Abstrak

HBO series Euphoria (2019) depicts a transgender character, Jules, who struggles with gender stereotypes and attempts to come to terms with her gender identity. This study aims to show the breaking of gender stereotypes through Jules’ character development from the first season, special episodes, and second season of Euphoria. In order to elaborate Jules’ complex characterization, the actions, dialogues, and cinematography from specific scenes are analyzed with close-reading on audiovisual narratology and character comparison. To initiate the analysis on Euphoria’s depiction of gender, Euphoria’s depiction of mental health is set as the underlying attribution that every character undergoes, followed by how mental health is placed as a pillar for the character Jules to explore gender. These unconventional depictions of mental health and gender conceptualize Euphoria’s form as a Young Adult TV series that reached high popularity and numerous awards. Thereafter, this study suggests that Euphoria and the character Jules are important representations of the resistance against gender stereotyping.