How the Hit Show “Euphoria” Accomplished What “13 Reasons Why” Couldn’t

When season two of the HBO Max show, “Euphoria” released on January 9th, the hype surrounding the 2019 drama was immediately rekindled. As a show that centers around the lives of troubled high school students, the show tackles intense and serious topics, such as substance abuse, sexual violence, and depression. Unlike other shows that tried to discuss similar topics, such as the controversial “13 Reasons Why,” “Euphoria” is able to portray teen mental health in a way that doesn’t sugarcoat or glamorize the issues at hand.

“13 Reasons Why” focused on the lives of high school students after the suicide of a fellow classmate, Hannah Baker. Though the show brought up important topics, it received intense backlash for some of its portrayals. Most notably, the graphic portrayal of Hannah Baker’s death was removed from the show years later. Additionally, violent scenes of sexual assault and bullying were especially triggering for some viewers.

“Not everything needs to be shown, visibly, graphically, for us to know that it happened, so sometimes telling the story is as good as showing the story,” said Dr. Samira Rajabi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. After “13 Reasons Why” ignored this idea, the consequences were clear. 

According to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there was a 28.9% increase in suicides of teens aged 10 to 17 in the month following the original release of “13 Reasons Why”. Beyond the problematic suicide scene, the characters were never seen getting support after these experiences. “Representation of healthy coping mechanisms is important,” said Professor Rajabi. 

While “Euphoria” does portray drug use and mental health struggles, the show makes a deliberate effort to demonstrate the harms of unhealthy coping mechanisms and how to get help. 

When the main character, Rue, is on drugs or in the depths of withdrawal, viewers see her discontent. In the show, her addiction’s impacts on her life are almost exclusively negative, hurting her relationship with her girlfriend, her sister, and even her drug dealer. 

Even though Rue doesn’t want to get help, the people around her provide mechanisms of support. Her NA (Narcotics Anonymous) sponsor, Ali, for example, tries to help her realize the danger of her addiction. 

“You’ve got your issues and you’re gonna be struggling with those issues for the rest of your life. That’s a fact,” Ali said in a special episode between the first and second seasons. “The problem is, you look at sobriety as a weakness in the face of those issues and what I’m saying is, sobriety is your greatest weapon.” Balanced portrayals can start healthy dialogue and create feelings of comfort as long as they come with trigger warnings. 

“I think it’s the responsibility of media creators that if they’re going to show something that could be harmful, they also offer support to viewers and warn viewers of what’s coming so people aren’t blindsided.” continued Professor Rajabi. 

Prior to the release of season two, model and lead actress on the show, Zendaya, made an Instagram post addressing this very thing. “This season, maybe even more than the last, is deeply emotional and deals with subject matter that can be triggering and difficult to watch,” the post read. “Please only watch it if you feel comfortable. Take care of yourself and know that either way you are still loved and I can still feel your support.”

In addition, the Euphoria resource page links to organizations that can help viewers who might be struggling with excessive drug use, their sexuality, or sexual violence. The show also has a crisis line that viewers can text to receive immediate help from a crisis counselor. 

While showing topics related to abuse and mental illness is never easy, “Euphoria” is sure to show the harsh realities of living with these problems instead of glamorizing the idea of struggling or promoting unhealthy coping mechanisms. Though “Euphoria” isn’t perfect, it can serve as an example of how to portray heavy and painful content to a large audience.