**Contains mention of drug use, drug overdose, and suicide**

Although HBO's Euphoria is filled with copious parties, glitter, and amazing music, it is a gritty and emotional story about the struggles and trauma that the characters face. Rue's drug addiction, for starters, is her main arc over the course of the season, and Cassie undergoes an abortion that alters her mental state completely.

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The discussion around trauma, mental health, and coping mechanisms was rich in the first season, but the heartbreaking events haven't slowed down at all in the second season, and the main cast has faced even more adversity in these first few episodes.

Rue Almost Overdoses Again

Rue almost overdoses on Euphoria

Fans felt bad for Rue after Jules left her in season 1, and were sad to see her start using again. Through Rue's special episode they learned that her relapse was going strong with zero effort on her part to become sober again. Although she had a great talk with Ali, season 2 starts with Rue going hardcore.

The heart rate of every viewer watching Rue on her downward spiral was rising, especially at the party in episode 1, where it looked like she might overdose again. It's gut-wrenching to see someone self-sabotage their health, and knowing how badly Rue is hurting just makes everything worse.

Cassie Hides From Maddie In The Bathtub

Cassie hiding in the bathtub on Euphoria season 2

Cassie, self admittedly, is not in a good place in season 2. Rue reveals that she was in a deep depression for a long time after the events of season 1. For Cassie, the emotional trauma she experienced from her pregnancy and the rejection she faced from McKay made her have a totally wrecked sense of self-worth, especially because they seemed like one of the best couples on the HBO show on the surface.

Because of this, she needs validation and attention from anywhere and anyone willing to give it to her. When Nate starts to make moves on her, she goes along with it. But her contentedness quickly turns to terror when Maddy storms in, and Cassie has to hide in the bathtub from her best friend after having sex with her ex-boyfriend. The poor girl was in fearful tears the whole time.

Nate Is Beaten To A Pulp By Fezco

Nate in the hospital on Euphoria

No one can say Nate is a good person - he has, objectively, done his fair share of problematic things on the show. However, it was pretty gruesome to watch Fezco repeatedly punch Nate in the face until he was unconscious and needed to be rushed to the hospital.

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In their hearts, many fans want Nate to have a redemption arc. They want him to see what he's done wrong and try to make amends. Maybe this fight with Fezco will give him a better perspective--but it most likely won't. As viewers could see, he continued to send mixed signals to Cassie and was pretty harsh with her.

Lexi Felt Powerless

Lexi riding her bike on Euphoria

On the subject of arcs, Lexi seems to be on the cusp of one in this second season - which goes along with what fans wanted to happen in Euphoria season 2. Lexi always seemed to be the meeker friend by choice, but Rue reveals in episode 2 that Lexi has felt scared and powerless many times in her life and doesn't want to feel that way anymore.

Even when she finally thought she found someone who really wanted to listen to and get to know her, she watched powerlessly as he beat someone up so badly that they were hospitalized. However heartbreaking these moments may be for her, though, they seem to be igniting a fire in Lexi to become her most powerful self.

Rue Was Choked And Stripped Down

Rue being forced into the shower on Euphoria

Rue is blissfully unaware of the downside of her drug addiction. In fact, as fans saw in her special, she only really sees the positive effects it has on her life, like making her more outgoing and stopping her from committing suicide.

But, Rue is given a hit of reality when she goes with Fezco to his meeting at the motel. She sees the ugly side of drug dealing and is forced into a shower while being choked and has to strip down to prove that she's not wearing a wire. Even though she brushes off the experience later, she is completely shaken by the ordeal.

Fezco's Past Was Revealed

a bruised, young Fezco on Euphoria

At the beginning of the season premiere, Rue goes into detail about Fezco's childhood, his relationship with Ashtray, and his starting days helping his grandma out with dealing drugs. One detail that's only mentioned quickly is that Fez was beaten by his biological father and his mother isn't talked about.

Fez is one of the sweetest people on the show and takes care of Rue and Ash like they're his real-life family. His kindness is what gives him the greatest bestie potential on Euphoria. It's heartbreaking to think that he had such a dark past. After all, his dad owned a shady strip club and took advantage of his mom's "pure heart," according to his grandma.

Kat Fell Out Of Love

Kat and Ethan kissing on Euphoria

It seemed like Kat and Ethan had a fairytale ending to their love story in the first season. Ethan was a true friend to Kat, and after her journey to discover herself, he treated her with respect and kindness. But, episode 2 showed fans that Kat is less-than-thrilled with Ethan's overly sweet demeanor.

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Kat literally fantasizes about Ethan's murder at the hands of a Dothraki, a la Game Of Thrones. The sad part of it all is that Kat hates herself for feeling the way she feels, both about Ethan and herself. She doesn't think of herself as good enough, while simultaneously wanting something more.

Jules Felt Lied To By Rue

Rue feeling Jules' hair at school in Euphoria

It was undeniably awkward when Rue and Jules bumped into Elliot at school. Rue, for some reason, couldn't really come up with a lie to tell Jules about how she knew Elliot and she didn't want Jules to find out that she was doing drugs on New Year's Eve.

Jules was immediately upset because she knew something was off. Fans are likely to both feel bad for and hate Jules for her reaction. On one hand, Rue is obviously hiding something, and it's incredibly hurtful when a partner does that. On the other hand, she has no reason to believe Rue would cheat. In reality, Jules is the one who's been unfaithful in the past.

Fezco Couldn't Save His Grandma

Fezco with his grandma on Euphoria

As stated at the beginning of the season, Fezco's grandmother was his protector and role model when he was growing up. She wasn't perfect by any means, but she tried her best to take care of Fezco and Ashtray and made him into the calm and collected Taurus he is today.

It's not entirely clear why Fezco's grandma went into cardiac arrest, but Fezco was afraid to call 911 because of her business and drove her to the hospital himself. This, unfortunately, cost the doctors precious time and he didn't get her there quickly enough. Fezco was forced to grow up overnight and basically become a parent to Ash, which couldn't have been easy. He also most likely carried a lot of guilt about what happened.

Cassie Was Suicidal

Cassie in the car on Euphoria

As stated earlier, Cassie has been through a lot - both in season 1 and already in season 2. She hit a depressional low when her self-image was at practically zero, and now she's clinging to any validation she can get.

She spends almost the entirety of season 2's first and second episode in tears. She's desperate for Nate to show interest in her, while also disgusted in herself for going after her best friend's man. The conflicting feelings in her mind are tearing her apart emotionally, and it's gut-wrenching to watch.

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