Usually the worst things happen to the best of us. Other times, our best intentions and sincere efforts are met with indifference or, worse, betrayal. This reality defines a significant portion of Maddy’s arc across HBO’s two seasons Euphoria.
Written and directed by Sam Levinson, the teen drama series thrives on a variety of fonts, especially with regard to its diverse characters, whose struggles and journeys many young adults recognize today. From Rue Bennett (Zendaya) to his big bad, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), every character in Euphoria navigates the highs and lows of teen life through compelling and emotional approaches that we can empathize with. One character whose arc needs more spotlight is Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), the queen bee of this high school drama.
To the showrunner’s credit and a career-best performance from Demie, Maddy redefines the “mean girl” trope that’s very common on television. Unlike others mean girl characters on TV, Maddy isn’t the stereotypical cheerleader or privileged materialistic girl whose biggest problem is sticking to unrealistic beauty standards or accumulating a social media following. Nor is she a bully who torments the main character for no reason. According to Anya Formozova for The Take, “Maddy is a queen bee with a heart.” Nevertheless, her kind heart and fierce loyalty to her friends, among other positive traits, have not exempted her from the worst treatment of the characters she deeply cared about in her life. Euphoria. From staying in a toxic relationship with a complicated Nate Jacobs to being betrayed by best friend Cassie, here are 10 times Maddy deserved better.
10 Being gaslighted by Cassie
It is one thing to be deeply hurt by someone, but it is another level when the person is not aware of their mistakes. This is repeated in the later events of Euphoria Season 2, when a high-ranking Rue drops the bombshell of Nate and Cassie’s affair in internet-breaking fashion. Unable to face responsibility, Cassie storms off the scene, leaving Maddy confused and furious, demanding an apology or at least an explanation. Instead of understanding, Maddy encounters Cassie’s silence, which smacks of entitlement, self-righteousness and disrespect for their childhood friendship.
9 Cassie ruins Maddy’s birthday
In Euphoria Season 2, Episode 4, Maddy throws a mini party to celebrate her 18th birthday. While the party starts off healthy, with music, a cake and a hot pool outside, the night turns for the worst when Cassie pukes her guts all over the pool, annoying the celebrant and her hosts and ruining everyone’s evening. On what should have been a special night, Cassie’s gift to Maddy was a disgusting memory to forget.
8 Kat blows off Maddy
At first glance, Maddy exudes a confident and independent air that makes it seem like she doesn’t need anyone. However, there are times when she is utterly broken and needs her girls. One of these moments is the aftermath of a huge fight with her mother. Maddy desperately calls her friend Kat, but Kat blows her off to meet up with a stranger in a parking lot, only leaving Maddy with an emotional breakdown.
7 Maddy discovers Nate’s sexts
The last thing anyone wants is to find out that their partner is cheating. Despite being genuinely in love with Nate, Maddy is not spared the pain and confusion of infidelity. Catfishing as ShyGuy118, Nate begins sending intimate photos and flirty texts with Jules (Hunter Schafer) while still in a relationship with Maddy. While Nate takes a shower, Maddy discovers raunchy images that make her question her boyfriend’s sexuality. At the same time, it makes her doubt the authenticity of their relationship.
6 Maddy’s parents
Each parent’s actions in this teen show provide an investigation for larger social conversations. With Maddy’s parents, Euphoria portrays the impact that parental negligence and unstable families have on an individual’s worldview. One of the main reasons for Maddy’s twisted view of love is that she comes from a dysfunctional family that lacks a happy and healthy marriage. That’s why Maddy believes that her relationship with Nate, regardless of its toxic nature, is much better than what she saw her parents share.
5 Being embarrassed during the carnival
Maddy is often taunted by Nate. She is judged and criticized for her clothes. The slut-shaming Maddy experiences reflects the double standard that exists when it comes to male and female sexuality. For example indoors Euphoria Season 1, Maddy wears revealing clothes to a carnival, leading to criticism from Nate. However, when he wears a tank top that shows off his muscles, he is praised for his looks.
The slut-shaming Maddy experiences is damaging and reinforces negative stereotypes about Latina women and their sexuality. It also reflects the pervasive culture of misogyny and sexism that exists in our society. Maddy deserved better than being judged and criticized for her outfit and should be allowed to explore her personality without fear of judgment or embarrassment.
4 I almost run into Nate and Cassie
The plot of Euphoria Season 2 starts off on a very chaotic note. It involves Nate and Cassie meeting in a bathroom at a New Year’s Eve party attended by Maddy. This is not only completely wrong, but also very disrespectful. However, their betrayal is not yet at its peak. Nate and Cassie continue their secret love affair. During this time, Cassie begins an elaborate skincare routine and proceeds to imitate Maddy’s outfit choices in order to land her best friend’s ex.
3 Being physically attacked
Nate becomes jealous of Maddy’s relationship with Tyler, a boy from their school. He confronts Maddy about her relationship with Tyler and threatens her, leaving her feeling scared and helpless with visible bruises on her neck.
These examples of Nate’s threatening behavior are a reflection of his abusive and controlling personality. Nate uses fear and intimidation to exert power over Maddy and assert his dominance in their relationship. Maddy deserved better than being subjected to Nate’s abusive behavior. She deserves to be treated with respect and kindness and to feel safe in her relationships. The scenes of Nate physically attacking Maddy are a reminder of the importance of recognizing signs of abuse in relationships and the need to speak out against this type of behavior.
2 Being threatened by Nate
At this point, there is no doubt that Nate Jacobs is one of the most terrifying characters Euphoria. The unpredictability of his actions, his propensity for violence, and chilling threats make him a villain that no one deserves to cross.
In Season 2 Episode 6, we see Nate threatening Maddy to give him his father’s sex tape. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Nate in this light. In Season 1 Episode 2, he once threatened and beat Tyler in his room before blackmailing Jules into making a false confession to cover up his crime. While none of these characters deserve to be threatened, Maddy was the last person we expected to see Nate Jacobs’ mean side given everything they’ve been through together.
In this scene, Maddy completely collapses, until a gun-wielding Nate ambushes her and claims the disc. In tears, she gives up before Nate finally calls it quits. Leaving Maddy traumatized on her bed. This scene contains so much more than it presents. Maddy’s tears are more than the fear that this scene is either her or Nate’s last moment alive. They convey the total distortion of the illusion that she was in love. We see a character realize the harsh reality that everything she thought she knew and loved about a person was a lie.
1 Being Nate’s girlfriend
As the series progresses, Maddy and Nate’s relationship becomes increasingly tumultuous. They continue to struggle with issues related to trust, communication, and their own personal insecurities.
Maddy is often portrayed as a confident and assertive character, but she also struggles with insecurities and the effects of a broken home. Despite moments of intimacy, her relationship with Nate is marked by instances of physical and emotional abuse.
Nate, on the other hand, is often portrayed as charming and charismatic, but he also has a dark side. He deals with issues related to his masculinity, which often manifests itself in abusive behavior towards Maddy and other characters on the show. Hopefully, in the upcoming Season 3, we’ll see Maddy embrace her newfound freedom from Nate’s clutches, seek happy and healthy relationships, and be the best version of herself.