Therapist reacts to Euphoria S2E8...THE SEASON FINALE 😢

[@the.truth.doctor]

I can’t believe it’s over! 😢 Don’t forget to let me know what shows, movies, interviews, or music videos you’d like me to react to next! Will you be joining me next Tuesday, March 8th at 3pm PST to discuss this series live? If so let me know!

[@invasionfollows]

i’ll definitely be joining! i love your videos so much! it makes me understand the characters more when you do these analysis. thank you!

[@markgorenshtein1946]

I will. You should do Thirteen the movie. I like to say Thirteen walked so Euphoria could run. I would also love to see you react to Dopesick and Succession or Billions along with the The OC and Weeds and the movies Hustlers, The Bling Ring and The Wolf of Wall Street

[@ayeilak5]

Can do Mariah Carey and Jay-Z "Heartbreak" 💔 video. Cassie pink top in hallway scene looks like Mariah Carey and Cassie was called a Heartbreak by her Uncle. Also Rihanna song" You need me" the first episode of season 2 with Fez grandma in strip club is the same.

[@ayeilak5]

@@markgorenshtein1946 You should check out the movie "Kids" it came out in the 80s it the original of omg young kids are doing what. Nice music list.

[@markgorenshtein1946]

@@ayeilak5 I’ve seen it

[@ryanshecklerzgurl]

He’s not a kid, he’s my partner.” To the absolute heart wrenching “he’s just a kid, don’t shoot.” is absolutely INSANE

[@Leakampff]

I-.... never made that connection EOW. Ugh Euphoria is such a fantastic, bold, daring show. I find it a shame that in it gaining popularity, it also reached audiences who found it too shocking and thus seem to have underappreciated the masterful art that it is

[@niaphillips5830]

"Grief is love with nowhere to go." Wow. Beautifully said.

[@samanthas8340]

This made me cry

[@Dontknowwhattosay]

Reminded me of what Andrew Garfield said about his mom: "I hope this grief stays with me because it’s all of the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her." Beautiful way to look at grief.

[@HY-qn2es]

Same

[@greenapple1470]

Isn't it from WandaVision

[@jowrocha2448]

@@greenapple1470 the quote from wandavision is "But what is grief if not love preservering?".

[@niamhabyrne]

Rue taking small steps to being a "good person" this episode made me so proud. Talking to Lexi about both of their dads. Starting the chant for her during the play. Forgiving Elliot. Listening to Jules. Goddamn it. So good.

[@jacket5456]

I just can't figure out, for the life of me, HOW Rue got better. Like, I need her Instruction Manual. The show didn't show us, she just kinda...got better somehow. This stupid show made addiction look like a cake walk.

[@oliviaaivilo7092]

She's taking it one day at a time 💀

[@isayweirdshityk]

@@jacket5456 no it didn’t make it look like a cake walk did we watch the same show

[@TheIndiaholloman]

@@jacket5456 she kinda said even if she doesn’t want to be sober it’s kind of easier than what she was doing for drugs. I think it was enough for her at this point to try being sober Fr. She also was sober for a period last season.

[@TheIndiaholloman]

And to add they didn’t say she was cured of addiction or that she was done battling it.

[@mojdoj]

I love the empathy you have for these characters! It gets old hearing people say they “want Maddy to beat Cassie’s ass” or they’re “sick of Rue.” These are characters with complex backgrounds and inner lives. They deserve our patience while they try to find themselves. I love watching them try to figure out who they are.

[@lalunaesamor]

The thing I don't understand is why do people care and want others to have empathy for some of these characters when it's just a tv show? I thoroughly enjoyed euphoria and I love some of the characters and empathize with them but others I simply don't nor do I care to, but why does that matter to people? At the end of the day it's just a show and I don't think people should be obligated to treat these characters as if they're real people and therefore having empathy for some of them. I've never understood why people take shows so seriously.

[@LoungingPotato]

@@lalunaesamor I think it's a matter of recognizing traits in people they know or traits they can empathize with. These characters are fictional, yes, but a lot of them have very real qualities with very real experiences behind them. It's slight projection, in a way, but not necessarily self-projection. At least that's my take on it

[@mojdoj]

I second Ritchie’s answer!

[@selena0755]

Especially since these main characters are young.....I’m 18 myself still trying to find myself and figure out my life

[@tanzil8193]

It's just a freaking show. People watch it to feel emotions, love and hate certain characters. It's not that serious. I'd love to see if y'all empaths and armchair psychologists emapthise with people in real life as well or is it just limited to fictional characters.

[@kalebcalore623]

The fez and ashtray scene got me so much more after I learned from twitter that they first met in the hallway according to s1 episode 1. Lexi’s play also I feel like was not only for her but Rue 100 percent. I understand she took it too far but it definitely was just because it’s a tv show and it needs to be interesting. Loved the video!

[@jayyy2561]

It's very symbolic especially when you think about what Rue was saying about how she watched her dad die and Fez watched Ash die as well. Also the contrast between how when fez first saw Ash it was in the hallway of the house and it's also the last place he saw him

[@vadaliggins9685]

@@jayyy2561 0

[@DanielCastillo-ch6xx]

@@jayyy2561 I noticed that too when I watched the episode I was like holy fuck the writing is amazing

[@AJ-ux7fo]

@@vadaliggins9685 ?

[@vadaliggins9685]

@@AJ-ux7fo Mishap

[@candyapple5389]

when rue told lexi "I promise you, it's not all his fault. I don't know for certain, but I'm pretty sure he wakes up every day and he thinks, "I'm gonna be better for her. I'm gonna be there for her." That's also the problem. Because he only wants to be better for you. Because I know that he loves you a lot more than he loves himself." that is something i've needed to hear my whole life. i get it now. maybe it sounds crazy but this season has given me so much closure.

[@javiag77]

So happy for u, sending you love 💘

[@Threeleebird]

Well he has two daughters and a wife, I think all three should be considered not just Lexi.

[@candyapple5389]

@@javiag77 thank you ❤️

[@nonkululekotembo1652]

@@Threeleebird yes but rue was talking to Lexi. Of course the overall message is about the people in his life

[@nicholetunney6086]

This hit home for me 💜💔

[@AhegaoEinstein]

One reason I love this show is that to me it acts as a test for people to show their emotional maturity and empathy. I was at a watch party for the season finale and I saw so many people that were hating on Jules so much and acting as if rue didn’t do anything wrong.

[@eldel47a29]

so many people hate on jules way too hard. i think there may be a certain reason for it sadly

[@AhegaoEinstein]

@@eldel47a29 it’s gotten to the point now where I have to agree

[@lexirhee3738]

Rue is a drug addict. I don’t think Jules actually loved Rue, she did so much wrong to a loved character, so we’re allowed to dislike her even if we know the reasons behind her actions just like we hate Nate even though we know he has trauma. The reasons behind their actions explain their actions but it doesn’t excuses it, I didn’t hate her last season but her actions this season made me not like her.

[@guitarheroziplock]

@@lexirhee3738 Rue being a drug addict doesn't absolve her from all of the pain she's caused. Also Jules making mistakes in her relationship is not comparable to nate's physical and emotional abuse as well as his manipulation and blackmailing.

[@pineapple20777]

@@lexirhee3738 you don’t have to like someone or endorse their choices to have empathy for them. I feel like that’s OP’s point? It’s not like you’re deciding whether or not to be friends with Jules, just have basic empathy for her the way you do with Rue, or with really any person

[@NyikoDoris]

Finally realizing that what Lexi said about the play being about friendship was so good to me. She touches on Maddy’s family because without that happening, Maddy wouldn’t have moved in with them, she would still be terrified and intimidated by her and they wouldn’t be friends but because of what happened she gained a friend in Maddy and some advice on confidence. She realized Maddy was more than a ‘bad bitch’ but someone caring and kind. That’s one friendship. Her centring on Rue’s dads death and how it affected Rue placed side by side with how losing her father and best friend to addiction hurt her is so important to me because I believe that’s why Rue wasn’t mad at her, she saw that someone loves her. That someone remembers how kind and sarcastic and caring she can be. That someone remembers she’s more than her addiction and that Lexi isn’t claiming her trauma is larger than Rues but that they both experienced some shit as kids and it affected them differently. Introverted Rue found drugs and shy Lexi became timid, they lost themselves and by extension their friendship but they are starting to grow back together as friends. The play was a love letter to Lexi and Rue’s friendship and Rue understands that and sees how SHE can finally be a good friend to LEXI. She realizes that her friend carries a lot on the inside and keeps it bottled up so she gets no reassurance or someone willing to listen so Rue applying her knowledge of addiction and an addict’s mindset to explain where Lexi’s dad probably is mentally was what she needed. Season 1x01 and 1x06 and season 2x7 and 2x8 highlight how they can be each other’s support because they know each other’s trauma and they’ve seen the part of themselves that they hide from everyone else. Lexi is hiding how painful and sad and angry she is about her father and possibly about how she has to be the parent in her home, about how she is second fiddle to her older sister meanwhile you also have Rue who is now only starting to deal with the actual grief that never left regarding her dad and how she lost him and anger at the fact that she’ll never get to learn life from him. They might be the only person in the other’s life who truly get each other especially considering how Rue is just someone more introverted so she can understand why Lexi would keep some shit to herself and I found that beautiful. A lot of the time especially in season one I would hear people ask why do people like Lexi and season two just solidified my love for her why? Because she was parentified and there’s something I can relate to. I was parentified from the age of 13 and only now at 24 am I slowly starting to unpack it and trying to build a foundation to be an adult. Lexi represents the kids who don’t get the chance to speak about how painful something is, the kids who don’t speak as loud so they get drowned out, the kids that eventually get ignored so many times or told it doesn’t matter or what they believe is happening is not happening up and fall back and that’s why I love Lexi’s characters so much

[@hbassey]

REALLY WELL SAID

[@DanaSpringer98]

Very well thought and put together!

[@pixieinx]

Cassie knows no privacy, she’s always exposed so no wonder she has a hard time with boundaries in all sense, her boundaries been violated so I don’t think she understands her own or others which probably adds into her not understanding why her being with Nate is an issue to her and Maddy friendship boundaries

[@ccamilacedeno]

i really hope that in season 3 we can see more of lexie and rues friendship because in the scene when they were talking about their dads it’s clear that they bring each-other comfort as they’ve gone through something so similar yet so different.

[@laughsngasps]

I cried like a baby at Rue's maturity & the convos with Lexi which was the highlight for me (and of course Fez & Ash) . Especially when she comforted Lexi about her dad in a perspective as an addict. Also I rewatched season 1 & there are a lot of call backs. I could go on about this episode all day.

[@dinoleum9998]

Same here!

[@pettycrockerxx]

Empathy dosent equal justification. It equals compassion and the essence of being human. Wish more people understood that.

[@bseed457]

Yeah but what if having this stance leads to people taking advantage of your empathy?

[@idontknow1356]

as someone with close ones suffering from the current world status, really appreciate the message about ukraine

[@the.truth.doctor]

My heart is with you and I am so sorry. ❤

[@owaok77]

You are so insightful. As a person who grew up in a traumatic childhood, socioeconomically on the lower spectrum, and a biracial queer male - what you said about coping read true to me. Through this lense however, I've learned to have compassion for all. We aren't all capable, but we can learn to be. Therapy is a huge tool that has helped me. And I appreciate all the work you do for people.

[@lizantimo1398]

Stay winning 💗💗

[@Kaltelua]

[@thefilthycasual8100]

"Grief is love with nowhere to go". This hit me. My father in law just passed away and I dont think I've been able to process it. I completely understand how Rue felt about being in a movie. I still have not processed things fully, but you saying that explained exactly how it feels.

[@edithputhy4948]

reminds me of the Wandavision quote "What is grief, if not love persevering?

[@NERDGrl95]

Do you think Cassie would have had the same reaction to Lexi’s play if Nate hadn’t broken up with her b/c of it? Even though you can tell she is shocked by the scenes she was seeing, it seems like what caused her reaction (going on stage, lashing out) was their relationship ending. I’m not excusing what Lexi did or diminishing Cassie’s feelings but it seems like if Nate would have stuck by her, she might not have reacted the same way. Her reactions seem to be dependent on the man/men in her life (which makes sense with what she’s been through).

[@Threeleebird]

She probably would have controlled herself if she'd had Nate, both because she didn't want to embarrass him by making a fuss and because she knew he was just as upset as she was by what he was seeing, but it was clear from minute one that Cassie was completely humiliated because of what her sister did to her.

[@guilhermeshiba3135]

not the same reaction, but the feelings would definitely be the same, she's the only one not portrayed positively (except for nate) and after the fight lexi says that it was somehow needed, so even if lexi didn't have malicious intent, she did know how cassie would feel seeing it (she even avoids talking about the play around cass when she doesn't outright lie) and probably thought it was gonna lead to a change of heart. i'm kinda shocked at the way people were madder about the nate scene than that, but i'm still supporting lexi

[@thereallTamiaaa]

I feel like if he didn’t get upset & break up w/ her she would’ve gotten up there eventually w/ that carrousel scene I feel like that was outta pocket

[@guilhermeshiba3135]

@@thereallTamiaaa tbh if they did something like that carrousel scene to me i would get up on that stage and i was not gonna be the one getting beaten up

[@GirlDo3]

I think it was the last straw. The play was shitty for her, but it didn't affect her other than humiliating her, but it also got he dumped so she acted in the spur of the moment.

[@mediacritique1065]

Wow another really great and nuanced reaction. I think a major take away from this show is that empathy doesn’t equal excuse. You illustrate it perfectly with the way you hold space for the characters but never let that justify the harm they do to others.

[@liontoyou9518]

This is why I love this channel. I hate seeing people discuss this show with no nuance. You can feel bad for the characters while also not excusing the pain they cause others.

[@carmen1144]

What you said about Lexi having to take care of everyone and then losing her father in a sense, was incredibly eye opening. I was 15 when I realized my parents were not mature enough to be there for me in the way I needed them to, and even before that, I had become the parentified child when they got divorced and this past September my dad passed away of covid and at his funeral I experienced what I now know is derealization. Thank for explaining everything, you’ve made everything incredibly clear for me. Sending love 💓.

[@albataliephillips4271]

Sorry for your loss ❤️

[@carmen1144]

@@albataliephillips4271 thank you so much ♥️

[@tylerjackson1806]

I don’t know how Fez will ever recover from this. Like how can he move on with his life now after everything that’s happened?

[@Hannah-nh5qj]

It’s like what Rue said to Lexi- “You have to give it a reason.” He has to wake up now, and figure out another reason to keep going. He can do it, but I don’t know if he will want to.

[@heligolightly]

I’m not sure he will. Because that amount of trauma is just too much. It’s not something he will ever be able to get out of his mind and forget. Those moments will stay with him forever. I mean Ash was his brother. The only family he had left (except for Rue, but that’s his chosen family). And as we could see, he would do anything to protect his family. That’s just the kind of person he is. Just the most loyal and protective human being you could imagine. I’m just hoping he doesn’t think he’s responsible too much and that Lexi can help him to get through the pain. And hopefully this will finally make him turn his back on this business. It’s just him now, no one he has to take care of. We’ve seen him on the phone with Lexi talking about their futures so I’m cautiously optimistic that this way of life will be behind him now because he wants to do the right thing for her.

[@Shant3ll998]

@@heligolightly I think he will recover but it will be a very long heavily bumpy road. Rue *and* Ash are Fez's chosen family. (Ash isn't biologically related to Fez and during the premiere of Season 2 Fez calls Rue his family.) I do wonder if he'll turn away from Lexi and wanting a family with her due to the trauma, or if like you say he'll do the exact opposite.

[@mndldvs1]

Also what about his Grandma? Not only did he see the death of his beloved brother but he will also have to deal with the impact on his grandma's healthcare, especially if he ends up in prison..its too much to bare, and he will feel such guilt. Poor Fez.

[@joelwillis2043]

He can figure it out with 2 charges of death while committing a felony, at the very least.

[@dominiqueodom3099]

I would really appreciate u doing a deep dive on each individual character in this show and I'd really like to see you breakdown everything around Nate Jacobs,who is the most Complex and intriguing character to follow to me personally.

[@emilieford3604]

Yes ! Bc we never rlly get to see inside Nates head and how he really feels. We are always left to wonder if what he saids is genuine or not ….

[@Kyy625]

I would love this

[@goflgofl89]

I really wanted to see Nate narrate himself after watching ep.5 but we still got so many unanswered questions left...

[@mr.j9103]

9:01 …Thank you for saying this. Because people really don’t understand what this feels like, especially when you only have one parent and they refuse to give you what you need.

[@sugarkiddo0385]

I cried when she said that cause I feel like my dad will never change. I relate to Nate's situation in such a young age i saw my dad with someone two times in front of me and i it ruins me, idk what to do but to focus on other things, it still bothers me and just do something to destruct myself.

[@liamross340]

you saying “grief is love with nowhere to go” reminded me of the wandavision quote “what is grief if not love persevering” after you’re done with all the euphoria stuff it would be cool to see you look at some of the marvel stuff. like wandavision and jessica jones and iron man 3 really focus on mental illness and mental health in such an interesting way, i’d love to see your take on it.

[@albataliephillips4271]

Such a good idea

[@karlac3340]

Omg i hadn’t thought about the reason why Nate had given Jules her tape until you mentioned it! Thank you so much for these reactions and discussions it really helps to understand the character more. Can’t wait to see more from you! 🥰

[@isiahsingleton4648]

Nate is lying to Jules he done this before so that video that’s on the flash drive is cal and Jules

[@sparkleclover]

@@isiahsingleton4648 Nate's actor said that Jules tape was not on the USB and that he was being honest with her.

[@isiahsingleton4648]

@@sparkleclover are you sure?

[@Raccocooney]

I CLICKED AS SOON AS I SAW THIS LETS GOOOOOOOO 🥳 can't wait for the live discussion next week!

[@the.truth.doctor]

Yay! Me too, see you there! 😍

[@reveriesoul6078]

As an actual borderline I feel like Cassie is one of us for sure

[@ras3024]

I absolutely love watching your takes on this show. They've clearly taken the time to create these nuanced characters, so its sometimes frustrating to hear "this character is BAD" takes. I really enjoy how you're able to translate what's going on psychologically with the characters, and your compassion for others shines throughout.

[@alymedina33]

A few years ago, this exact situation happened to me. I saw how life was leaving the body of one of the person's i loved the most. And Rue's speech made me think how traumatic and anormal is to be present in there, I'll never forget how her hand felt colder by time and how the paramedics said exactly that "at the count of three... lift her up". You know its their body but it's not them anymore. You can literally feel them go. And I think I've already said this in other video but for me it's important to see different perspectives of this bcs i know now is something you need to get out of you to heal. It's not okay thinking maybe being silent about it is the way to avoid it forever cause it's really not. I loved every second of this scene even if it hurts still. Thank you for the reaction and your words Doctor 🙏🏻

[@zeetuslupeedus]

I’d really like to see more conversation around the disorders that rue deals with as well as the drugs. We know that the drug use stems from the grief of losing her father, yes but I hardly ever see any one mention the fact that rue has stated in the past the the first time she realized she loved drugs was when she was having panic attacks. We know she is neurodivergent as well as other things and that being in her own head sober was really hard to do even before her father’s illness. I guess that I just think it would be interesting to hear how the treatment that is supposed to be able to help us manage our disorders, can also lead to substance abuse separate from grief and trauma.

[@munchiekins]

It's funny cause when you say that you are happy that your viewer exists. even though you can't actually know everyone watching, it does feel like you do value every single person's lives and hope that they are happy. Thank you for your reactions this season, I really like the psychological analysis and breakdowns. Looking forward to the character videos!

[@BarelyCaitlyn]

I would argue that the thing Cal hated about the way Nate “protected” his dad was that Nate was beating up, abusing, harassing, and blackmailing people and despite Cal’s bad behavior he has proven on multiple occasions that he doesn’t condone most of Nate’s actions.

[@emmaatkinson7379]

I mean. I agree, if there is a scale of "badness" then probably Nate would outrank his dad - with him violently assaulting people, blackmailing them, long-term deceptions and violating trust. But Nate's violence was overt, whereas Cal's violence was covert. Secretly recording s*xu*l encounters without your partner's consent (and in some cases, with minors - bc if we really think about it, do we believe Jules is the only person who lied about their age and Cal never really put any effort into checking, with her very much looking like a teen), for your later enjoyment and archive - is pretty violent. It's just not in an obvious and clockable way. Like imagine if that was you, hooking up with a guy once in a hotel and now he has you on tape forever? And then leaving that archive somewhere in your home where your 11yo kid could ever find it - the aftereffects of that choice were deeply traumatizing to his innocent son and really formed his consequent behaviour. I think Cal's contempt for his son was in some ways praise for himself - "I never got violent, I may have some flaws but never beat up anyone" meant he tapped out of the responsibility of getting his kid help. Who desperately needed the therapy Cal "doesn't believe in". I'm not in any way defending or excusing Nate for the choices he (as a 17/18yo person) should know better not to do. But he is the monster Cal made, through consistent neglect and deception and carelessness. Cal's job was to protect and help his son, not wash his hands of him as irredeemable and then bail.

[@Threeleebird]

The truth is that Cal doesn't even know Nate, he admitted, he doesn't know anything about his life or what he does or how he handles his relationships or how he treats people so he probably just imagines things without wanting to go deeper because he doesn't he wants to see that Nate is the way he is because of his secret life.

[@Threeleebird]

@@emmaatkinson7379 Cal didn't leave the videos out in the open, he hid them pretty well. He didn't expect his son to be as thorough as he was and figure out how to view the disks or violate his authority by going through his stuff (in fact I'm surprised he didn't have his desk locked). Now, Nate has always been outspoken about how he is and the kind of person he is, he knows he's not a good person nor does he try to pretend that he is. He's very aware that he's done terrible things but he's also aware that he can't just help it: he's furious because he has a hell of emotions and he doesn't know how to deal with it nor about his trauma. Just because he's 17 or 18 doesn't mean that just because he knows he does bad or illegal things that he'll know how to avoid it when he has anger issues. Rue also knew that taking drugs was bad, and she still did it because other reasons outweighed her.

[@guilhermeshiba3135]

@@Threeleebird did you just say "Cal didn't leave the videos out in the open" and "he didn't have his desk locked" in the same sentence?

[@liontoyou9518]

I really love your commentary on this show. I've watched a lot of euphoria reactions this season and you are one of the only people who I can be subscribed to for the way you hold space for every characters pain. Can't wait to see what you do with this channel until season 3 25 million years later haha

[@za9ck]

Loved to be on this journey with you, You're awesome. As for a suggestion, do Fleabag next! You're gonna like it and there is for sure a LOT of material, presented in unconventional ways

[@emmaatkinson7379]

Seconded! I think she'd really enjoy it and it's got a lot of addiction (specifically sex addiction, and traumas) in both seasons of the show to really delve into.

[@thexiatkills]

I’d love to hear your analysis of Jules and her character, because I feel as though a majority of the audience doesn’t seem to understand where she’s coming from. There’s a big swarm of hate going her way that I don’t believe is warranted, it’d be nice to hear your objective and educated observations.

[@stoplisteningtothestatic7078]

Yes it seems like they don’t even want to try to understand. They don’t treat her like a human being :(

[@callielayneherring5888]

I would love to hear your thoughts on the way Ash specifically was raised, and how it shaped who he was and the decisions he made. I've seen a lot of anger toward him for the finale, a lot of "Fez was raised this way and he doesn't act like that" but I don't think that's a fair assessment of either of them.

[@30somethingg]

Fez and Ash are the same in that they are very protective of one another, but definitely act on it differently. Kinda the whole premise of the show, how people process and deal with their trauma differently. I would also love to hear the assessment of Ash and honestly all of the characters more in depth.

[@callielayneherring5888]

@@30somethingg Completely agree! Their driving motivation is the same, but the way they approach it is so very different.

[@fabricioguanipa7530]

I loved how you go in depth about the influence of poor parenting from your main caregiver and how it can determine the people we grow up to be and the choices we make in our lives, I won't go into detail but it resonates with my life story so much. so thank you for the comentary

[@danthemanmanthedan3000]

16:07 What you said remained of when Vision said “What is grief, if not love persevering“ in Wandavision 🥲

[@garysuperman]

I really hate how people talk about this online; bashing everything they don't get and like, instead of trying to process and trying empathize with the story at hand. I love this series as its always fair and from a very empathetic voice!

[@_MYSTICWOLF]

watching your videos are such an eye opener and make me love the show in many different layers and levels psychologically. i knew i loved this show but i couldn't put my finger as too why. maybe because i've experience what these characters are going through one way or other and im able to empathize with their struggles and the mistakes and positive outcomes that come alongside it. im so happy for rue that she was able to find closure with lexi's play and moving on for the better. makes me want to take those steps as well too for my well being. its been a ride so thank you for break each scenario down this season. its been very educational and fun

[@christineexe]

i was looking forward to hearing your reaction to when cassie told lexi that she hasn’t lived and therefore that she doesn’t have pain or trauma. i relate to lexi a lot as someone who’s often “on the sidelines” and not in the middle of the drama or putting myself forward in situations. what would you say to someone like lexi in that moment when her sister is berating her?

[@freddieblack3751]

Your reactions were almost identical to mine. This show is so full of pain and it's so real no matter how unreal it appears. I've experienced some of it and I believe in peoples lived stories. That's the human experience. Thank you so much for these incredible videos and your thoughtful words.

[@brittany830]

I can't remember which episode it was, but it was when you were evaluating Nate- You mentioned we do things because of pain we're experiencing/experienced and that gave me a new perspective on people. I think often times, we're focused on correcting people through punishment, especially if we see our own experiences in that person (i.e we see our abusers in Nate). So, when someone shows empathy toward that person, we can feel invalidated and think, empathy is being shown to the wrong party here. But it's really not about that, right. It's about looking at people as more than just one thing. Idk, it just really meant something when you mentioned everyone is reacting to their pain! I definitely want to approach interacting with others differently now!

[@laurenmelissa7937]

Well said! This is exactly how I felt after watching her videos :)

[@Threeleebird]

This makes me think of the dozens and dozens of comments from so many people who want Nate to die in any way or in the worst way. And I understand, probably if I were 10 years younger (that is, I was a teenager again) I would want the same thing. I'd probably hate it too. But as someone who had a very similar experience to Nate when I was a child, I can know how it feels because I also know that pain of feeling as if someone important in your life who should have protected you had indirectly stolen a part of you that it's not coming back and you have to live with the knowledge that you were corrupted and fight that or suppress it. Although that doesn't mean I endorse anything Nate does, I just understand why he does it and why he is the way he is. Where I like to be a good person and help others, Nate does the opposite, but I think deep down he would like to be good but it's not easy for him. I can accept how he is, and I also believe that he could change.

[@brittany830]

@@Threeleebird yes! His experiences should be considered. Not as a means of explaining away his issues, but understanding the humanity in him. I also feel that way for Cassey. Tons of people give her a lot of shit and anyone who feels bad for her is showing too much sympathy. Understanding people doesn't equal condoning!

[@Raccocooney]

someone in a different video pointed out how Cassie is a bully, and I wholeheartedly agree. Cassie was willing to go up on stage and embarrass herself by calling out her sister knowing that Lexi is very con-confrontational (and that her mom wouldn't take things too far when it came to stopping them) but the moment somebody more confrontational came on stage (Maddy) she immediately backed down and fled the stage. as much as she may feel disrespected by Lexi for putting their story into the play, it is ultimately Nate breaking up with her that was her breaking point and she chose to lash out at the one person who has, up until this point, supported her emotionally unconditionally throughout her life (as shown when they arrived at the hospital to find their dad unconscious, it was Lexi who immediately consoled Cassie as opposed to their mom consoling them both.) as BB said, "get her ass Maddy"

[@paleifying]

putting your hands on someone won't set them straight. they'll still do whatever they're gonna do. little kids fight, grown adults talk it out or simply walk away. there are exceptions but... walking away is way better than letting things escalate to a level that leads to catastrophe. if you think violence sets people straight, sorry, that's not how it is in the real world.

[@Raccocooney]

@@paleifying I never for a moment implied that it was the correct way to deal with the issue, but I'm also not gonna say she didn't deserve it 🦦 she bullied Lexi in a way that Lex wouldn't retaliate to, and Maddy did the same to her. also, they're teenagers who haven't done anything maturely for 2 seasons either.

[@paleifying]

@@Raccocooney hey now, you don't need to defend yourself to me. imo, cassie felt like she was being villainized by lexis play and she also had just gotten dumped by nate. that's very traumatic on a person and she clearly didn't know how to handle her feelings so she lashed out on lexi. it was wrong but it was her truth in that moment. to say that she deserves to be assaulted over an almost trivial situation is baffling to me.

[@GirlDo3]

To me Lexi was the bully. She embarasses her sister in front of the whole school and hides behind a play, but as soon as she's confronted for her actions she freezes? I was glad to see her freeze like that. Cassie defender herself and as much as I hate Cassie, I think she was in the right. Lexi was cruel and callous. High school is hard for a lot of ppl so having your personal life and most embarassing moments shown in front of the whole school is just fucked up.

@@GirlDo3 Lexi was the bully, yes and cruel. I agree with you. Cassie got to her pain limit and said important lines there. If Lexi needs to express herself and shine, fine. Important but not by humiliating your sister and carrying a play worried about the audience and her own value while her sister was going against a wall! bleeding! Lexi can do better writing about friendship, human fails, from a place of empathy. And Maddy... I expected more from her, a surprise, after the talk with her boss and after maturing so much in the show, I'd love to see Maddy actually not beating her and just saying "that's just the beginning". But even Maddy cares more for her sister than Lexi. Lexi seems so futile only comparing to her sister's beauty and dramas, Lexi... you suffer too. You see your sister suffering. Stop the cycle.

[@PureSharp]

my mother passed away when i was 13 i’m almost 21 and i’m not even close to being over it. think about it everyday. never got to say goodbye

[@krystalwilson8400]

Your advice and therapeutic views are really good, and explains alot of feelings that I and most people have. And it's good to see how you react to the characters as someone who's been in it, and as a professional. It's nice 🙂

[@El1society]

‘grief is love with nowhere to go’ man that’s beautiful 💔

[@jellisocrazy]

I am so happy I found your channel . I love how you really help us understand how brain , body reacts to trauma. I never realized what the difference of dissociation and depersonalization . I always thought it was unreal when I experienced a very traumatic experience but now I know that this happens.

[@Sammylou292]

Loved this video! I’m a psych student and I was making notes! Haha. Currently researching on depersonalisation, dehumanisation and our capacity for attention so the car/music analogy was really helpful and relatable. Sometimes studying is a drag so to have these theories explained in a relevant and relatable way is priceless for me. Thanks!

[@katarinamikovic1073]

Finally, someone also thinks that Lexi recreating the Cassie scene on the carousel was too far. Putting aside everything that Cassie has done, recreating something like that, especially in front of so many people, is going way too far. The play is also representing Lexi's life, so a scene like that in the play seems unnecessary and only serves to humiliate her sister. Edit: Damn, y'all wrote whole essays in the replies. 💀💀💀

[@niamhabyrne]

So true, even the dialogue at that part was... not very sympathetic.

[@pineapple20777]

@@heligolightly that’s a lot of mental gymnastics to justify lexi’s choices. she’s not some kind of angel, she can be a good person who made a bad choice, even a good person who intentionally made that choice to include the scene to make fun of her sister.

[@NyikoDoris]

I mean it was fucked up but also we have to remember that just like all the other characters from making mistakes and terrible decisions Lexi is a child herself made a terrible decision and possibly it was more petty as well. She is a 17-year-old who made a fucked-up decision and included it in her play, that’s just what it is. It doesn’t make her a bad person it just makes her somebody who made a bad choice, that’s it

[@ILikeTheIvy]

It left a bad taste in my mouth like you hate your sister that much? It was so gross.

[@ariannaatkinson9648]

@@heligolightly @traumzuechterin OK but it still doesn't explain why Lexi thought it was a good idea to include that part? If Cassie told her what had happened after the carousel then it makes that decision even worse on Lexi's part because Cassie was definitely not okay after that. Also going to point out that the scene was still planned to be in there so regardless she was definitely going to pull a joke at her sisters expense, whether she went up there or not. She still would have and was hurting her sisters feelings to validate herself despite knowing that her sister wasn't in a good place mentally. If she was genuinely worried then she could have tweaked the play or cut out Cassies part entirely. She wasn't worried that Cassies feeling were going to be hurt she was worried that her sister was going to call her out about it.

[@justrogue1765]

Loved getting your insights into the show. If I were to suggest other shows for you to do it would be Haunting of Hill House, Bly Manor and/or Midnight Mass they really dive into the characters and their dynamics with others in those shows.

[@temialaka872]

What you said at the end about good people, empathy and pain were so true. Love your content💕

[@dinoleum9998]

Oh damn, I can relate so much to this dissociation: when my Grandma died way too early, I first moved out from my hometown, then totally abroad cause everything still reminded me of her and I kept unconsciously refusing to accept the reality..i would just keep believing she was also abroad, on a trip, or something like that..it took me a full year to acknowledge and accept her passing away. Anyway, thank you for all the wisdom and kindness you share on your channel ❤

[@chern916]

I really appreciate your insight. It's unbelievable too see how narrow-minded many people have been towards these characters. I get that people share different morals and values but that doesn't excuse people to be so nasty. There are a lot of people who see themselves in these characters and even though this is a dramaticized show, the issues that are shown are very much real. Your take on Euphoria through your lens as a therapist has been very refreshing.

[@themindfullone]

Some shows you may consider analyzing: - You - WandaVision - Atypical - Ginny & Georgia - The L Word Generation Q - The Queen’s Gambit - The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor/Midnight Mass Also the movie Encanto, and the Miss Americana documentary. 😂 Random list, I know, but I love your viewpoint and insights!

[@AliDoisRead]

You make such superior observations and commentary, I swear 😭 so glad I found your channel! Gonna miss these euphoria deep dives but can’t wait for the rest of your content ❤️ Thank you!!

[@Toxic_Femininity]

My mom died shortly after the first season of euphoria and I remember telling her “we have to watch this together.” My mom was my whole world, my reason for living, and she still is. The day she died, I was surrounded by friends and I’ll tell you the best and worst advice, I got that day. Worst: “you’re going to feel really guilty for a while” -first off, what a projection! I almost laughed in his face, but refrained. I had no guilt around my moms passing, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t entirely devastated by her death. (I was) Best: he hugged me and said “cry if you need to cry, scream if you need to scream… do whatever the fuck you need to right now” For over two years now people have said things like “you’re in the home stretch” “it’s almost over” “it’s only up from here” and like Rue, I was infuriated by the toxic positivity. The truth is, you will be changed forever. Things will never be the same so be patient with yourself. I cannot stress that enough! Be. Patient. With. Yourself. Seek therapy, reach out to old friends (when you’re ready) and like Lexi, share your story. ❤️ Remember, grief is the price we pay for love.

[@chestertheblack]

I need that book like yesterday. Can't wait.

[@jaywood7279]

Amazing wrap up- so much you broke down, especially the part of having compassion in the creation of the play.

[@joolaine]

I really love and appreciate what you're doing with these reactions/commentaries! Thank you!

[@kaoutardaoudi2338]

I hope cassie gets therapy and the show explortes abandonment wounds , she is so broken that she absolutely can't do it alone . Love addiction and external validation are one of the hardest addiction .Nothing is ever good enough . And Maddy needs to sort out her violence and lashing out , not everything is sorted that way , Lexi needs to own up and live HER life , HER mistakes , HER story , she remained in the shadow by obligation but later in life out of comfort .

[@GirlDo3]

For Lexi I don't understand her resentment towards her sister.. I've always been in my sister's shadow, but I don't hold it against her. She's just more extroverted than me. To me making a play about other people's lives because your identity is being a bystander is really fucked up.

@@GirlDo3 exactly. Grow up, Lexi! Cassie never wanted to hurt you. You humiliated your sister. Get your own shine without getting others down. That's bullying and a sign of low self esteem. Lexi can perfectly shine ny herself, as a smart, beautiful artist. what about writing about yourself or fictional characters? Lexi was so mean.

[@angelashinner]

People need to learn that excusing is different from reasoning and explanation🤦🏻‍♀️ I’ve also tried to EXPLAIN these characters in socials, specially Rue and Cassie since they are the least understood, and I get attacked HORRIBLY for being a “Cassie apologist”. This show is the ultimate test of empathy and understanding and even the actors and creators keep saying that they hope the show shows people that there are always reasons behind why humans do things even if the reason isn’t an excuse.

Well, Rue and Cassie are my absolutely favorites, because they are the ones that are more human. They fail, they want to do better "all for love", so that every time they fall and fail... they are hurting themselves and others and they hurt themselves and they see they hurt others... I think only the real mature, kind, people with experience in life and a heart can understand Rue and Cassie, so well done you, Angela :) The horrible people are that ones that think it's cool to judge them. One day they are going to fail and fall in love, because everyone does and they will need and want empathy.

[@grassgrees6728]

thank you so much Dr Courtney for this. me finally understanding my codependency patterns was a survival strategy from my difficult childhood. i am celebrating myself for trying to unlearn those unhealthy patterns of behavior that i unconsciously absorbed from age 0 to 7. it takes money, time and energy to reteach healthier patterns of behavior, for me that looks like saying no, drawing non-violent and healthy boundaries + hold to my own preferences and my own personal concept of myself. 🥰going easy on myself

[@mhark9293]

I love the way you make the show more interesting

[@i6023]

I wish I had a therapist like you

[@DunkaccinoJoe]

“What is grief, if not love persevering”? - Vision

[@madyhughes5772]

i love love love love that you make these videos. it adds such a layer to the classic reaction video. you’re incredibly insight and well spoken and watching your videos genuinely helps me to acknowledge some stuff in my own psyche. very cool. Thank you.

[@fden3891]

Honestly I couldn’t even cry because how shocked I was in this episode

[@karabokhanyile]

Same,especially during Ash's death scene

[@partycitydumpster]

I burst into tears when Nate confessed what happened to him at 11 and his recurring dream. Fuck Nate, but admitting that trauma was so important. Also I think Nate was keeping more of Cal's secrets than just the sex tapes. I think Cal embezzled money or something related to the family business. The way Cal and Nate speak about Cal's secrets feels like there's still stuff hidden from the audience.

[@sankalpakharel5755]

Thank you for these!! You are truly an amazing human being and I will miss these reactions a lot. Im so glad I found your channel.

[@johnascialpi5247]

I really like how u broke down the Nate and Cal scene. I felt this feeling with my dad. Peace to Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@lucieleger644]

i watch these every time a new episode comes out i love hearing ur opinion on the episodes

[@alexarriaga931]

Watching your videos has been one of my favorite parts about this 2nd season coming out. Thank you for the amazing work that you do ❤️

[@janrozec1474]

My god, I love listening to you, i feel like you've tought me so much already. Thank you for your words of wisdom. Sending love from Poland xoxo

[@martyna1628]

I would love to hear your thoughts about how what happened will affect Fez & how he could deal with it!

[@jessicamercer7738]

Loved this!!! Not sure if you have any interest in marvel/MCU but WandaVision would be a great show for you to react too!! A top quote that you reminded me of is “what is grief if not love preserving”

[@MaddieC35]

i feel like i’m starting to find comfort in your videos? like idk i like listening to h explain things in this show cause i feel like i relate to this show lol

[@ainarelafu]

I’d love to see you reacting to “Normal People” and “I may destroy you” - both fantastic shows and with a lot to unpack! Thank you so much for your content, your videos about Euphoria have been an invaluable companion throughout season 2 ❤️

[@liamstuder620]

Love these videos, they provide such interesting insight into how people tend to think and it’s fascinating. I don’t know if you’ve seen it already, but I think a prime candidate would be “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix if you want to keep doing videos like these

[@taimaskeys]

Thank youu so much for mentioning the boundaries with family and parents part.

[@shannonbrown6299]

Thanks for mentioning the toxic positivity thing, I lost my baby girl after 3 weeks of her being in the NICU, the amount of people that said 'you're young you can have another' was unreal, like yeah maybe but it doesn't make loosing my first born child any easier, and having another child isn't going to take away the pain of loosing one, just felt more insensitive than anything tbf

[@apal4u]

I’ve enjoyed your reactions and analysis of Euphoria so much, i can’t wait to see what’s next!🙂

[@TheIndigoSystem]

I have BPD and DID so I experience total dissociation with amnesia and depersonalisation and derealisation,and you described ir very well

[@TABandiTA]

Thanks for talking about dissociation. As someone with socially anxiety its a basic need to do that a lot. When my body is in public my mind flies above the clouds with my thoughts.. until someone tries the communicate with me, then it transforms into some kind of panic attack.

[@bethwareing604]

The Good Place would be an interesting show to see your reactions to!

[@divinelyvibin]

Love your authentic reactions & professional perspectives! ❤️

[@LemonSte]

"grief is love with nowhere to go" oooooooo that stung me. that's exactly what it is

[@isaiahhenderson9538]

I love the way of u Break down and describe things in this video like shot can be my therapist!!! 💯💯😂

[@brittanymayroberts]

I literally sobbed this entire episode. No matter what else was happening my mind just kept going back to Fez.

[@mahimahayat4698]

the thing you said about setting boundaries with parents and it being hard even though you need to do it made me very emotional bc a lot of what you described I have dealt with. my idea of and experience with safety, security, and love is scewed and its bc of one parent who I argue with a lot (like nate) but I still find it hard to completely cut them off or hurt their feelings even though they don't care about other's feelings most of the time. edit: I also wanted to add, I always thought I was being overdramatic, and this sounds awful but I always thought Rue was a bit overdramatic as well because I never considered the loss of her dad to be THAT big of a deal which I feel stupid now saying bc like you said, so much comes from our parents and ik if I suddenly lost my mom I'd be super depressed too

[@Izzyneedscoffee]

I would love to see you react to Skins UK. That show shaped me as a teen and I saw myself in a lot of the characters.

[@hedgeknight_17]

I'll be waiting for the book! Thank you for reacting so quickly after each episodes!

[@BbyDAp]

I feel so lucky!!!! Literally found this channel this morning and I watched all your Euphoria videos, and right when I finished the 7the episode reaction, you uploaded this. Was worried I'd have to wait a week or something

[@angelique6215]

Loved your euphoria reactions🥰 I think skins would be a good show for you to talk about

[@jesssays_]

You've done a phenomenal job with your Euphoria videos 💗 Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

[@LiiaKitty]

I am really excited to see your character breakdowns; I love your episode reactions. I would also love to see you react to Yellowjackets 💕

[@TikaCapricornEmpress]

Dissociation is what I realized when I was 20 years old. I’m happy to hear you explain it I always felt like I was crazy.

[@mariobras1915]

Hello! I loved your Euphoria reaction videos and especially your analysis! I will look forward to your new videos and will try to be online on the livestream. Just wanted to say that! Thank you so much truly!

[@jalen.0609]

"grief is love with nowhere to go“ that really hurt my feelings😭😭

[@kylieee7]

I think The Haunting of Hill House would be a good one. Lots of mental health comparisons in that show.

[@patyca3035]

Yeeeees I agree 100%.

[@patyca3035]

Also the Hunting of Bly Manor

[@vans8202]

you should check out "the wilds" on amazon prime! it follows a group of teenage girls in a pretty extreme environment (trying not to spoil too much) and much like euphoria every episode focuses on a character and deals with some pretty heavy topics as well. would absolutely LOVE to experience the show again through the eyes of a therapist!!!

[@talyyyylouiseeee7108]

Oh my goodness yes! I feel like this show flew under the radar and is so underrated but was so great and would be really interesting show to analyse!

[@prettypleasewithsugarontop4858]

Thanks for the recommendation I just went to Amazon prime and checked out the trailer it looks really good