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Before Euphoria had even landed in the UK, its lead star Zendaya had issued a warning to her fans in regards to its "raw and graphic" content. Scaremongering reports across the pond have been aghast at the amount of bare naked penises flouted about in *that* locker room scene*, and then there was Eric Dane's erect one.

(*Euphoria creator Sam Levinson said the infamous locker room scene - focusing on jock Nate, played by Jacob Elordi - featured male full-frontal nudity in the form of 30 penises, but originally there were "like, 80 more" before they were edited out, according to The Hollywood Reporter.)

So, does the series deserve the notoriety its become entangled in?

The Drake-produced show - set in a sprawling suburban neighbourhood in Southern California - follows Zendaya's Rue as she battles with bereavement, drug addiction, mental health issues, and the universal turmoil of high-school.

It definitely doesn't shy away from topical issues Gen Z face today, especially when it comes to the pitfalls of technology and the dark side of social media - it tackles revenge porn, sexual violence, non-consensual filming of sex acts, slut shaming, and prude slamming.

After all, there are only two types of girls in their universe - prude or whore - both of which are viewed as just as unappealing as each other, so knowing what to do with one's virginity is a treacherous road to navigate. And character Kat, played by Barbie Ferreira, certainly finds that out the hard way.

Barbie Ferreira as Kat

The subject of leaked nude images is handled sensitively and with wry humour - when Zendaya's character dissects the judgement that surrounds women who dare to send naked photos to boyfriends, particularly from some older generations whose default position is to often blame the sender, Rue suggests it's because their old-fashioned courtship consisted of twee sentiments such as flowers and chocolates. Today's 'love' currency has progressed to naked shots with smart phones, and that's just the way it is, old fogey.

Gender inequality when it comes to sex is also highlighted when Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie Howard is shamed by her boyfriend for being "too wet" during foreplay. While men often face pressure 'to perform', somehow women get demeaned and humiliated for being 'too aroused', which is deeply imbalanced and worrying.

Sydney Sweeney and Algee Smith

And then Cassie's boyfriend Algee Smith's Chris McKay attempts to choke her during sex, and seems confused when Cassie asks him why he would think she would enjoy that. As Zendaya's Rue glibly narrates over the scene, it's because choking is common enough in porn, and the lines between pornography and reality are too often blurred. If this is teen life, then it's important that these subjects are illuminated, so that those who are enduring these battles can talk about it.

As Levinson tells EW: "At this age right now is there is no map. There's no compass, there's no one to kind of guide you one way or another. Because it's a brand-new world every five years. I think that’s what makes it particularly difficult is that kind of very real and big disconnect between parents and children.

"So if anything, I hope that it at least opens up a dialogue between the two because it’s hard being a teenager. It's difficult, especially too if you're struggling with addiction and battling those things. Hopefully it'll open up those means of communication."

The series also tackles drug abuse, with graphic depictions of drug-taking and a drug overdose, with the show's creator Sam Levinson infusing his own experience of his time as a teen in rehab for drug abuse, and his battles with obsessive compulsive disorder and depression into his show.

"I just wrote myself," Levinson added to the publication. "I just wrote myself as a teenager. I think those feelings and memories they’re still extremely accessible to me. So it's not a hard reach. I just write myself and what I was feeling and what I was going through when I was younger and I was dealing with addiction."

Hunter Schafer and Zendaya

Despite Generation Z's clean-living reputation and reported abstinence from booze and drugs, Levinson added: "I just feel like there is such a disconnect between what young people are going through and what everyone else thinks they're going through."

The pilot episode's most distressing moment is the rape scene between teenage trans girl Hunter Schafer's Jules and her fellow pupil's dad, Cal, played by Eric Dane. A prosthetic is used on Dane during the sequence, but it's upsetting to watch, and is likely to deliver the most shocks to viewers.

As HBO programming president Casey Bloys reiterates: "It's not sensational to be sensational. It may seem boundary-pushing, and the idea of putting them on TV may be, but somebody lived them."

As for all the penises (was the same fuss and outrage made about all the female nudity in the locker scene in Brian De Palma's original Carrie?) perhaps the surprise is mainly down to, firstly, the close-ups. But also down to the fact that female nudity has always exceeded male nakedness in TV and film. Maybe the episode is making up for years of imbalance.

Either way, we're gripped. Roll on season 2.

Euphoria is available to watch on Sky Atlantic.

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Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television. 

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