Euphoria Recap: Tinseltown

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The strip club owned by the show’s creator has a tagline that’s shockingly fitting for this season: “Fully nude, always lewd.” Almost all the female characters – with the exception of Lexi, who wasn’t in this week’s episode – have ended up involved in sex work, either directly or by controlling others who are. While previous seasons of the show used sex and nudity to explore the complexities of figuring out one’s sexuality, that nuance is missing now. The show presents women as either being exploited or being the exploiters. While important stories about sex work can be told, this show isn’t telling them. From the beginning, Euphoria has shown a troubling undercurrent of misogyny, evident in reports about how nudity was handled during filming and in the experiences of characters like Cassie.

The show Euphoria rarely portrays men as truly vulnerable or degraded. Even Cal Jacobs, despite Rue describing him as a ruined man, always maintained control in his sexual encounters. His downfall isn’t about his actions themselves, but rather getting caught. Though he lost his wealth and influence, he’s somehow reconciled with Nate, though we don’t see how. The show leaves us wondering if their relationship has shifted, with Cal now having to answer to Nate, whose ability to form intimate connections Cal damaged. Or is Cal’s drinking a result of this reversed power dynamic? At his support group, Cal learns about Cassie’s involvement with OnlyFans and warns Nate that giving in to temptation leads to ruin.

I have to say, watching Cassie chase internet fame is just heartbreaking. It starts with these seemingly harmless, cute photos, but quickly spirals. We see her outfits become less and less about self-expression and more about…well, exposure. There’s a baseball-themed shoot where she’s practically just wearing a cap, EyeBlack, and a glove. But the most unsettling image is her portrayed as an infant, complete with a pacifier, in a deeply exploitative pose. Maddy, observing all this, doesn’t see a person, but a potential commodity. She coldly notes Cassie is ‘beautiful but directionless’ – meaning easily manipulated and ripe for exploitation. It’s a chilling assessment, and a stark commentary on the predatory nature of online attention.

Do you remember in the first season when McKay’s fraternity brothers interrupted him and Cassie during intimacy as a humiliating prank? Afterwards, he continued to have sex with Cassie, but it felt forceful and lacked affection, seemingly to prove his masculinity. My husband pointed out something important while we were watching: the camera focused on Cassie, showing her in a vulnerable position, during that humiliating moment. This seemed to signal that the show prioritizes showing Cassie being degraded. Beyond simply indulging in shock value, is there a real reason we see so much of her OnlyFans content? It feels like the show’s earlier problematic treatment of women has turned into outright disdain for Cassie, reducing her to a shallow caricature.

I previously thought Cassie was misguided rather than unintelligent, but the latest episode of the show makes me question that. While it’s easy to see Cassie as someone driven to achieve her goals through carefully crafting her public image, a truly manipulative character, like Maddy, understands exactly who she is. Maddy is shrewd and willing to compromise her ethics to get ahead. This week’s episode reveals how Maddy began working for Ms. Penzler. She presented herself as someone who defies expectations for her generation, emphasizing she isn’t a victim and supports the principles of capitalism. When the pandemic stalled her own career and her mother’s salon, Maddy turned to TikTok and discovered Katelyn, a newcomer to Los Angeles with potential. Maddy successfully grew Katelyn’s online following from almost nothing to over a million. Though Maddy claims it’s important to have principles, Katelyn quickly becomes comfortable with nude photoshoots, seemingly influenced by a few opportunities and perhaps some financial incentives.

After building Katelyn’s online presence, Maddy tries to help her gain mainstream acceptance by introducing her to Dylan Reid, showing him Katelyn’s social media while they’re on the Friends couch. However, Penzler, Maddy’s boss, still holds considerable power and refuses to let her clients be associated with anyone involved in the adult film industry, despite Maddy’s pleas that times are changing and creators like Katelyn are part of a rapidly growing market. A year later, Katelyn is earning $700,000 per month, but Maddy remains an assistant to Penzler. Determined to trust her own judgment going forward, Maddy jumps at the chance to have lunch when Cassie reaches out.

The most memorable moment of this week’s episode is a meeting between Alexa Demie and Sydney Sweeney, who share incredible chemistry after reconnecting years after high school. Cassie is stunned to see Maddy, who arrives looking glamorous in a fur coat despite the heat. Maddy exudes confidence and success – she’s a fully independent woman with a career and polished appearance – which makes Cassie, despite her wealth and upcoming marriage to a man they both have history with, seem naive. Cassie’s apology isn’t about her actions, but how she carried them out. Maddy finds a strange comfort in Cassie still believing their connection was genuine, seeing it as proof of how limited Cassie’s world is. After a few drinks, Cassie confesses the real reason for the meeting: she wants Maddy’s help becoming more popular on OnlyFans. Maddy advises her to stop trying so hard and just be herself, prompting Cassie to ask a surprisingly vulnerable question: “But… who am I?” Sydney Sweeney delivers this line with a chilling emptiness, and Cassie immediately relinquishes control of her image to Maddy.

Nate’s plan hits a snag when he hosts a barbecue for the people he’s trying to get money from—though calling them investors is generous. He needs $100,000 by Friday to appease Naz, a powerful funeral home owner to whom he owes a massive $550,000. At the barbecue, Cassie shows Heather some of her online content, which deeply disturbs Heather. She jumps to the conclusion that Cassie is on OnlyFans because Nate can’t afford their wedding, but her husband, Fred, refuses to believe Nate is struggling financially. Nate skillfully manipulates his older neighbors, using his charm and seeming wealth to control Cassie and prove his power. He publicly pressures Cassie to delete her OnlyFans account, offering to cover the $50,000 cost of their wedding flowers. Later, Nate shares a vulnerable moment with Cassie, claiming he grew up in a dishonest and secretive household, explaining his current sensitivities. Cassie, in turn, reveals she met with Maddy about her career (which Nate believes is finished) and invited her to the wedding.

Life in the suburbs is one thing, but what’s happening with Rue? This week, she’s proven herself useful to Alamo by handling a difficult task: cleaning up the aftermath of Tish’s overdose, caused by fentanyl-laced drugs from Laurie. Alamo confronts Laurie, making it clear he sees this as retaliation – a life for a life. He offers to wipe Rue’s debt clean, and a deal is struck, though it’s a tense exchange. It wasn’t a racial slur from Harley that bothered Alamo, but Laurie calling him a disrespectful name. He remains angry about it days later and promises revenge. Meanwhile, Rue starts her new job at the Silver Slipper, learning the ropes from the manager and meeting the other dancers. She encounters Magick, a dancer involved in a lawsuit and sporting a neck brace, and Angel, with whom Rue has a very public encounter in the parking lot.

In just a few weeks, Rue quickly moves from basic tasks to helping oversee the other dancers. Meanwhile, Angel, Tish’s close friend, becomes increasingly worried about her disappearance. Alamo claims Tish simply fell in love and left, but Angel believes that if that were true, Tish would have contacted her. When the manager can’t reach Angel, Rue steps in to tell her the truth: Tish overdosed. Angel is devastated, collapsing at the club, sleeping in her car, and becoming physically ill. The situation escalates to a crisis: Angel must agree to go to rehab – which Alamo will fund – or she will lose her job. Alamo offers Rue another promotion if she can persuade Angel to get help, but it’s a difficult task, as Angel initially responds with anger. However, Rue understands what it’s like to resist help, and eventually, they begin the drive to Hope Springs, a rehabilitation facility. During the journey, Angel reflects on California, remarking that it feels like a place where people often vanish, as if something sinister lies beneath the surface.

This season, there’s a clear attempt to address the greed and corruption hidden within the romanticized stories of the American West. Cassie, while having her housekeeper Juana take provocative photos of her, questions if she’s living up to her full potential. Juana responds bluntly, saying she doesn’t think so, and ironically declares, “America: my dream.” This, alongside Angel and Rue’s journey through the desert, suggests the creator is highlighting the emptiness of the American Dream – how it drives people to take extreme risks, sometimes only to end up in dead-end situations, like taking pictures of influencers for online platforms.

Hope Springs seems like a questionable place when Rue and Angel arrive. There are no forms to fill out, and the receptionist is evasive and unkempt. Angel is clearly scared, but Rue assures her she’ll return. Based on Angel’s worried look as she goes inside, and the fact that someone is watching Rue leave, I fear we won’t see Angel again – though I truly hope I’m mistaken! Priscilla Delgado really brought Angel to life; I was captivated from the moment she first threw a shoe. Elsewhere, Alamo gets his revenge on Laurie. Wayne, who has a swastika tattoo, and Faye are distracted when they hear a commotion upstairs. Faye wonders if it’s a dinosaur, but it turns out to be a huge pig that’s wreaking havoc inside the house. A flag attached to the pig reads “Remember the Alamo.” I feel sorry for the animal – it’s an innocent bystander caught up in all this chaos!

Jules doesn’t appear until the very end, though we see a brief flashback of her from Rue’s story about visiting art school in L.A. – a time when Rue first relapsed. Rue had to plead with her mother to let her return home, but they haven’t spoken in two years, and her sister, Gia, often doesn’t answer her calls. Since then, Rue hasn’t been fully sober, though she claims to be “California sober,” meaning she allows herself some alcohol and marijuana, but avoids anything more dangerous. The idea to contact Jules comes up when Rue is talking to Maddy, who suggests becoming a sugar baby. Rue rejects the idea for herself, saying she’s not comfortable with sex work.

Rue finds herself strangely longing for high school, unlike her old classmates. Jules points out it’s easy to look back on things with rose-colored glasses. Jules is now living a very glamorous life – in a fancy apartment and sporting a long, expensive wig. Rue asks about her relationship, but Jules avoids the question. While her boyfriend is married, Jules doesn’t seem concerned, suggesting she doesn’t believe in monogamy. Rue hopes this means there might still be a possibility for them, but Jules quickly shuts her down, saying things can’t go back to how they were. Jules has changed; she’s become cold, guarded, and emotionally distant, losing the carefree spirit she once had. She then invites Rue to join her in the bath.

One for the Road

I hope Juana finds a better job and coworkers, but I suspect she’s intentionally teasing Nate and Cassie. While Nate is waiting for Cassie to delete her OnlyFans account, Juana repeatedly asks him about saving the leftovers from the barbecue, listing item after item. Eventually, Nate calmly threatens her, saying, “Juana, I’m going to kill you,” but she doesn’t react at all.

Heather and Fred shared a look of disbelief while watching the interaction. They both thought it was strange that Cassie and Nate, being only 22, seemed to have a lot of money, and no one else seemed to notice or comment on it.

While cleaning Tish’s room, Rue discovered something hidden under a rug. It looked like either a key or an earring, and it seems important enough to pay attention to.

Laurie genuinely didn’t knowingly add fentanyl to the drugs she shared with Alamo; it was a mistake. Wayne failed to instruct Faye to clean the scale after previously measuring fentanyl, and even a tiny amount of the substance can be deadly. The show seems to be trying to address the fentanyl crisis and the social issues affecting young people, particularly referencing the politically charged summer during the pandemic, but these themes haven’t fully developed yet. Thinking about 2020, it’s interesting to consider which Euphoria characters would have refused to wear masks or get vaccinated – Cassie and Nate seem likely, and Maddy might have dismissed it as “just a flu.”

Kat’s storyline about being a camgirl in the first season was more thoughtful and well-developed than anything Cassie has done with her OnlyFans account.

I previously noted Jacob Elordi’s somewhat awkward portrayal of Nate. However, in the recent scenes with Naz, Elordi truly shines, convincingly portraying Nate’s fear with incredibly realistic physical reactions – you can practically see the color drain from his face. It’s a powerful performance that feels genuinely channeled. Elordi himself questioned his performance in season three during an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, wondering if he’d done a good job. It’s still up for debate, but I think he’s fantastic!

Seeing Eric Dane reprise his role as Cal is bittersweet. While it’s wonderful to see him so charming and funny, Cal’s difficulty speaking is a sad reminder of his tragic passing, especially knowing it reflected the character’s struggle with alcoholism.

Come chat with New York Magazine writers in the comments! We’ll be discussing the same topics we explore in Euphoria Club, our newsletter for subscribers.

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2026-04-20 06:08