It is with the play, which spans the final two episodes, that the season is brought to a close. She shares her perspective on Rue’s addiction and Cassie’s insecurities, as well as their impact on her self-esteem. Lexi spends the second season working on a play about her life, including the drama of her sister and friends. She becomes an active member of the second season’s plot through her budding romance with Fez (Angus Cloud) and by participating in important moments like Rue’s withdrawal-fueled reveal of Cassie’s relationship with her best friend’s ex-boyfriend, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi). The second season acknowledges this aspect of her character – that she is merely a mechanism to progress the other characters’ stories – and puts a spotlight on it. Even when we got glimpses into the Howard sisters’ past with their absent dad, it was through the lens of Cassie’s episode (1x07) and her perspective. She was at the Halloween party and at the Winter Formal, but she didn’t really contribute much more than a funny Bob Ross costume (all the more cute now that we know the inspiration). The most you could really say about her character is that she was there. In Euphoria’s first season, Lexi’s presence felt unrealized she was given only a few scenes that gave her some action outside of her otherwise static story arc. Without many scenes, let alone an entire episode to herself, loving her character meant appreciating the very little content the show provided of her. In the first season, her tendency to observe from the sidelines resonated deeply with me. I do, however, relate to the experience of Lexi Howard, the younger sister of Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), childhood friend of Rue and arguably the most typical or “normal” character in the show.

That’s not to say that I can’t connect with the emotions and insecurities of the characters, but the actual events of the story are so out of the realm of my own life that I had trouble finding someone I could truly identify with. I never thought my own life would make for an intriguing story until Lexi Howard, played by ex-Northwestern student Maude Apatow, took center stage in the second season of Euphoria.Īs someone who hasn’t experienced the intense struggles of the main cast, I don’t relate heavily to, say, main character Rue’s (Zendaya) battle with addiction. Yet, I often see more of myself in the side characters who do not hold as much of the story’s weight in their hands. I shouldn’t want to be the supporting cast – I should want to be intriguing enough to be the star. I have been urged by social media to find my main character moment.

I have always been told that boring characters make for boring stories.

Rue and lexi euphoria