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Euphoria Season 2, Episode 6 Recap: Deliver Us From Nate Jacobs

How are there only two more episodes left in this season of Euphoria?! This week’s episode gave center stage to Coleman Domingo’s raw, emotional talent; reignited my crush on Minka Kelly; and foreshadowed some Ashtray violence. Let’s get into it—spoilers and all. 

Defeating the Final #BoyMom Boss

I’m not sure anyone was fully on Team Marsha Jacobs but if you were, I’m guessing you dropped that allegiance this week. In the wake of Cal’s departure from the Jacobs’ family, we see Marsha in an indulgent meltdown, including smoking in the house and drinking whiskey with her underage son. Nate and Marsha catch up—seemingly connecting in ways that were blocked by Cal’s possessiveness and anger. But instead of taking this newly forged family unit for the better and forming healthy bonds with her son, Marsha praises him for having “all the worst qualities” of his father. She praises Nate for his abuse of Maddy in public—which had heavy undertones of people currently defending Kanye. She praises him for betraying Maddy by starting a relationship with Cassie and for hating his dad, something they had in common. I could talk about the ick this scene gave me for days on end; it was giving “boys will be boys!” rhetoric we often see from women who rebuke the label of being a feminist. What gets lost in women praising their sons’ destructive behavior under the #BoyMom umbrella is that when you raise a man to hate women, he will eventually come to hate you too. It’s time we realize endorsing violent men won’t save you, and feminism isn’t a bad word.

The Real Super Bowl: Cassie vs. Maddy

If you’re like me, Sunday was a busy day between Super Bowl LVI and this week’s Euphoria episode, which had been dubbed “The Real Super Bowl”. As someone who watched both, I saw a lot of similarities between the two. In the Super Bowl matchup, there were two talented teams with different strengths; the sort of new school vs. old school lineup that makes for a good game. Cassie and Maddy are also very different but are equally fitted for the game they are playing. Cassie said it herself, Maddy is crazy but she’s crazier. Maddy admits to being a fighter and loving it—something the Bengals are no strangers to. Cassie is going to wear you down emotionally until you give in, much like veteran Rams QB Matt Stafford playing for over a decade with no playoff wins before switching teams and finally winning a Super Bowl. In the end, despite strong fan bases on either side, it felt like ultimately the people wanted the Bengals and Maddy to take their respective titles. But just like the Rams securing the Lombardi trophy and winning the game, Cassie swooped in and ran right back into Nate’s arms. 

TV Realities

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Euphoria is realistic and this week’s episode was one of the most real. I have two brothers but the scenes of Lexi longing for an escape from Cassie’s dramatics was a storyline that rang all too true for my friends who grew up with sisters. Anyone who had a crush in high school (especially on the school rebel!) felt the same butterflies and bubbly feelings Lexi and Fez shared while watching Stand By Me. But I think one of the most realistic scenes we’ve seen was the heartbreaking final scene with Rue’s mom begging her health care provider to admit Rue to receive care. I don’t think anyone thinks our country’s health care system is good or right, and for people struggling with addiction that’s all too true. Even deeper than health care coverage, so much of medical research ignores women as patients, leading to negligent, if not harmful, treatment for a lot of women. I’m ready for our health care system to prioritize health over profits, but that happening is about as unrealistic as Cassie admitting she’s wrong.

What I Want For Next Week’s Episode

We finally get to see Lexi’s play! I’m choosing to ignore the foreboding situation between Faye and Custer, and rooting for Lexi to win a Tony. I’m here for her lighting the match on an explosion of drama and walking away like a metaphorical, Degrassi version of Angela Bassett’s iconic Waiting to Exhale scene. I’ll be here to discuss it all when it happens—see you next week for the recap.