In Defense of Elliot: Euphoria’s Freshest Face

After nearly three years of waiting, the world was listening. In Euphoria Season 2, stakes were higher, the drama was ubiquitous, fans were keen to bring their discourse to small screens everywhere. As episodes rolled out week by week over the course of two months, they were individually dissected to their bones, spawning conspiracies in every direction, many of which were more complex than the show deserved. Fans also expressed their shock, hot takes, and predictions: Is Rue going to die, is she already dead? Why was that breakup scene so out of character? Why are we being made to empathize with Cal Jacobs? Where are the teachers around here? What is the arts budget at East Highland High? 

Euphoria is very much a character-driven show, and the spectrum of personalities on display was on the receiving end of divisive storylines and behaviour throughout the eight months. At one point or another, most principal characters were dubbed a ‘fan favourite’ in headlines, then ‘television’s ultimate villain’ the next week. 

One man was on the receiving end of considerable vitriol, and even more confusion: Elliot, that scruffy guy with the guitar. While many viewers were critical of Elliot’s value within the show, others considered him the missing piece within a multitude of theories. Is he a figment of Rue’s imagination, a drug dealer with dangerous intentions, or was he the third Jacobs brother? Turns out he wasn’t any of those things. Yet, people went out of their way to run down Elliot’s presence.

Personally, I was excited for Dominic Fike’s mainstream acting debut, for his multi-talented self to be thrust into the full-blown spotlight. This was the case for many people tuning into season two’s opening episode, and it showed with his high stakes introduction. By literally saving Rue’s life, Elliot’s presence within Euphoria was projected to be helpful, well-intentioned, and important. Many would disagree with such an assessment, given the events of the remainder of the season, but Elliot isn’t the bad influence he’s been painted as.

Being on board with Rue’s disturbing suitcase-filled-with-drugs ‘plan’ was highly questionable, despite the unreliable narrator, so that’s a strike. I can’t condone shoplifting or property damage, so the weirdly paced, out-of-step White Claw theft moment with Jules is another strike. That’s all I can fully hold him responsible for, all of which pales in comparison to the tomfoolery committed by the rest of Euphoria’s extensive cast of characters. 

Before you hit me with the drug-taking and the cheating–and I preface by saying these are largely concepts too severe for me to fully address–we see Rue and Jules’ prior behaviour as a result of self destructive patterns. It isn’t as simple as a ‘bad influence’. Jules had cheated before and Rue had already relapsed by the time she met Elliot. If anything, he was a tool to expose their harmful relationship. Rue and Jules' worst moments of Season 2 were almost exclusively a result of self-destructive behaviour or each other's actions, and can’t wholly be traced back to Elliot. 

Elliot was funny, tended to mind his own business, and honest; granted it took a while at times. Bear with me here, but the interrogation scene in episode 3 is up there with my favourite interactions of Season 2: it was relatively realistic, cheeky, and the closest thing the audience got to a formal introduction to this character. 

A common complaint is Elliot’s involvement in the finale. ‘Elliot’s Song’ in episode 8 was too long, yes, but necessary. It was a grounding moment for Rue, a second to see her experience some relief, to reflect on what she still has, and motivate her to look to the future. The song itself was gorgeous too. It debuted at number nine on the US Spotify charts, so someone’s lying about how much they really liked the tune.

Elliot didn’t deserve the disrespect piled on by fans and haters alike and despite the messiness of Season 2, I’m excited for the future of his character.