McKay is a record-breaking student athlete who earned a football scholarship to a local Division 1 state school and has dreamed of being drafted to the NFL-until he gets benched in pre-season. In many ways, his backstory isn’t nearly as “scandalous” or rule-breaking as Bennett, and yet his suffering is hugely present until it gives way to trauma porn. Unfortunately, the show’s only other core Black character, Christopher McKay (Algee Smith), isn’t afforded the same nuance as Bennett.Įuphoria is primarily set at East Highland High School, but McKay is a college freshman at a local state college, and much of his arc is shaped by the experience of assimilating into university culture as a Division I football athlete. This is largely because the show humanizes her as she attempts to self-medicate through heavy drug use to cope with the loss of her father and manage her anxiety. Her reliance on drugs is presented as a health issue, and her character is one we respect and root for rather than judge. Though Rue Bennett is played by Zendaya, a mixed-race Black woman, her alcohol and drug addiction are untouched by the intersections of her gender and race: Euphoria gives her space to navigate the stressors of high school without being classified as a “ crackhead” or typecast as the daughter of a “ single mother.” Instead, the show grants Bennett a humanity typically only afforded to suburban white teens-both onscreen and off.
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As progressive as it may be, though, the series continues an ongoing trend in teen-centered dramas: utilizing trauma to develop Black characters.
With clear ties to early-to-mid-2000s teen dramas, including The O.C., Gossip Girl, Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Degrassi (which introduced American audiences to Euphoria’s Executive Producer Aubrey Graham aka Drizzy Drake), the 55-minute drama is being heralded for its unique, thoughtful, and even progressive portrayal of the issues currently affecting teens, including being filmed while performing sexual acts without giving consent, being slut-shamed by sexual partners, and being in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse.
When HBO’s Euphoria premiered in June 2019, its diverse depictions of Generation Z captivated intergenerational audiences. Algee Smith as Christopher McKay in Euphoria (Photo credit: Eddy Chen/HBO)
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