TV Show review
Review basis: 3 seasons · through May 10, 2026
June 16, 2019 · TV-MA · Returning Series
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Euphoria follows a group of California high school students, later young adults after a season 3 time jump, as they navigate severe drug addiction, toxic relationships, family trauma, explicit sexuality, and social media pressures across three seasons. The HBO series, created by Sam Levinson and adapted from a 2012 Israeli miniseries, uses raw visuals, voiceover narration, and surreal elements to depict personal chaos and consequences. It features prominent gender and sexual identity storylines centered on a transgender character and queer relationships, plus a visibly mixed-ethnicity ensemble cast in a modern setting.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Euphoria.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent transgender lead character played by transgender actress Hunter Schafer and Black lead Zendaya as Rue create highly visible diversity; ensemble mixes ethnicities in a contemporary California high school/young adult setting that fits the premise without obvious mismatch.
Woke political dialogue
Very little direct political or activist speech; occasional character moments touch on toxic masculinity or consent but remain personal drama without lectures or systemic framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Strong emphasis on gender identity via Jules' central arc, queer romance between Rue and Jules, body image/sexuality exploration for multiple characters, and modern identity struggles tied to trauma and social media.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Portrays family dysfunction, social media harm, and abuse cycles with personal focus; season 3 includes positive faith-based family portrayals and recovery themes that counter pure critique; avoids heavy modern activist takes on patriarchy, capitalism, or systemic identity issues.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Right-leaning criticism targets graphic sex and specific season 3 scenes (e.g., Megyn Kelly on infantilizing content) as inappropriate or creator-driven excess; very few complaints frame the show as pushing identity politics, DEI, or left-wing messaging.
Creator track record context
Sam Levinson emphasizes personal recovery and faith; original Israeli creators focused on raw teen drama; one director has mild prior discussion of class/representation in indie film; overall body of work stays dramatic rather than activist-driven.
Production
