“B*tch, you’re my soulmate.” The line that Alexa Demie’s Maddy famously delivered to Sydney Sweeney (Cassie) in the first season of Euphoria came full circle during the era-defining show’s final season, where the pair’s competitive, on-again/off-again friendship remained a major focus.
And while the fate of Zendaya’s character Rue came to a tragic conclusion with her fentanyl-laced overdose, the 93-minute finale, ‘In God We Trust’ – which aired Monday – left the futures of Sweeney and Demie’s characters hanging in the balance.
Since the finale, Euphoria creator and writer Sam Levinson has confirmed there will be no more episodes of the hit series, telling The New York Times: “In terms of the story that we set out to tell, which is a story about addiction and its consequences, this feels like the end to me.”
But it didn’t feel like the end for Sweeney and Demie, the undisputed fashion and beauty icons of the series. Following the bloodbath at the Silver Slipper, what became of Maddy? Did she take up with Bishop? Was Maddy and Cassie’s Playboy-style influencer house actually a success? And would the dark truth surrounding Nate’s death ever be revealed?
For Demie and Sweeney, Euphoria felt like a defining moment long before this final chapter. In 2022, this writer sat down with the actors and their co-star Maude Apatow – who played Cassie’s straight-laced sister Lexi – to ask for their reflections on several aspects that made Euphoria such an social media-fuelled hit.
The trendsetting beauty aesthetic. Those graphic sex scenes. And its portrayal of adolescence’s dark realities, which struck a nerve with viewers and ultimately proved a hauntingly accurate prediction of what was to come.
Long before the final credits rolled, Sweeney told this writer how she wanted the series to be remembered: “I think 20 years from now … people are like, wow, that show really holds up.
“I hope it’s a generational show. When you think back, you’re like, oh, that time is Euphoria.”
Sweeney – who is now one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood – noted how the series became a vehicle for discovering her own confidence and personal style.
“I love just finding deeper meanings, somehow, in all of the different choices that we make,” she said at the time.
“And the style and the makeup, it’s such … an amazing way to be able to express yourself in different ways. I didn’t come from a background where I had the ability [to], or felt confident doing this.
“So being able to find my confidence through Cassie – trying different makeup looks, trying different hair looks – has been a lot of fun.”
This commitment extended to Euphoria’s notoriously explicit sex scenes. The show never shied away from depicting sexuality, which Sweeney revealed was the result of heavy choreography during shooting.
“Well, I think that I make sure that the scenes are actually important for Cassie and Cassie’s storyline,” Sweeney explained.
“[Sex scenes are] a very, very technical process. It’s kind of laughable because of how technical it is.
“But I’m really lucky that I feel very confident and comfortable with my cast and crew. I’ve never felt uneasy or anything like that.
“Everyone is always very cautious of yes, this is a very vulnerable moment. So it’s never been something that I’ve wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear.”
The gravity of navigating such provocative material was never lost on Demie.
“I just think it’s important to be honest in your writing, and I think a lot of the writing … stems from real issues that we’ve either talked about with Sam or he’s gone through,” Demie said at the time.
“I think if you’re gonna create something, create something that’s honest.
“I mean … it is fantastical in a way that … can be a little dramatised, or shot in a certain way.
“But I think if you’re gonna make anything, make it honest and make it feel true to you, because then it’ll feel true to everyone else.”
Perhaps the final word is best left to Apatow, who said Euphoria showed the realities of modern American youth in a way that hadn’t been seen before.
“[There is a feeling] as a teenager that no-one takes you seriously,” she said.
“We’re all … dealing with unique issues with technology and just growing up [at] sort of such a dark time in the world. I think it’s really hard on young people.” The final season may have been roundly criticised for being too violent, too off-kilter and too nihilistic, but Apatow’s take on Euphoria’s overarching message sounded like one of hope: “You’re not alone, we’re sort of all in this together.”
The final season of Euphoria is streaming now on HBO Max.