Euphoria special episode ‘F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob’ review: Hunter Schafer and Sam Levinson are a dream team

Euphoria is back with another special episode, this time shining a bright light on Jules’ truth.

While the first of the two special episodes from Euphoria, titled “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” features incredible performances in a stripped-down setting that is glaringly uncharacteristic for the HBO series, the second presents just as much feeling–if not more–and brings back those signature Sam Levinson visuals fans know so well from season 1. “F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” is the best of both worlds: Heartbreakingly honest conversations and the dream-like sequences to paint the picture.

Hunter Schafer shows off her range in this episode, which she co-wrote with Levinson, and it without a doubt changes the trajectory of the show.

“F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” opens up with Jules (Hunter Schafer) in a therapy session soon after the events of the season 1 finale. When recalling her decision to run away, viewers are given a beautiful visual in which the major parts of the first season play through Jules’ eye to the song “Liability” by Lorde. The track is the perfect way to bring back all of those emotions from season 1, and starts the episode on an extremely strong note.

Setting the tone for how affective the episode is, Jules then opens up about wanting to get off her hormones, and is breathtakingly vulnerable and articulate in explaining what’s going on in her head. The first thing she tackles is femininity, explaining to her therapist (Lauren Weedman) how much she’s based her life on what men think. It’s a particularly profound bit of dialogue, thanks to Schafer and Levinson, and it’s certainly something that will stick with me, as a woman, for a long time.

Jules says:

"I feel like I’ve framed my entire womanhood around men. When, like, in reality, I’m no longer interested in men. Like, philosophically. Like, like, what men want. Like, what men want is so boring. And simple, and not creative, and, like, uh… I just, like, I look at myself, and I’m like, how the f**k did I spend my entire life building this. Like… (sighs) Like, my body, and my personality, and, like, my soul around what I think men desire? It’s just, like… it’s embarrassing. I feel like a… a fraud."

Just as Jules states that there are many “layers” to her, there are also many layers to this episode. Along with discussing her struggles with femininity, she also opens up about her relationship with Rue (Zendaya), her mother, and what happened with Tyler (a.k.a. Nate). She reveals that her mom is an addict, and that she was always too scared to talk to Rue about it, not wanting Rue to think Jules views them both the same way.

While Jules is certainly very self-aware, her therapist is able to get her to think of her situation in a different light, telling her that she’s too self-critical, and that maybe she does feel the same way about Rue as she does her mom. The fear that Rue depended on Jules for sobriety is really terrifying, and Jules opening up like this–along with the entire episode–forces the viewer to see the show in a different light as well. What Jules’ therapist does for her is similar to what the audience gets out of the episode: A challenging view, context, and some clarity.

To me, there’s two central parts to “F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob.” The first is Jules’ conversation with her therapist where she vocally expresses everything going on. Similar to “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” the discussion is extremely vulnerable and the cinematography is simple. The second part, however, turns that on its head. While Jules is opening up about her love for Rue and her infatuation with the fantasy surrounding Tyler, we get visuals that if I hadn’t watched season 1 of Euphoria I would describe as “like a music video.” The visual sequences are effective and at times quite upsetting, perfectly complementing Jules’ words in a way you can’t get just from talking. If you’re a fan of the show, then you know what I mean.

Both special episodes were filmed under COVID-19-related restrictions, and it looks like the Euphoria crew was able to expand their locations this time around. Jules’ episode takes place primarily in her therapist’s office, but also features gorgeous shots of her at the beach and in the ocean. Unlike season 1, the striking and colorful visuals aren’t at party settings nor are they paired with drug use. The cinematography only makes Jules’ experiences–her heartbreak, passion, and frustrations–all the more real.

This episode does something that season 1 was not able to do: Allow the viewer to see things from Jules’ point of view. I’ll be the first one to admit that Jules was not always my favorite character while watching Euphoria–until now, that is. As we learned from “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” Rue is not always a reliable narrator. We only had a sliver of an idea of what Jules was going through, and now after watching her episode, I can’t help but reassess everything that’s happened in the series so far.

I would be remiss if I didn’t conclude this review by praising Hunter Schafer. Not only does she show off her talent in ways that we haven’t seen on the show before, but the dialogue in this episode is also incredible, and I highly doubt the fact that she co-wrote it is a coincidence. Most fans of Euphoria rave about Levinson and Zendaya–who certainly do deserve praise–but I think it’s time Schafer gets the same credit.

“F**k Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” might be my favorite episode of Euphoria yet.