“Euphoria”‘s second season has come to a close, but still many fans (including me) are confused about the plot and the disappearance of Chris McKay and Kat Hernandez’s storylines. It is sad to say that this season, although highly anticipated, was truly disappointing. Season two was all over the place with no coherent plot line due to the inconsistency of characters. The plot was sacrificed for shock factor, leading to a fragmented and unfinished feel to every single episode.
Kat got virtually no screen time this season, leaving fans with many unanswered questions. However, Kat in season one was essential to the plot and had her own storyline. In that season, she developed an online persona, KittenKween, where she posted provocative and nude photos of herself. She also went on a journey of self-discovery through fashion and her own sexuality.
Her childhood was also touched on, focusing on how her size had impacted her life, which she then reclaimed in the season. Kat’s storyline was a tad unrealistic, but it did resonate with many fans. It challenged the typical representation of plus-size women in media, as she was accepted her size and found sexual power within that, a sadly uncommon storyline for plus-size women.
All of this character development and basically entirety of Kat’s character was all gone in season two. In this season fans barely see Kat, and her only solo scenes have no addition to the plot. Her online persona is rarely talked about and Kat’s plot is diluted down to her relationship problems with her boyfriend, Ethan. Her scenes are badly written and outright boring. She is now a side character and her entire plot is abandoned.
Mckay is another character who was sadly not included in the plot of season two, although making a short cameo in the first episode. This is another character who had a rich and well-detailed storyline in the first season. Last season, Mckay goes through an incredibly traumatic college hazing assault, a dramatic breakup with his now ex-girlfriend Cassie and confronts his deep-rooted self-confidence issues.
Viewers also learn more about Mckay’s relationship with his father. Since birth McKay was expected to be the best and as a consequence is desperately trying to prove himself. However, this season none of this trauma is explored and the character is completely absent. In fact it is like he never existed, creating more confusing plot holes.
Barbie Ferreira, who portrayed Kat in both seasons, reportedly had creative differences with the show’s director and writer Sam Levinson. This led to the removal of her storyline and her absence at the show’s season two premiere. Actor Algee Smith has not shared any official details regarding the complete removal of McKay, although HBO made it clear that Smith’s unvaccinated status did not influence this decision.
Both Kat and Mckay deserved to have so much more time in the show. Both of their storylines were compelling and had a lot of room for growth and character development. It is sad to see how little care was put in to fill in the gaps within their plot lines. These characters and stories were important to fans, and addressed topics usually not tackled by TV. It’s disappointing that newer characters, like Dominic Fike’s Elliot, got more screen time. Hopefully, in season three the plot will be more coherent and impactful storylines will not go to waste.
Feature photographs by Eddy Chen/HBO Max — Kat via Vulture, McKay via Screen Rant
