The pressure cooker that is the world of Euphoria continues to intensify.
Euphoria Season 2 Episode 2 managed to balance a lot of storylines very well, giving many of them a much-needed jolt in the right direction.
How do you solve a problem like Nate Jacobs?
He's one of the most problematic characters on TV, and you would think getting the living daylights knocked out of him would have given him some much-needed perspective.
Instead, he's scheming more than ever, and his lies might get some innocent people in a lot of trouble.
Nate was horrible on Euphoria Season 1, and he's going completely and utterly off the rails on Euphoria Season 2.
There was a glimmer of hope at the top of "Out of Touch" that he finally realized what he wanted in life, but leading Cassie on and lying to his father is only going to make things worse.
It was obvious Cal would want to get to the root of his son's attack, and quite frankly, he's one of the scariest characters to grace the small screen.
The way he gaslit Cassie and Lexie to reveal the attacker's identity was a new low, but what can you expect from someone as dark as Cal?
Does this darkness run in the Jacobs family, or are we to believe that Nate changed the day he realized what his father was?
Nate telling his father Fez, Rue, and Jules had the tape and threatened to go the police solidified that the kid would never change.
Cal spent much of the hour scrambling, thinking he was getting to the cause of why his son was almost killed, but Nate's lie took the wind right out of him.
The Jacobs are well-known in town, and their lives would unravel if anyone went to the police with the tape.
Cal was so high and mighty about saying he would get his friend on the force to find out the truth. He probably doesn't even have a friend on the force.
He strikes me as the type of person who has fear running rampant throughout his friend group.
Does he even have any friends? We already know what he gets up to in motel rooms, but has he fooled his wife and kids into thinking he has this thriving social life?
Cal was scary enough in the store when he seemed poised to confront Fezco, but Ashtray would have gotten the upper hand without a second thought.
That kid is super observant and can tell when things will go from zero to 100.
Then again, Cal knows there was an audience in the store. He will want to take down Fezco where it's quiet, and he can evade justice.
He was menacing in his delivery at the store. Poor Lexie knew something was about to go down, but it's clear that Cal is just biding his time at this stage.
Lexie knows she should avoid Fezco, but she also knows there's something amiss with Nate. Maybe she believes Fezco did what he thought was right.
Lexie is an enigma because she regularly sits on the periphery, observing everyone that passes through her life, rarely mustering the courage to have a conversation.
She feels comfortable with Fezco, and Maude Apatow is playing this more open iteration of Lexie to perfection.
Let's circle back to Nate and Cassie because what the hell is going on here?
Nate had visions of fathering a child with Cassie when he was close to death. They say your life flashes before your eyes, but he seems more about playing mind games with Cassie.
You can tell Cassie wants to have a relationship with him but is scared about the ramifications of her friends finding out.
Even though Maddy and Nate are not together, Maddy will look at it as an act of betrayal and take action.
Nate telling Cassie that Maddy would kill her was chilling. It really made Cassie feel the true extent of what could happen.
Despite Nate's many flaws, there is a genuine connection with Cassie. It truly was always a game with Maddy, so he probably doesn't know how to act in a relationship like this.
Rue and Jules getting close again was the big surprise of the hour. They were very clearly on different paths at the close of Euphoria Season 1.
Jules getting jealous of Elliot was not much of a shocker. Rue is getting closer to Elliot, and Jules understandably wondered why.
If only she knew the only thing they had in common was that they were getting high on narcotics.
Elliot is an intriguing enough addition to the world of Euphoria, but we don't need a love triangle at this stage.
It would be far more compelling to show Rue navigate this relationship independent of Jules.
Is anyone else shocked that Rue is managing to pull the wool over the eyes of those around her?
Only Ali could pick up on her using drugs, and it shows that Rue is seriously considering the optics to continue with her life while being high on drugs.
It is scary to watch because she could spiral out of control before we know it.
We've witnessed it happen before, but the broader issue is how Jules will react.
Jules was vocal in her special episode about being scared Rue would overdose, and sadly, history might repeat itself.
Zendaya truly gives it her all on this show, and I suspect she will be in line for even more awards love with her work on Euphoria Season 2.
Other tidbits:
- Kat is also close to going off the deep end. Her mental health suffers because she is faking that Ethan is this knight in shining armor. She needs a dose of reality.
- Faye living with Fezco will not result in anything good. He was nice to keep her safe, but he better hope the police do not close in on the shop again.
- Ali taking Rue home and introducing himself to her mother was a nice touch. He truly wants the best for Rue, but there will come the point he will need to cut her loose.
What did you think of all the twists and turns?
Hit the comments below.
Euphoria continues Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.