The Reel Rejects - EUPHORIA 2x05 & 2x06 REVIEW – WE ARE PHYSICALLY DRAINED AFTER THIS – FIRST TIME WATCHING

Episode Date: April 10, 2026

THIS WAS HARD TO WATCH... Euphoria Full Reaction Watch Along:   / thereelrejects   Start your online business with a $1 per-month trial when you visit https://www.shopify.com/rejects! Gift Someone (Or Yourself) An RR Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 EUPHORIA 2x3 & 2x4 REACTION    • EUPHORIA 2x03 & 2x04 REACTION –WE WERE FUL...   EUPHORIA 2x1 & 2x2 REACTION :    • EUPHORIA 2x1 & 2x2 REACTION – FEZ JUST WRE...   EUPHORIA Special Episodes 1 & 2 Reaction:    • EUPHORIA SPECIAL EPISODES REACTION – CRAZY...   EUPHORIA 1x7 & 1x8 Reaction:    • EUPHORIA 1x7 & 1x8 REACTION – RUE HITS ROC...   Tara Erickson & John Humphrey dive into one of the most intense stretches of the series, bringing you their Euphoria Season 2 Episodes 5 & 6 reaction, recap, commentary, breakdown, analysis, and full spoiler review!! Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary. Thank you to Shopify for sponsoring this video. them in just bid. People are excited about this one, I think. I think this is the one people are like, wait till you get to this episode. So like, let's get to this episode. One, two, and an HBO.

That makes me exciting. It's taking a second here to appreciate these lovely pillowy blankets of piano chords drifting. Oh, man. Fresh fallen snow.

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Tara. How do you feel it? I mean, I'm feeling pretty good. This was, this is tough. This was really great episodes of television. Insane. Really great acting. I mean, just took me in. We went from yeah, rock bottom to

where I didn't think she'd recover, but also not with every character. We don't Rock Bottom with Cassie, with Maddie, with Nate in a way, with Nate's mom. Like, there's a lot of truth in these episodes that they gave us. Just the realness from the characters in the writing is what I mostly appreciated about these two episodes. Very jarring, very real. And, yeah, I mean, I really, I love this show, but it does put you in a, you know, state.

Mm-hmm. It does. This was intense. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the fifth episode was truly something. Yeah. In terms of like a semi-real-time crash-out, you know, withdrawal-addled episode, like an episode, not just episode TV, but like an episode of emotional outburst. Yeah, it was a tour to force.

Real harsh, real heavy. This show makes me want to go outside in the sun for an hour. Yeah, totally. Take a shower and it makes me want to, like, go touch grass and hug a kitten and, you know, give a kid an ice cream cone or something. But, but yeah, no, every step of this had great acting and some really nuanced writing and some really crack filmmaking as the show. frequently, continually does. Yeah. Some of the most fascinating Nate moments.

Some of the most entertained I've been by Nate just on his own merits. Some of the most interested I've been genuinely in his growth as a character. Yeah. You know, I actually got kicks out of watching him in the second episode, whereas usually I'm just like, someone please smash another bottle on this man's face. So, yeah. Totally. Fascinating.

I mean, he's still doing some pretty heinous shit, but fascinating. Nonetheless, that scene with him and his mom when they're drinking together. Absolutely fascinating. Loved her turn. Love getting her, like, she's done a full transformation since Cal left.

Totally. And I'm here for that. Yeah. Love Sue's. Love her little peppering's in across the show, the episodes. She's so great. Lexi and Fez have my whole heart. I love them and I'm super worried for everything to do with all that shit with Custer and Mouse and all that.

I hate it. Hate it very much. I hope Lexi doesn't get mangled up in all of that. That would suck. Flippin A. Cassie. Tough. Cassie's in a tough position because I'm like, I don't know, man.

There's not a lot of like, there's not a lot of people who can be. in your corner defending what you've done besides the whole identification factor that Maddie has when she's talking to the lady she babysits for that's sort of like hey man people are people and life is messy and when

you're 18 you know so fascinating stuff uh Maddie yeah very fascinating to watch her

both navigate this and And then that whole ending scene with Nate was horribly traumatic. God. And then, friggin, I feel like one other plot line. We didn't seem much of Elliott at all or Jules. I thought the Jules and Nate seemed really good. That was a good one.

I was surprised he gave. I mean, I knew then eventually when she got in the truck, but I was like, wow, okay. He apologized, and he's giving her the tape. Yeah. All right, man. Don't know what's going to happen to Elliot, but I'm glad Ali is back. Yeah.

It was a good scene with Ollie. his moments. Storm Reed and the actress who plays the mom both terrific. The mom especially I was very much appreciating her performance this episode because like, oh, I feel so, so, so, so bad for her.

Yeah. Such a hard position to be in a terrible position. Hell yeah. Oh, and then we got Kat and Ethan's breakup, which was insane. That was insane. Thank God. He's the only like smart

one that goes to therapy. I don't. Like, literally. I feel like you're trying to say something and instead of just actually saying it He's like, I'm helping you say what you want to say. Yeah. And then she's like throwing his, oh, it's hard.

And I feel for her and I feel like there's some maybe development that we still maybe stand to get with Kat because like it's weird. I feel like we spent a lot of time with Kat during. season one. We did. And we saw the journey that she was on. Yeah.

And so there was a lot of context there. And then ever since she started dating Ethan, we haven't really like caught up. Been with her except for her

frustration with the fact that this is too safe and it's not steamy enough or it doesn't have that like spark of danger or it's not aligned with how she is

coming into her own body and expression and all that. Exactly. And so now in season two it's like we don't really get much of that. And so in that moment, you're like,

I know there's more. It's like, I know the context we have up till now to support this scene, but I feel like there's more context we could get to really empathizing with her during the scene because the way the scene plays out,

you're entirely Ethan for the most part. Yeah, you are. You see what she's doing and you're like, I want to sympathize with you. And again, I have sympathized with you as a character, but like,

this is an awful way to do this. Yeah. This is really unsettling. And I get that she's like trying to act all unaffected. and the whole like, oh wow, and now you're going to gaslight me. He's like, no, no, I think this is the situation. It was so great.

It doesn't make a scene and he just walks out and it's like, it's weird because it's heartbreaking as that story has been as much as I've been like, oh, don't hurt Ethan. I'm like, this kid is so well adjusted. Thank God, right? Because I thought that that was going to be very different. I thought I was going to wreck him. Me too. No, he's just like, be honest with me.

Thank God because I need to see him in the play. I'm like, he's, yeah, I'm like, Ethan doesn't deserve any of this chaos. Ethan deserves to be in high school musical, the musical of the show. Thank you. Where everything is great and everything's beautiful and nothing hurts. And nothing hurts him because he's just a precious soul. You don't need to be in the depraved under hell of this high school. He's the only character.

I think it's like found a way to dig his way out of there and not even be dealing with this bullshit. Yeah. So I'm curious as to why the writing with Kat has changed or isn't as, as in depth as it once was. It's weird. It feels like she was a main ensemble character of season one, and now I feel like she's very much a supporting character

who shows up once in a while. Or we see her with Maddie, or we see her with other characters rather than on her own journey. I guess we'll get to that. We have to, because like, it's like, that would feel, well,

we have to see how she handles how the Spy. after he was like, I'm not doing this and he leaves. Like, now does she go fully into what she wants and what she needs for herself? Or does that wreck her? Because he made the choice. Yeah, and how is she going to kind of parse her own identity out? Because you look at her friends and all of her friends have provided this contrast where they're like,

oh, you're in this healthy, normal relationship. And all of us are like playing Russian roulette with Nate. Exactly. screaming and vomiting on each other and we're doing all these crazy chaos. Yeah. And so part of me is like, is she going to take this and turn it into some kind of heinous thing

that it wasn't? Or are we just going to get some kind of additional perspective later on and then continue her story? And there's nothing really that happens about this specific relationship again. I don't know. Yeah, she could go for damage. I guess we'll see.

We'll see. But either way, let's see what you guys wanted to talk about. Friends, starting something, is honestly terrifying. Before Real Rejects became like a business, I remember thinking, what if no one watches? What if this just fails? And the truth is, most people don't start

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to with Shopify. You can sign up for $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash rejects. You can go to Shopify.com slash rejects. That's Shopify.com slash rejects. Thank you, Shopify for sponsoring this video. J-Dell kicking us off in episode five when Rue lashes out at Jules. Some people feel she's been building for a while. Like Jules knew how deeply Rue loved her, knew she was still using it, still

pulled away or chose other things at times and crossed certain lines, cheating, while Rue had her entire world pretty much centered around Jules in season one. At the same time, Rue's addiction clearly affects how she sees and treats people. Do you think that moment is Rue finally breaking that emotional dependency, or is it still her addiction distorting things and pushing Jules away in a way that isn't entirely fair? Oh, I think it's absolutely her addiction and distorting things. Like, when you're in that mode, like, you're like, just get away from me. but we got to the real part. She's like, you left me.

And a real friend who would care wouldn't do that. So we got to the heart of it. We got to the root of the problem. I don't know if it's like, oh, yeah, she was really making the decision to finally break the emotional dependency. But what she was doing was making a decision to tell Jules the truth.

Because they haven't really had a true, real open dialogue about their emotions in a minute. They just haven't. So I think that was good that that happened. That was the last things that she told her

and that at least Jules heard the truth is that, you know, ruin that moment felt abandoned. And I was glad that came out. And of course it's not fair, but, you know, yeah, that's life. Yeah. I would say that any

any confronting of the emotional dependency is incidental to the greater thing that is happening, which is she's withdrawing, she's desperate to find the suitcase, she needs to say and do anything possible to get out of this situation and to get that

suitcase back into her possession. So, I would say that it's not, I wouldn't count it as a great moment of truly confronting and letting go of or addressing that, but I think it will lead to greater addressing of it later because it's out on the table.

Like the truths are spoken anyway, and I think that's part of what's compelling about the writing here is like even in these crash out moments. And that's from what I understand, part of what's so hard about dealing with addicts and people in the throes of withdrawal or crisis is that like, you know, the way your spirit moves is different and you can lock in and like elucidate details in a totally different fashion because again, your body's working over time in a state of, like, desperate adrenaline rush. So, you know, you'll say stuff that might be true,

but it's not like you're fully present for, like, the conversation that is that. So, yeah, I would say that... True. I'm sure this will have an effect on the emotional dependency, and to a point, it certainly shows that the dependency on these drugs is greater than her dependency on any other person.

True. But, yeah, I mean, it highlights the treachery of centering so much of her world on jewelry. And Jules has echoed this before. This idea of like it feels like her entire world and sobriety kind of depends on me. And that's a lot of pressure. And I'm figuring my own life out. And I can't fully handle that.

And we've had Jules. It's like, yeah, the whole thing's been a mess. And part of what's good is that all the characters have a point to some degree. And they've all made selfish choices. And they've all, you know, not quite necessarily always looked out for each other. So, so, yeah. I would love to be like, oh, no. each other at the stake sometimes god i'm like she's saying this in this intense you know freak out

in this intense rage i gotta see how what she says when she's back on like normal ground again because i have a feeling the tune is going to be different and it might still reflect what was happening here but yeah yeah it's it maybe adds it maybe pulls a brick out of that wall but it's not like she's broken it no because you can already tell like you know part of of her like you know once that conversation ends she's like oh she can tell the way she looks after Jules when Jules leave she's like I've got this whole thing's a mess

Yeah it is So yeah it's tough But it's compelling Malik Take it away What was your favorite moment from Rue's crash out I'd have a time with Rue confronting Jules And Rue riding Cassie out in front

of Maddie I think Riding Cassie out for sure I was like oh my God Like I, what? Ratting Cassie out was insane. Savage. Was savage as hell.

And such a good performance from Sidney where she's like, what? And like, you can see her, the tears in her eyes. They start to come out. And I'm like, oh, man, it's all coming out. And, like, Roo's just on the freaking stairwell. And Rue kind of looks like scared after she does it. Like, if you look at her, she's like, kind of like this.

what suz goes you you need to stop because we're having an intervention and that just made me laugh it's so true they're literally trying to have an intervention that was hilarious so good that and again sue's MVP that whole thing of like whoa whoa hang on a second there is a much bigger and that's the problem is like again that's that's a thing you're dealing with because it's the like I'll do anything man And I love it. I love that is a painful moment, but I love that moment because it's a perfect contrast to the Jules moment. Yes. Because the Jules moment is like very personal.

God. And it's very harsh and like she's right up in her face. You can feel all this rage she's letting out. Whereas the Cassie moment is literally just like, I need a diversion. I need to get the fuck out of this room. What's the nearest hand grenade I can throw up, bite the pin, throw into the room and use the chaos to Vammuz. Totally. And so it's sad because you're like, oh, no, like this whole group of people is now imploding all because you needed an exit strategy.

It's hilarious. And it's like it's this one moment from episodes ago where she drives by and she sees Cassie getting in the truck. And it's that assumption of like, this is all I need. And I bet in that moment she's probably like, I don't have even a use for it. I don't think at the time she saw that. She had to mean like conniving intent, but it's a moment like that where it's like, oh shit, what can I use? Oh, perfect. This will get me out of this situation.

And it drives the drama forward. So that was great. Her whole time spent, I mean, I love when she goes to see Fez, it's harsh. But I really love the way that scene played out in the sense that I love how steadfast he is. It's about the principle. 100%. Like I love the irony. Obviously, people pointed out, this guy deals drugs.

There's all sorts of stuff. But, like, the care he has for her and the fact that he's like, yeah, you can come in. Okay, you can use the bathroom or whatever. He gives her the benefit of the doubt. And then the second he catches her in grandma's room, it's like, this is messed up. Yeah, we're not doing this. And you can just see by the body language, like, he's had to deal with this. Yep.

And you feel the sadness of that. And I thought it was a great moment, though harsh. Me too. And her with... Made me love him even more. Yeah. And I'll shout out her with Lori. or whatever. Those scenes where she's talking to the drug dealer lady, especially before it gets kind of sinister and you're wondering what the fuck is behind those locked doors.

You know, this is some of that where she's just like opening up about her life and they're talking together was very interesting too. I agree. And we got that parkour escape sequence. That was so good. Yeah. When she jumped off, we both went out. Rue has a career ahead of her as like a gymnast, a track and field athletes. The way, she could, I'm off the garage door, give me a break.

She's outrunning cops and family members and cars and dodging traffic and playing Frogger all day. And befriending dogs. She should be befriending dogs. Yeah. She should be an athlete. I agree. I agree. I totally agree.

Okay. Jadel with a couple of overflows. By the way, is it just me or was Jules wearing Elliott's clothes after cheating on Rue with him on top of still saying? saying she loves her in this moment probably wasn't the best time. Oh, God, if that's the case, I mean, yeah. She probably was if they had left just immediately. It seems like it. Yeah.

I mean, Jules, obviously, her style oscillates, but she was in, like, baggy or more Elliot-y clothes. Rew wouldn't even be in the headspace to recognize it. Because, yeah, and then you think where we left off last, he gave that confession. Yeah, they would have immediately, yes. like, oh. I think so. And the betrayal there and the weird triangle. Yeah, like that's, and that's a subliminal

that's happening. And I felt for him too because that whole thing where he's in there, he's like, I overstepped my boundary. This wasn't my place. And now everything's messed up. And I don't, again, I'm like, I'm like, low key. I don't know if we're going to see this guy anymore. I agree. He said I liked the way Jules was before. Yeah.

And it's like, he's a fascinating character because, yeah, I'm like, I can see how this guy's not a good influence on Jules, but he's like so kind of chill and emotionally up front that like he is a compelling character. He really is. And then we got one more

from J. Dell. In episode six, how did you read Nate showing up at Maddie's with the gun to get the tape back, especially after everything they've already been through, including the choking incident and covering it up together? What do you think that moment says about how Nate views Maddie and the kind of hold he has in that

dynamic? I mean yeah. I don't know. their they're they're a cornerstone of their relationship is is conflict and power play and so uh i mean it's perfectly in line with that and it's like uh it's another one of their fight it because she says all that stuff about like you know she loves to fight and there's that rush you know of the intense moment like it crosses a boundary beyond that uh so i'm curious as to like the different layers of effect it's going to have on Maddie, but like, oh God. I mean, yeah, he's, I don't know how to describe it, but yeah, it's like he is establishing like the ultimate dominance and also the

ultimate sort of like destructive, like if, if I can't have this, then I'm just going to like die on top of you or something because I love you, but this can't work and I know I've betrayed you and you'll never trust me again or whatever. And it's, I don't know. it's indicative of their whole twisted dynamic but it's also him making an additional power play to get the leverage back so it breaks out of and beyond that but in a way that's still kind of in conversation

with the whole makeup of their relationship but yeah I think it's that it's like because there's been like a bound a line crossed now you know it's it's a little beyond those things even if it comes from that place still that's how they can communicate is through extreme physical slash intense emotional gestures. Yeah, I mean, they're,

they're toxic. Yeah. I think, you know, for Nate, it was the last straw because what he says to her, he says, I know that your worst, like, your worst nightmares to be humiliated. And he humiliated her the worst out of anyone. And that to him is kind of, it's almost like he's writing the last soliloquy to her of like, I humiliated you. In the biggest way possible, I know you can't forgive me. This is the end. So we're in a moment of what do we have to lose? How do I get the tape back then?

We go as far as we go. We put pedal to the metal. We push it. And of course, I mean, Nate beat a guy half to death, made him go, you know, confessional crimes that he did himself. He's a cuckoo, bananas person. The line that he will push to is unlike anybody else's threshold on this show besides, weirdly so, Maddie, maybe. Like, so that is what that dynamic is.

And I think he knew he could push. She already understands how far Nate will go. And that is what that dynamic is, period. It's... Yeah, and I'm with you. I think it's weird. I'd have to go back and really look just to make sure,

but it did look like there were four bullets on the bed. For sure. I was like, bitch, you're trying to say, yeah, we're just talking. I'm like, bitch, there's bullets in the freaking gun, and I guarantee you. He gave sir the tape and he's still in the truck. We're going to come back to the gun.

Somehow they're going to reveal it to us. There's a bullet or two in that gun. Guaranteed. I feel like there's at least one. and I feel like he just told her that. Totally. Yeah, like. Totally.

Because it's like if it had already been disseminated or something, I don't know. At the same, like, I don't, yeah, I don't know, yeah. And also, if you, come on, I can count. And I know, like, I don't even own a gun. I know guns. There's four bullets on the bed. They gave us a wide shot. That is saying to us, he's a freaking liar.

There was a bull in there. I guarantee it. Yeah. And I hope that's revealed. We'll see. Yeah. Either way. A couple of very compelling episodes of

television. I feel great. I feel like Rue. I feel like I've been running all over the city. I'm exhausted. But, you know, despite how incredibly harsh and the depths to which we sank into despair that first episode, complimented by, you know, every episode is crushing. But the second episode brought us back around with some entertaining things as well as

some wrenching things. And now we got to go shoot, hopefully, not so deep stuff. Yes, yes, yes. It's on to much lighter subject matter for us for the rest of the day. Guys, leave us all your thoughts. Which character do you identify the most with? And why is it, Nate? All right.

We'll catch you next time. Keep it good. And yeah, which drugs are in your latte today? Tell us. Be on the good book. And, yeah. God bless. Lovin other drugs