Zendaya never fails to make me cry.
WARNING: Major spoilers for Euphoria Episode 5!!
At its core, Euphoria is the story of one teenager’s struggle with drug addiction and how that impedes every relationship in her life. This episode especially felt like a front row seat into just how everyone in Rue’s life responds to her addiction.
But more than anything, we got to see how addiction strips a person of their sense of self, their integrity, and the best parts of who they are.
We watched as Rue, quite literally, blew up her life and felt severe remorse as the consequences of her actions weighed heavy on her conscience — but then, she still couldn’t help but succumb to the only authority she answers to: her addiction.
The entire opener felt like someone was clenching my heart and twisting it.
And I think what makes Zendaya so incredible is that her line delivery is always unexpected. She’s not conventional. She surprises the viewer in a way that keeps you wanting more. Her scenes don’t feel like we’re watching someone act, but rather, REact to the situation in front of her.
She has a way of taking scenes with extreme emotions and adding levels. When she’s crying, she’s not just crying, when she’s yelling, she’s not just yelling, and when she’s berating someone, the pain she feels behind her eyes is so incredibly realistic, your heart can’t help but break.
For example, I could wax poetic about the scene when Rue unpacks all of her anger on Jules in a fiery rage, and then her voice breaks as she struggles to catch her breath…
Zendaya’s brilliance is pretty evident IMO, but I’m obviously not the only person who thinks it. She already won one Emmy in 2020 for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Rue in Season 1 of Euphoria. And now, fans (/all of Twitter) think she’s about to sweep at the Emmys once again, for Episode 5 alone:
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/andriamoore/euphoria-episode-5-zendaya-emmy