Freudian Cassie: How Far An Excuse Can Go

Let’s talk about Season 2 of Euphoria, Cassie and her Freudian Excuse. In this video I break down why Cassie is the way she is, and how the way people perceive her has shifted from season 1 to season 2 of Euphoria.

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0:00 Intro
01:38 Part 1 The Freudian Excuse
05:14 Part 2 Explanation vs Excuse
10:21 Part 3 Is Cassie Redeemable

[AyebaOwl]

Likable characters are not always “good” characters. Cassie is fascinating, and it’s because the writers are not trying to make you like her. She’s supposed to spiral. This is a test of empathy and understanding, not an effort to appease fans through fan service.

[floofzykitty]

What's important about her throwing Rue under the bus for being a drug addict is that a big reason why her father ended up abandoning her is due to drugs. She was abandoned by her father because of drugs, and she doesn't have any sympathy towards anyone addicted to them.

[wearepublic]

I think the lack of help that Cassie has received, compared to Rue going to rehab etc, is the justification of her not apologising or fighting against her impulses - she hasn't been shown how. Cassi getting some therapy would be a wonderful and empathetic way to show that her problems are real and can have a huge impact.

[eviejoy_]

it's crazy to me how people are so supportive of lexis play when she basically aired all of her sisters trauma to everyone for laughs - like making fun of nate with the dance sequence was one thing but cassie is her sister. i love lexi but if my sibling did that to me i'd never forgive them

[adeledelignette]

I think that the way she's been received and valued by the world is also a very important piece of the puzzle. The formation of her identity is undoubtedly linked with the way she's viewed by men, and has internalized that view of herself. From the lack of a father figure and her clear lack of male friends, I'm guessing that the only male interest that she ever received since the beginning of puberty is sexual, therefore, internalizing her value to men as sexual. You see it with her bf in season one, when he's not feeling well, and she wants to help, she offers sex. Now, that's not what he wanted nor needed but that's what she was taught men wanted and almlst deserved from her. Her fear of abandonment cannot simply explain her behavior, sexism, and maybe more precisely, the male gaze is also at play her.

[MakaykayLAMB]

I think this is a really good and humanizing take on Cassie. In “reality” she’s just a broken kid figuring this shit out too tbh. Her and Rue. They clearly have A LOT of pain that they just don’t know what to do with.

[offbeatkiki]

This is a great video that gives grace to Cassie without excusing her actions, which is pretty much where I'm at with her as well after how this season has been. High schoolers make mistakes, some of them pretty bad, especially when they don't have a good confidant or parent to turn to. She's dealing silently with the pain of her experiences in season 1, her dad is gone, her mother drinks constantly, her sister watches her silently and now exposes her life, which is currently brimming with suffering, in her play. She lives in Maddy's shadow for so long. She's practically alone and probably has issues trusting the few friends that she does have. Of course she gravitated to the man willing to give her attention, of course she moved into his house even after not hearing from him for days, she's so desperate.

She's wrapped into the alternating love bombing and abuse that Maddy was receiving from Nate. And I think whenever she manages to exit that situation, she is going to eventually reflect on her actions and have a change of heart that she carries with her in adulthood. I don't think that means anyone that she has hurt (especially Maddy) needs to forgive her or let her back into their life, but moving on and learning from your fuckups is a key part of growing up that never stops, and a lot of people don't stay close to most of their high school friends. Cassie will either fall victim to her misery in some fashion, or escape this and live a healthy life after the loss of most of her loved ones due to her actions. I hope we see her rise from the ashes of her mistakes, express regret to those she hurt and build something of herself.

Love your videos, dude. My fav essayist on the platform. Always thought provoking, well structured and beautifully phrased.

[kylatownsend]

Cassie has a borderline absent mother who’s always drunk who disregards her. Cassie has gotten NO help. She literally threatened self harm/suicide for help and her mom brushed it off and her sister called her pathetic. Yeah, it was pretty pathetic, but it doesn’t negate the obvious cry for help. Meanwhile Rue has a mom actively fighting for her to get better. I really hope Cassie finds a reliable support system bc that’s really the first thing she really, really needs

[l.g.]

As someone whose best friend did actually date my abusive ex in high school, I still feel nothing but agony for Cassie. She's a walking tragedy. Watching her lose sleep and scrub herself raw and degrade herself trying to get a moment of attention from a guy she already knows doesn't deserve it is so incredibly sad. And given how that turned out for my own best friend, I'm terrified of where Cassie's story is headed.

[manunascimxnto]

as a girl with *HEAVY* _daddy issues_ and a *NEED* to _male validation_ (although i quite don’t like men): *i totally understand* how cassie views herself and the world. especially in the scene where she's crying and hitting nate, but also being hugged by him, i felt like this scene was made to show us how she resents the male figures of her life (dad, boyfriends, etc) but also feels the need to be taken care of by them, because her inner child didn't got this from anyone. i lived practically the *SAME* things she lived, so i'm empathetic, but i don't support her relationship with nate. maddy deserves a better friend.

[___alessioragnocapone___]

The strange thing about Euphoria’s fandom is how people seem to side or look for villains and heroes, when in reality the show is scripted in a way that everybody is both these things at different times. If the creators used as much « morality » as the fans the show wouldn’t exist. The reason why it is so big is because it has depth and truth, not like all these « typers » who can’t wait to open their mouth to show that they know what is the right thing to do.

[laurenjulia]

There’s been speculation that Cassie was written to hook up with Nate this season over him messing around with Jules because the actors don’t get along. But I really feel that the rewrites and changes to the arch came through because of Sydney Sweeney’s range and how over the pandemic, we saw more and more of her in other roles. It honestly would be criminal to have her in the cast and keep her as a side character and under utilize her. I really feel that she’s this generations next huge star.

[jasonmillsom]

Sydney sweeney needs an emmy, best supporting actress in the show by a mile

Everyone else is great but she was next level this season

[mariamherreros]

How is Nate tamer this season? He literally held Maddy at gunpoint, also people seem to ignore that he's currently undermining and treating Cassie like utter shit, comparing her to his first victim. It seems like it's a lust thing for him, he literally called her Maddy and has constant daydreams about Jules.

[prettyskies]

okay but real thing .... if people hate your charecter at certain level you did a great job legit playing it

[Skoringo]

“Cassie is a frustrating character”
“Cassie is engaging character”
“Cassie is subjected to Nate’s abuse”
“Cassie was great. But is frustrating and pathetic now.”
“Cassie has been hurt because of her past.”

All valid takes that aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re all correct and don’t contrast.

[cindyh.]

I was disappointed with Cassie's reaction once the affair was actually revealed. On Maddy's birthday in the jacuzzi scene, after she vomits she repeatedly says "I'm sorry Maddy, I ruined everything, I didn't mean it, you're my best friend" — which made it seem like she was at her core, a misguided child, immature but genuinely remorseful. 

But afterwards, she tries to turn the blame on Rue, doesn't say so much as a sorry to Maddy, and takes no accountability. So I guess there won't be much of a redemption.

Edit: for clarification I meant that it doesn't seem like the writers intend to redeem her anytime soon, not that she's completely gone

[Kaastengels]

As much as I hate cassie's transgression, I do think it's realistic for her character. People often let their traumatic experiences dictate their ability to make choices, and sometimes they hit rock bottom before they decide to stay there or pick themselves up. So I don't think what happened to her atm is an example of levinson's bad writing at all

[taylor]

one thing i think deserves acknowledgement is how traumatizing it is for girls to be continuously sexualized at such a young age. cassie was basically groomed by everyone around her to submit to demands of the patriarchy and establish her self identity through pleasing men at the expense of her own well being. the only form of positive reinforcement she received was through compliments about her appearance and how desirable she was. pair that with the fact that she didn't receive guidance from her parents to nurture and establish her self-worth, it makes sense to me that she behaves the way she does. its a sociocultural issue as much as it is a freudian issue. and i think that external factor explains why lexi's trauma manifested in a much different way than cassie's despite going through the exact same thing. lexi's growth was internal and her dreams/accomplishments reflected that. if cassie was encouraged to explore her self worth outside of her sexuality, she might've dedicated more of her time to ice skating, or even strengthening her female relationships.

this doesn't excuse her behavior, as you mentioned, but i think it's one really important detail that i haven't heard anyone talk about yet.

[sophiasimoni]

A lot of people interpret her not saying anything to Maddie when she's yelling at cassie outside the bathroom door as her lack of care for Maddie's feelings, but I think it just is an expression of Cassie understanding the gravity of her actions- what could she possibly say to make it ok? If she just apologized it would have felt pathetic at best and wouldn't change the situation. I think we see her guilt and hatred for her actions frequently like in the hot tub scene when she's vomiting and apologizing to Maddie over and over. I mean, she wouldn't have gotten drunk and freaked out and cried so much if maddie werent in the picture. I think she really does love maddie and is just struggling between that love and her insane desperation for male validation - she just picked what was easier. Ofc I'm not happy with her actions tho.