'Euphoria' Season 2 Episode 7 Review: All world's a stage but Nate gets played
'Euphoria' is one of those very few shows that manage to pull the rug under your feet. Surprisingly, you know it's going to happen but somehow you still don't see it coming. With Episodes 5 and 6 keeping us on the edge, Season 2 of the HBO drama is inching towards its finale and honestly, all roads seem to be leading to chaos.
Episode 7, titled 'The Theater and Its Double,' starts with a flashback, taking us to Rue's father's memorial. We get to see a young Rue take drugs, while the rest of her friends wait for her outside the room. Lexi, in an attempt to make Rue feel better, reads out a line from a poem. "A winding valley where every bend might reveal a new landscape." Originally written by C.S. Lewis, the line compares the process of grieving to journeying through a winding valley, and that one could find out new or unknown things about themselves in the process. An earnest try to help people through tough times, but the quote doesn't really work well when applied to 'Euphoria' or rather hasn't been applied yet.
RELATED ARTICLES
'Euphoria' Season 2 Episode 1: Fans predict Zendaya's winning 'Golden Globes 2023'
'Euphoria' Season 2 Episode 6 makes fans 'proud' of Rue for 'wanting to go to rehab'
We soon find out that the whole event is a part of a scene in a play directed by Lexi, who also plays the fictionalized version of herself. An encapsulation of all incidents significant to her since the 9th grade, the play also has characters resembling Maddy, Cassie, Kat, Rue, and Nate. The latest episode of 'Euphoria,' through the play, touches on various things and brilliantly covers the response of those involved, and manages to take us to that specific incident, while also adding more details to it.
However, the play offends the people it's based on, shocking Cassie and Nate the most. We get to see more of Maddy's response to Cassie sleeping with Nate, with the recollection triggering Cassie to the point that she storms out of the auditorium midway. Lexi's portrayal of Nate and her way of depicting the boys' locker room infuriates Nate, who dumps Cassie, asking her to move out of his place immediately.
While all this is going on, Lexi keeps looking at the seat reserved for Fez, as he had assured her that he would be there in the front rows. As Faye steams Fez's suit, Custer shows up with a plan to stall Fez. Fez soon realizes that something isn't right and he asks Custer about it. Ashtray notices the oddness too and sits around Custer with a knife up his sleeve.
Episode 7 of 'Euphoria' Season 2 ends with Cassie charging towards the stage to confront Lexi as Fez waits for answers from Custer. 'The Theater and Its Double' is a treat for those who like plays with stellar art production. Lexi's play is filled with it, bar a moment when a participant drops an object. Those playing the fictionalized versions do a wonderful job at replicating their inspirations, and the likeness is unbelievable. The scenes at Fez's house are staged in a manner that amplify the suspense. But what about the others? Well, we don't really have to talk about those given how amazing the series has been so far on all fronts.
'Euphoria' airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO.
