Were you prepared for a deep-dive into the most polarizing character on TV?
Euphoria Season 2 Episode 3 lifted the lid on Cal’s past, revealing how he became a father at a young age, as well as his struggle with his sexuality.
Cal’s life was understandably changed when Marsha called to tell him she was pregnant with their child.
There was a visceral reaction on Cal’s face as he realized his life plans would all be changed due to the imminent arrival.
Understanding a complex character like Cal is complicated, but the writers did an excellent job peeling back the layers to reveal things we needed to know.
It certainly makes me wonder what Cal would be like in the present if he and Derek had a relationship.
There was immediate chemistry between them, but the series conveniently hasn’t shown Derek in the present.
My best theory is that Cal and Derek broke it off after Cal learned about the pregnancy, but it would be nice to travel back to the past with Cal.
There is still so much we don’t know about him, and what made him the person he is today.
The good news is that Cal now knows Nate was playing him, trying to get him to do something to hurt Rue and Fez.
The bad news is that we genuinely don’t know how far Cal is willing to go. He’ll want the video back, and he will go to great lengths to be in possession of it again.
The writing during the scenes with Ashtray whacking Cal with the gun was perfect because this was the most vulnerable we’ve seen Cal in the present.
He always has an answer for everything, and he desperately wants to get the upper hand. But the power was indeed out of his grasp, and he knew whatever he said would lead to more questions.
Fez probably spoke for the audience when he questioned what Cal was talking about. In Cal’s mind, these kids had the tape and were lording it over his son.
Now that Cal knows the true extent of Nate’s manipulation, I suspect there will be a lot of back and forth between the father and son.
Out of everyone, Nate is the most complicated character to read because his actions come out of the left field.
Part of me thinks Cal will blame himself for how Nate acts, but until they talk about everything, we’ll never know.
Who knows, maybe Nate constructed the lie to shield Maddy from his father’s wrath. We’ve already witnessed how much Cal gaslights women, so there’s no telling what he would do to Maddy.
Nate is playing with emotions at this stage. Cassie seeking validation from him was no surprise, but it was difficult to watch her get up at 4 am every single day to get one glance from him.
Surely Maddy must be starting to click on that something is amiss with her friend, and dressing as her twin should have been enough for Maddy to understand what was truly going on.
Cassie’s fake admission was the perfect way to clue the audience in on why she thinks having sex with Nate is justified.
I shudder to think what Maddy will do when she learns the truth. Maddy always looks out for her friends, and knowing her best friend has been sleeping with her ex will tip her over the edge.
Maybe the truth will come out during Lexi’s play. It was such a random series of events, but it gave Lexi some character development.
Lexi is never a part of the drama, she stays on the side, watching it all play out, but can you imagine the drama if the play reveals the truth about Nate and Cassie?
That would put Lexi to the center of the drama, and something tells me she won’t like the spotlight.
Jules putting Elliot in the literal spotlight was comical because it helped build a connection between the pair.
Jules was anti-Elliot because she was worried he wanted to have sex with Rue, but you can tell something is simmering between the pair.
Jules was immediately taken aback by the way Elliot spoke of her, and they are poised to lock lips at some point.
I don’t know what that will do to Rue, I don’t know, but the kid is making some truly awful decisions.
Turning to the crooks from Euphoria Season 2 Episode 1 to buy $10,000 worth of drugs to sell was horrifying, and the broader issue is that Rue will be dipping into that stash.
The warning about Rue being sold if she doesn’t come up with the money was difficult to watch because you can tell Rue isn’t thinking about the bigger picture.
It was a fast way to get access to a lot of drugs, but she’s in for a world of hurt if this goes sideways.
“Ruminations: Big And Little Bullys” managed to give insight into many characters while simultaneously moving the storylines along in a nice way.
What are your thoughts on Cal?
What do you think Nate is up to now?
Will Lexi’s play change everything?
What are your thoughts on Rue’s business venture?
Hit the comments below.
Euphoria continues Sundays on HBO.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.