The finale of the second season of the HBO original series “Euphoria” aired on Feb. 27.

This season continued the cause-and-effect format of the first season, focusing on how each character’s actions affect the other characters and centering around the recurring theme of addiction.

Zendaya’s portrayal of Rue Bennettis is, by far, the standout performance of the season. While “Euphoria” is often criticized for the glorification of substance abuse, Zendaya’s portrayal of a young girl struggling to get clean is phenomenal.

Sydney Sweeney, who plays Cassie Howard, is also exceptional. Even though Cassie’s character is almost universally loathed, her ability to look absolutely out of her mind this season is believable. 

The biggest problem with this season, however, are the plot-holes. Certain storylines that were vital to the plot in the previous season were either only briefly touched on in Season 2 or, in some cases, completely disregarded. 

For example, the writers completely ignore the character development of Jules (Hunter Schafer), specifically what took place during the second Special Episode from 2021. Jules co-wrote the special with creator Sam Levinson, and it is clear that the Season 2 writers did not pay close attention to the plotline or Jules’s character arc.

In Season 1, Jules says that she is no longer interested in men and sets out on her own journey with femininity, yet her entire storyline in Season 2 centers around a relationship with a man, which felt disingenuous to the character.

Labrinth, who also composed the music for Season 1, again did an exceptional job with the soundtrack. While many songs were reused from the first season, the song “I’m Tired” perfectly encapsulates the message of the show and Rue’s journey throughout the season.

Overall, if you don’t look too closely at the plot-holes, the season was good. “Euphoria” was renewed for a third season, so let’s hope the writers pay attention to some critics and close said holes.