TV

Ethan Is The Real Hero In The Latest Episode Of ‘Euphoria’

"Ethan had a dollar, a pair of tight pants, and a DREAM!"

by Millie Roberts  22 February 2022
Ethan Euphoria

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Secret theatre kid Ethan truly shone in Season 2, Episode 7 of Euphoria after giving East Highland High School a show of a lifetime.

— Warning: Spoilers for Euphoria ahead. — 

‘The Theater and It’s Double’ finally debuted budding teenage playwright Lexi’s breakthrough show “Our Life” — a meta play she secretly wrote about her friendship group. Bar a few name changes, the autobiographical work spares no detail in the depiction of her, Rue, Cassie, Maddy, Kat’s messy adolescence in front of the entire student body.

No More Mr Nice Guy

Ethan, Kat’s recently dumped boyfriend, has remained under the radar for most of the new season. We mostly see him through his ex’s eyes as a weak, boring, and unsatisfactory partner — a pathetic nuisance that Kat fantasises about getting murdered by a Dothraki warrior in a sex dream.

He drops little hints about his upcoming stardom in prior episodes, sharing how excited he is to have been cast in Lexi’s upcoming play, and confused why she asked him to skip his rehearsal for a meeting that turned out to be a breakup.

But the man bounces back! Ethan channels his sadness and heartbreak into the play, choosing student theatre as his chosen rebound.

Our Life

Played by actor Austin Abrams, Ethan gave a performance as enthusiastic as Troy Bolton in High School Musical in Lexi’s play. The short cast sees him running around backstage, chucking on different wigs and accessories to jump back on stage as multiple characters, complete with different voices, and Stanislavski-esque method acting.

A Show-Stopping Song

Until Monday, Bonnie Tyler’s 1984 track ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ has staunchly been associated with Footloose and Shrek. But Ethan’s lipsync number — parodying the homoerotic nature of American football culture — gave its predecessors a run for their money.

Playing repressed school bully Nate, Ethan rubs up, down, and around his fellow teammates in the locker room in tight shorts, while his muse looks on in anger and shock.

“He’s putting himself out there, like with the whole dance number and everything like that,” Abrams said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, going on to say that we should be worried for Ethan because Nate is “obviously is a violent guy” who might retaliate.

The episode ends on a ‘To Be Continued’, with the second act of Lexi’s play bound to ruffle more feathers. Now the world has seen what he can do, it’ll be interesting to see what director Sam Levinson has in store for former nobody Ethan.