Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) from Euphoria has taken on numerous roles. She’s been a figure skater, an OnlyFans model, and now a giant kaiju. In Season 3, episode 5, Cassie experiences a fantasy fueled by her OnlyFans success, envisioning herself as a giantess rampaging through Los Angeles to conquer Hollywood. This visually impressive sequence takes cues from 1958’s Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Godzilla movies. HBO’s behind-the-scenes video showcases Euphoria’s team creating detailed miniatures for this scene. “It was a lot of fun. It took about a year to build all the miniatures,” said creator Sam Levinson. This marks the first major escape from reality in Season 3, reminiscent of earlier seasons’ dreamlike portrayals, like Rue’s detective visions or her relapse-turned-musical number.
However, it’s unfortunate that this creative sequence is linked to a sexualized montage of Cassie’s OnlyFans career. Euphoria continues to receive criticism for its depiction of sex work, as it highlights fantasies without exploring the individuals behind them. At this point, Cassie appears as a fame-driven caricature. While it’s exciting to see the show’s use of monster effects, it’s overshadowed by the hollow narrative and shock value.
New episodes of Euphoria Season 3 air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.