Euphoria: Give Zendaya a damn Emmy already
Sunday's episode of Euphoria again left viewers speechless after Zendaya's character Rue makes a mess of her, and everyone else's, life.
Sunday's episode solidified that Zendaya is a damn fine actor. And that's putting it mildly.
Euphoria's fifth episode, Stand Still Like the Hummingbird, was pure chaos – and to be honest, viewers enjoyed every minute of it.
In an attempt to help her get sober, Rue's mother, sister, Jules, and Elliot try and fail to stage an intervention.
Things turn extremely violent when Rue learns that they've flushed her drugs down the toilet, causing her to destroy her own home.
But the insanity doesn't stop there.
The drug-addicted teen then flees and causes more damage everywhere she goes.
From outing Cassie's affair with Nate in front of Maddie, to trying to steal drugs from Fez's sickly grandmother – nobody is safe in Rue's destructive rampage.
Particularly Rue herself, who almost ends up working as a prostitute to pay off her debts to her new drug connect.
The bewitching episode is perfectly executed from start to finish, and it's mostly thanks to an effortless acting performance by the Spider-Man star.
Zendaya leaves fans shook with painfully compelling performance
Twitter was on fire after the newest episode. During and after the hour-long chapter on Sunday, fans collectively asked "WTF Rue?" while watching the disruptive teen cause all sorts of turmoil. (Seriously, how is the show going fix the ridiculously toxic Cassie/Nate/Maddie love triangle?)
But while Rue's messy tirade was painful to watch, it was also very necessary to the themes of Euphoria overall.
Viewers are divided on the mature teen drama and whether it's too graphic. But despite the criticism it's received for showing the lengths teens will go to for drugs, Euphoria doesn't glorify them. In fact, the show serves as a very harsh reminder just how deadly and dangerous drug addiction can be.
From Rue breaking down a door with her foot, to almost being sold into prostitution, her brushes with danger show the shocking and very realistic circumstances a drug-addicted life can lead to.
Zendaya's portrayal of a troubled youth who repeatedly proclaims that she "can't stay clean" is difficult to digest. But it's also a hauntingly accurate portrayal. And most on social media, including her colleagues, couldn't agree more.
"Zendaya is an incredible fucking actress. Holy F**k," her costar Angus Cloud tweeted after the show's latest episode.
He followed up with another post in all caps: "Give Zendaya her Emmy now!"
Fans are on the same wavelength, with one writing: "Zendaya easily clinched her second Emmy nomination in just the first 10 minutes of tonight's #Euphoria."
Euphoria is now available on HBO Max, and we can't wait for some more episodes – and some Emmy nods – to come.
Cover photo: IMAGO/Picturelux