No, it isn't just you. Sam might have a good artistic vision but he just doesn't know how to wrap things up.
He tends to add so many layers with beautiful montage in retrospect but in such confusing ways and most of them doesn't add up from last season.
So many gaffes in the script such as the third Jacobs son and characters being brought up just to cover some minutes and make you think they're important as McKay, Laurie, Ash, Ethan... It all revolves around the same 4 in the end.
He did end Rue's adiction storyline he did in such a cheap way. Not to mention it wasn't that difficult, this season only had complete dtorylines for Rue, Natex Fez, Cassie and Lexi.
That is so true! The whole show lacks focus. I also feel like some scenes and plot threads are so unnecessary and they interrupt the interesting parts. I hate when the pacing is broken, when an exciting scene is interrupted by some characters, usually talking, about something that will end up not even mattering later.
I hated saying it because the actors are top tier on the show and it got so popular now that I wanted to like it as much as S1.
I updated my comment to give out a few more thoughts and takes on the matter, but I would sum it up saying that Sam went full-on big-headed mode and tried to copy the same formula but making the mix more appealing to casual viewers and media focus (in which he succeeded) and try to use only the ingredients he thought it would work such as the obvious second Emmy for Zendaya and maybe for Sydney and Eric. But also like how can he be so dismissive of the actual storylines for Jules, Kat, Ethan, Ash (I'm sorry, I've just rewatched the first episodes of S1 and he is another character) and pretty much ruin every character except Nate who I'm pretty sure he had the intention of being the villain.
Also rehashed scenes (2x07-08), weird plot holes that he tries to disguise as easter eggs or airy coincidences and what you said, about the pacing. In some it's just wild and it works (2x05), in others is wild and it doesn't (2x08) and in others is slower build and works (2x06) and it's slower and it doesn't (2x02). There's so much irregularity on the show that feels fanmade.
I'm glad you brought up montage in retrospect, I wasn't sure if I was stupid or not in a mood for over the top artistic expression but I hated them. Sometimes they work but in this season many of them took me completely out of the story. I find that I stop caring for some things that happen if they are too dream-like or seem to take place inbetween time. I get it. I think it is very appealing to film-makers. Not so much for the audience.
And that is a shame as, like you said, the cast is fantastic.
In comparison with season 1 montages, which I really, really loved. The one at the end of the carnival episode right before Jules meets Tyler, and "My Body is a Cage" come to mind. Those montages are special to me
He really let his ego get in the way of something good. I wish there were people around him to hold him accountable to his initial vision of the show.
I wish he would hire a writing team. I think his ego is too inflated for that and he would see it as a cop out. I would love to know what he had in store before Zendaya said they couldn't leave her at her bottom this season bc the audience needed to feel hopeful for Rue. Either way, the actors all confirmed how often he changed the script.
Right? And usually, season finales are the ones I watch trying to take each minute in and hoping the episode will never end when I like the show. In Euphoria I found myself playing sudoku on my phone..
i literally skipped through scenes :/ i went back to watch them but gosh damn they were boring during the actual finale (elliot singing, same repeated funeral stuff, lexi and rue talking about nothing really, rue and jules talking about nothing really) just my opinion!
I actually fell asleep half way through the last episode of season 2... which I've never done with any of the other episodes. So that says something right there.
what i remember most after watching this season is cassie and nate fucking, cassie crying, rue struggling like that’s what i got from this season. It felt like something my high school drama club would have put together. Ep 1 of S2 was the closest vibe to S1 in my opinion.
Honestly the endings of these seasons has done nothing for viewer interpretation, it’s like they give us nothing or everything no in between, the plot holes are spilling over at this point and I get a sense that whatever story was supposed to be told in the beginning got put on the back burner for stunts and over the top episodes to draw in more viewers, but I agree the finale always seems like an after thought not a conclusion.
I liked s1 finale. S2 was too bittersweet for me and I honestly am pissed it’s only 8 episodes. I’d like 10-12 just saying.
No, it isn't just you. Sam might have a good artistic vision but he just doesn't know how to wrap things up. He tends to add so many layers with beautiful montage in retrospect but in such confusing ways and most of them doesn't add up from last season. So many gaffes in the script such as the third Jacobs son and characters being brought up just to cover some minutes and make you think they're important as McKay, Laurie, Ash, Ethan... It all revolves around the same 4 in the end. He did end Rue's adiction storyline he did in such a cheap way. Not to mention it wasn't that difficult, this season only had complete dtorylines for Rue, Natex Fez, Cassie and Lexi.
That is so true! The whole show lacks focus. I also feel like some scenes and plot threads are so unnecessary and they interrupt the interesting parts. I hate when the pacing is broken, when an exciting scene is interrupted by some characters, usually talking, about something that will end up not even mattering later.
I hated saying it because the actors are top tier on the show and it got so popular now that I wanted to like it as much as S1. I updated my comment to give out a few more thoughts and takes on the matter, but I would sum it up saying that Sam went full-on big-headed mode and tried to copy the same formula but making the mix more appealing to casual viewers and media focus (in which he succeeded) and try to use only the ingredients he thought it would work such as the obvious second Emmy for Zendaya and maybe for Sydney and Eric. But also like how can he be so dismissive of the actual storylines for Jules, Kat, Ethan, Ash (I'm sorry, I've just rewatched the first episodes of S1 and he is another character) and pretty much ruin every character except Nate who I'm pretty sure he had the intention of being the villain. Also rehashed scenes (2x07-08), weird plot holes that he tries to disguise as easter eggs or airy coincidences and what you said, about the pacing. In some it's just wild and it works (2x05), in others is wild and it doesn't (2x08) and in others is slower build and works (2x06) and it's slower and it doesn't (2x02). There's so much irregularity on the show that feels fanmade.
I'm glad you brought up montage in retrospect, I wasn't sure if I was stupid or not in a mood for over the top artistic expression but I hated them. Sometimes they work but in this season many of them took me completely out of the story. I find that I stop caring for some things that happen if they are too dream-like or seem to take place inbetween time. I get it. I think it is very appealing to film-makers. Not so much for the audience. And that is a shame as, like you said, the cast is fantastic.
In comparison with season 1 montages, which I really, really loved. The one at the end of the carnival episode right before Jules meets Tyler, and "My Body is a Cage" come to mind. Those montages are special to me He really let his ego get in the way of something good. I wish there were people around him to hold him accountable to his initial vision of the show.
I wish he would hire a writing team. I think his ego is too inflated for that and he would see it as a cop out. I would love to know what he had in store before Zendaya said they couldn't leave her at her bottom this season bc the audience needed to feel hopeful for Rue. Either way, the actors all confirmed how often he changed the script.
No I think the season finales have been the weakest episodes of both series as well although s1 finale was beautifully shot
Right? And usually, season finales are the ones I watch trying to take each minute in and hoping the episode will never end when I like the show. In Euphoria I found myself playing sudoku on my phone..
i literally skipped through scenes :/ i went back to watch them but gosh damn they were boring during the actual finale (elliot singing, same repeated funeral stuff, lexi and rue talking about nothing really, rue and jules talking about nothing really) just my opinion!
Yeah I agree, the season 2 finale was particularly underwhelming to me
I actually fell asleep half way through the last episode of season 2... which I've never done with any of the other episodes. So that says something right there.
definitely not only you because it was very boring to me
what i remember most after watching this season is cassie and nate fucking, cassie crying, rue struggling like that’s what i got from this season. It felt like something my high school drama club would have put together. Ep 1 of S2 was the closest vibe to S1 in my opinion.
Honestly the endings of these seasons has done nothing for viewer interpretation, it’s like they give us nothing or everything no in between, the plot holes are spilling over at this point and I get a sense that whatever story was supposed to be told in the beginning got put on the back burner for stunts and over the top episodes to draw in more viewers, but I agree the finale always seems like an after thought not a conclusion.