Just leaving this image here. I think Sam Levinson’s work would genuinely benefit from having women in the writers’ room or in major creative positions (Besides hair & makeup and wardrobe), especially when the story now is 98% centered around female experiences. Since last season, but especially this season the women on the show feel way more observed than understood imo. Sure, the aesthetics are incredible and the emotions are heightened, but to me there’s always this lingering sense that the camera is fascinated with these girls and their bodies rather than truly inhabiting their perspective.

This season seems to critique exploitation, objectification, and the way young women are consumed by men and by society, yet it somehow reproduces that exact dynamic in the process. There’s a difference between actually depicting exploitation and framing it through such a heavy male gaze that the audience starts to feel complicit in it. Like the line between commentary and indulgence is becoming so blurry at this point, it genuinely makes me uncomfortable.

Edit: This is not about saying men can’t write female characters because obviously they can. But when every emotional beat, nude scene, or trauma arc is filtered through ONE male perspective, blind spots start to appear imo. I really feel like female writers or directors could probably bring more interiority, nuance, restraint, and emotional texture to these stories instead of just constantly escalating things through shock value and voyeurism.

They did an excellent job establishing Alamo’s villain origin story. That flashback was perfection and reminds me of Euphoria at its best in season 1.