Season 2 Euphoria Spoilers Ahead! If you think you’ll never watch it, change your mind.

Lexi’s play at the end of Euphoria Season 2 was absolutely spectacular (episodes 7 & 8).

Throughout the series, Euphoria utilizes cross-cutting, “a film editing method that combines different events to depict moments that co-occur inside the narrative structure” (Nashville Film Institute). Cross-cutting is often used between scenes that occur simultaneously and is sometimes used to give a brief flashback. However, Euphoria takes it to another level, deftly switching between scenes that occurred in the present, the past, the future, in a character’s imagination, and in moments that never even occurred in the first place. They do this without captions or explanation, thus cueing the viewer to interpret for themselves each scene’s significance in the narrative. There were even scenes that simply existed as a creative exposition device, like when Rue dressed up as a detective or a professor who taught the class about “terrifying” vs. “horrifying” dick pics. These playful moments of juxtaposition prepared the viewer for an incredible culmination in Lexi’s play which featured cross-cutting between the characters sitting in the audience, their personal memories, and their counterparts on stage.

This sequence used scenes that supposedly happened the weeks leading up to the play (like Nate and Cassie in bed together), scenes that occurred after the play (Rue telling Lexi how much she enjoyed watching), and scenes that occurred long before, like Rue’s dad’s wake. This sad scene, like others, had already been shown previously, but insert it within the context of Lexi’s play, and suddenly there is a much lighter, even hopeful tone.

Fez’s empty seat creates suspense as we wonder what could possibly have caused him to miss Lexi’s play entirely. It’s disheartening to watch him suit up so eagerly when we know that, for some reason, he’ll never make it. As we ask ourselves these questions, we intercut between several other plot points like Rue looking over at Jules, Cassie trying to comfort Nate, and the tension between Maddie and Cassie. However, at no point did I feel exhausted, wishing to return to the “A plot,” because it was all A! The experience simply would not feel complete without all the different storylines taking turns to support and lift each other beyond their individual potential.

They could have just told the story chronologically — exposition and prep in the penultimate episode, the play in the final episode — and it would’ve been great. But they decided to go for spectacular! All the cross-cut snippets are not random, they gradually come together to form a mosaic poem, telling the story in the only order that it could be told. I felt like I was reading one of those poems where the author has highlighted select words in an ordinary book, creating a hidden message throughout the passage. Only in this poem, there are five or six color-coded ideas running down the page at any given point. Sam Levinson and the crew cut apart the different narrative lines and created a patchwork that tells an intricate story of empathy.

And I think that was the purpose of putting Lexi’s play at the end. By this point, we’ve seen everyone’s perspective, idyllic or ugly as it may be. While watching the play I couldn’t feel disdain for any of the characters. Even Nate is the hero of his own misogynistic story. Given the circumstances, you can almost see how he became the way he is. Empathy isn’t about right or wrong (but just so I’m clear, Nate Jacobs is most certainly wrong).

Cross-cutting is utilized throughout the series as if in preparation for the season two finale. It was a necessity with such a diverse and interwoven cast. From episode 1, I always felt disappointed to leave one character’s story and excited to enter the next, only to taste the same bitter-sweetness upon returning. But the cross-cutting shined the most in Lexi’s play.

The play allowed Rue to see herself from a similar perspective as we, the audience, see her. The bigger picture, the messiness of life, “the things that you say that you shouldn’t have said… That’s what makes life worth living” (Levinson). It’s a cue to love oneself despite your countless “unforgivable” mistakes and to look toward the future in hope. It reminds us that our mistakes do not define us. Neither do our accomplishments. Any individual life will seem less significant if interwoven into a tapestry. And that’s actually a good thing. It reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously and not to hold on so tightly to our mistakes and limiting beliefs.

I really liked that Rue and Lexi switched roles as the narrator in the last two episodes. Who better to tell this multi-layered story than someone who had spent so much time studying it from the outside.

What else did I like in Euphoria:

Zendaya - In the scene where Rue’s mom finds out she’s doing drugs again, Zendaya brings out a level of terror we simply weren’t expecting or comfortable seeing from her character. We’d seen flashes from her previous withdrawal episodes, but that’s all in the past, right? Wrong. After getting to know Rue more, this scene hits hard. At Rue’s best, she is a quirky and intelligent wallflower, like Zendaya’s MJ in Spider-Man. At her worst, she is completely unrecognizable. Incredible performance, yet so hard to watch.

Fez (Angus Cloud) - This man makes me laugh every time he opens his mouth. Especially when Cal confronts him and Ash in their home. “You’re confused? I’m fucking confused!”

The Music - From classical to gospel, from goofy to desperate, serene to silent. The music was critical in setting the tone for a show as manic-depressive as its protagonist.

Works cited:

“The Theater and Its Double,” “All My Life My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name.” Euphoria, created by Sam Levinson, season 2, episodes 7-8, HBO, 2022.

“Cross-Cutting – Everything You Need To Know.” Nashville Film Institute, https://www.nfi.edu/cross-cutting/.

Other resources:

You’re not alone. If you or someone you love needs help text EUPHORIA to 741741

Nfi.edu on cross-cutting

nfi.edu on intercutting

Perhaps the most popular example of cross-cutting is in Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010): Read filmutopiablog post

Join in the discussion!

Feel free to comment below any insights about the series, feedback on my analysis, or recommendations of media that use crosscuts or other storytelling techniques. If I like it, I’ll post an analysis on my blog.