cinematography. In contrast, the second season is leading us down a much darker road.

Season 2 starts off by telling the backstory of the lovable drug dealer, Fez. Since we first met him in Season 1, fans of Fez have been left wondering, “What led Fez to this life?” During Episode 1, we are introduced to Fez’s grandma, a character that appeared very briefly in the first season. During the first episode of Season 2, we are shown how Fez’s grandma introduced him to the drug industry and left him to take control of the “family business” when he was only a kid. During Episode 1, we also see our favorite high schoolers reunite at a New Year’s Eve party. 

The latest episode in Season 2, highlights Rue’s struggles to figure out a way to get drugs for free. Rue’s solution: get drugs by promising to sell them, but take them for herself. We are left wondering, “How is she going to repay all the drugs she is doing?” Unfortunately, Rue doesn’t seem to care. 

“Rue needs serious help,” said senior Sydney Kirbabas when asked how she feels about Rue’s idea and how she is going to pay off her debts. “I don’t think she has a plan. I don’t think she was thinking at all. I think as an addict all she could think about was her next high.”

A teenage show wouldn’t be a teenage show without some sort of messy relationship. This season, we are seeing Cassie doing everything she can to get Nate to notice her. Even though Nate was terrible and abusive towards Cassie’s best friend, that doesn’t matter to Cassie. 

This season also introduced two new characters, Elliot and Faye. Elliot, played by the charming Domonic Fike, is a fellow drug addict. Rue and Elliot became fast friends. With Elliot’s help, Rue tries to hide the fact that she has relapsed and is still getting high from her girlfriend Jules. 

“I don’t love him because of how he’s fueling Rue’s addiction,” Kirbabas stated about Elliot. “He’s cute though.”

Faye, played by Chloe Cherry, has been a fresh breath of humor this season. Faye is introduced when Fez and Rue go to get drugs to sell, and she instantly caught our hearts. Thankfully, she has continued to make regular appearances in the show. 

“I absolutely love Faye, it’s perfect how they use her to lighten the mood considering how heavy the show’s topics are.” Kirbabas added.

This season is already off to a crazy start, and fans can’t wait to see what will happen next.