‘Euphoria Part 2: Jules’ – A Visually Therapeutic Session

Euphoria has never been as rich as these past two episodes. Maybe it is the constraints the pandemic has put on us all, but these concentrated episodes are giving us the chills and deep emotional cuts. In Euphoria Part 1, we saw Rue fresh off of abandonment and opening up to her sponsor. This episode we get a sensitive Jules in her first therapy session. I applaud the genius use of setting, but the magnificence of this episode lies in the visuals and poetic elegance of the writing. Be aware spoilers are ahead!  Where is My Mind?  If you follow Euphoria, you know the visuals for Jules scenes are out of this frickin world. From the moment I saw her spotlight ride through the trees, I knew this show was here to give me a mind f**k. This special episode even flashes back to that scene in an instant memory while Jules finds the words to describe her situation.

HBOMax Screenshot

We see Jules, no makeup, plopped on the therapist couch more reserved than usual. Jules’ face is holding back much of what she really wants to say and from her expression remorse is what we see. Her therapist played by Lauren Weed (Arrested Development) sits in a very calm demeanor balancing out the anxiety on Jules’ face. Cut to, we see a full recap of Jules’ journey through their eyes – no really it’s a beautiful shot displaying the colorful blurred images of Jules’ experiences through season one. The light is delicate and the eye movements telling. How can one sight for three full minutes ma…