What are the critics saying about Euphoria?

Entertainment Weekly was concerned that the headline-grabbing nature of the show’s storylines would overshadow its power. “I worry this series will fall victim to its own provocations — and there is an ongoing threat of gorgeously filmed violence,” Entertainment Weekly noted. “In its quieter moments, though, this is a sensitive teen drama, digging past characters’ identities into their souls.”

Vulture added that Euphoria presented a balance between bleakness and beauty. “It is artfully photographed, but often hard to look at because it is so suffocatingly bleak,” wrote Vulture. “After watching the first four episodes, I know that I don’t hate this show — it succeeds at sucking the viewer into its vibe and at building some genuine suspense about how certain story lines will play out.

The Guardian praised Zendaya’s performance as the lead character Rue. “Told from the perspective of 17-year-old drug addict named Rue, who is played with restraint by ex-Disney star Zendaya, the series is a compassionate examination of adolescent longing, as well as an indictment of a culture that is setting young people up for hopelessness,” they wrote.

But the New York Post wondered who would actually be watching Euphoria. “Since it’s unlikely that teens subscribe to HBO, surely this series is meant to shock their parents, who are already in the subscriber base,” noted the New York Post. “Was anyone thinking fans of former Disney Channel star Zendaya, who plays a junkie named Rue, were going to follow her to HBO to watch her walking around in a stupor or passed out on the floor?”

Euphoria: Everything you need to know about HBO’s new series starring Zendaya