Pilot (Euphoria)
Series premiere of Euphoria, introducing Rue Bennett and Jules Vaughn.
"Pilot" serves as the debut episode of the HBO teen drama *Euphoria*, penned by series creator Sam Levinson and helmed by director Augustine Frizzell. It first aired on June 16, 2019, after being greenlit in March 2018 and shot the following June. Critical response was largely positive.
The cold open introduces Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a teenage addict grappling with mental health issues, her father’s death, and a recent overdose. Rue serves as the show’s protagonist and unreliable narrator. Upon returning from rehab, she has no intention of staying clean. She soon meets Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer), a new girl in town, and becomes infatuated. Meanwhile, college freshman Chris McKay (Algee Smith) throws a party.
**Plot** As a child, Rue is diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. After her father dies, she spirals into heavy drug and alcohol use. The summer before junior year, she overdoses and is sent to rehab. Shortly after coming home, she visits her dealers, Fezco (Angus Cloud) and Ashtray (Javon Walton). Quarterback Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) catcalls Jules, who recently moved to the suburbs. Jules finds comfort in her summer school friend Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira), who invites her to McKay’s party.
Rue’s mother Leslie (Nika King) forbids her from leaving until she takes a drug test, but Rue sneaks out to her childhood friend Lexi Howard’s (Maude Apatow) home and uses Lexi’s urine to cheat. Before the party, Jules hooks up with an older married man (Eric Dane). Nate shows McKay a sex tape of Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Lexi’s older sister, making McKay uncomfortable. At the party, McKay and Cassie have sex but stop when he accidentally chokes her; they quickly reconcile.
Rue talks with Fezco, who worries about her drug use. Kat smokes cannabis with McKay’s twin brothers and their friend Wes. Struggling with body image and peer pressure, Kat lies about her sexual history and is pressured into removing her top. She later tells her friend BB she lost her virginity to Wes. Cheerleader Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), recently broken up with Nate, has public sex with college student Tyler Clarkson (Lukas Gage) in the pool as revenge.
Seeing Maddy and Tyler, Nate takes his frustration out on Jules, who has just arrived. When he threatens her, Jules grabs a knife and slashes her own arm.
- Episode
- Pilot
- Series
- Euphoria
- Network
- HBO
- Original air date
- June 16, 2019
- Written by
- Sam Levinson
- Directed by
- Augustine Frizzell
- First-day viewership
- 577,000
Lore & Background
The cold open introduces addict teenager Rue Bennett, the protagonist and unreliable narrator, as she struggles with mental disorders, her father's death and a drug overdose. In the episode proper, Rue returns home from rehab with no plans to stay sober; she meets and becomes infatuated with new girl in town Jules Vaughn. Meanwhile, Chris McKay throws a party. The plot follows Rue's interactions with dealers Fezco and Ashtray, Jules' hookup with an older married man, and Nate Jacobs' threatening behavior toward Jules, which culminates in Jules slashing her own arm. The episode ends with Nate looking at a photo, but the explicit discovery that the married man is his father is not confirmed until episode 2.
Reader's Guide
The pilot established the visual and narrative style of Euphoria, including its use of an unreliable narrator and stylized sequences such as the rotating hallway scene, which was achieved by building a mock room on a gimbal. The episode drew 3,300,000 viewers on its first day and received highly positive reviews. Critics noted its accurate portrayal of teen social existence defined by texting, dating apps, and pornography, while also highlighting perspectives of a young woman of color and a young trans woman. The episode was ranked sixth out of eighteen episodes by BuzzFeed and was considered the best of the series by IndieWire. TVLine gave a "Performer of the Week" honorable mention to Hunter Schafer for her work in this episode.
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