Well Played

On Sunday, “Euphoria” finally lowered the curtain on its drama-filled sophomore season, and fans and critics have a lot to say — and not just about Fexi, the Maddy-Cassie showdown or the HBO Max outage that almost caused a Twitter riot.

Despite its popularity, the show has been under fire all season long, especially as it zeroed in on the unraveling of Zendaya's character, Rue. After season two premiered, D.A.R.E. accused the series of glamorizing addiction and teenage drug use. But the debate on whether or not TV shows correctly portray addiction — especially when it comes to teens — is something we've been wrestling with for decades.

We’re diving into how drug use has shown up on television through the years and what this season of “Euphoria” got right — and wrong — about addiction.

You’ll hear from:

Lexi McMenamin, news and politics editor at Teen Vogue

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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So much is trending in pop culture news. We have questions — and answers.

• First up: Rapper Young Thug was indicted with 27 other members of his crew for gang related charges.
• Then: What’s the latest in the Johnny Depp. v. Amber Heard trial? We’ll catch you up on the highlights since Heard took the stand.
• And: Why were people mad at Kim Kardashian for wearing the iconic Marilyn Monroe dress to the Met Gala? A fashion historian gives us the tea.
• Next: What does being “wrongfully detained” mean in the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner? We called up a sports reporter to explain.

But our biggest question of the week: What’s going on at Netflix? Lately, things don't look too great over at the streaming giant. Last month, the company announced it’s lost 200,000 subscribers this year, and expects to lose more. Its stock continues to drop, costing the company billions.

The prices for subscriptions have gone up, and there’s also been real talk about a crackdown on password sharing — meaning no more using ex’s account.

And just two weeks ago, Netflix layed off a number of employees — including many women of color — from their fan site Tudum, and others on their marketing team.

The streaming giant has long been ahead of the game, but is it finally falling behind the competition in the streaming wars?

We chat with two reporters who break down what all of these changes at Netflix mean for our queues and our wallets.

You’ll hear from:

Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, award-winning fashion historian, curator, and journalist

Meredith Cash, sports reporter for Insider

Rani Molla, senior data reporter at Recode

Dawn Chmielewski, U.S. entertainment business correspondent at Reuters and co-author of "Binge Times"

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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It’s a huge week for music and TV. We have questions — and answers.

• First up: Kendrick Lamar’s new album dropped, but does it live up to the hype?
• Next: Who won Eurovision, and who tried to cheat by hacking the results?
• Then: What happened at the Billboard Music Awards, and why are people talking about Cara Delevingne, Doja Cat, and Travis Scott?

But the question of the week: Why are folks so mad at the latest casting news?

Since Disney+ announced it was adapting the popular YA series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” into a show, fans have been eager to see who would play the main characters.

In April, fans learned Walter Scobell landed the role of demigod Percy Jackson, and they celebrated. But last week, it was announced that Leah Jeffries would play the role

Annabeth Chase, and some fans weren’t exactly thrilled — despite author Rick Riordan choosing Jeffries to play a character he created.

Jeffries is Black and in the book it’s implied that Annabeth is white. And angry fans made their feelings known by getting the 12-year-old star’s TikTok banned.

Unfortunately, Jeffries isn’t the only actor getting mixed fan reactions. BBC announced that “Sex Education” star Ncuti Gatwa will take on the title of the Doctor in the next season of “Doctor Who.” Many fans and even showrunner Russell T. Davies say they can’t wait to see what Gatwa does with the role, but others are criticizing the series for what they say is a “woke” casting decision.

Why are diverse casting decisions so controversial, especially with fictional shows? We talked with someone who studies and writes about fandom about the backlash.

You’ll hear from:

Briana Lawrence, fandom editor at The Mary Sue

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway and Elie McAfee-Hahn. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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Sadly, we’re saying goodbye to Pop Cultured. In the last year, we’ve done some memorable pop culture deep dives (think: Queen Bey’s “Renaissance” and the history of house music) and broken down some of the biggest stories in the news (like: the Oscar’s slap and Serena retiring as the GOAT). We’ve also had some amazing conversations along the way.

So, it’s only right that we end the show the way it began: talking about why these stories matter.

TV, movies, fashion, sports, and just about everything we consume can be pop culture, and looking at it can tell us a lot about what’s going on in society.

Today, we take a look back at some of our favorite moments on the show — from Dwyane Wade totally flubbing questions about his wife Gabrielle Union to that time Bridget got an astrology reading that told her when she’ll find love.

Then, we chat with some of our favorite show guests on why pop culture is important to them — and the world.

You’ll hear from:

• Sabrina Razack, PhD candidate who studies and writes about the intersection of sports, gender, and race. Find Sabrina’s curriculum at teachbeyondaboundary.com.
• Sharon Kwon, psychotherapist, social worker, writer, and mental health advocate. Learn more about Sharon’s practice at sharonkwon.com.
• Daric L. Cottingham, freelance culture and entertainment journalist. Check out Daric’s work at dariccott.com.
• Bethonie Butler, TV and pop culture reporter for The Washington Post . Read Bethonie’s latest articles for washingtonpost.com.

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Skimm'd by Senior Producer and Host Bridget Armstrong. Produced by Alaisha Key. Engineered by Andrew Callaway and Elie McAfee-Hahn. TheSkimm’s senior director of audio is Graelyn Brashear.

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Last week Blake and Caroline wondered which sports league would take the lead on supporting players’ families, and the Women’s Tennis Association said “allow me.” The WTA clinched a historic win for its players who are now eligible for 12-months of maternity leave, grants for fertility treatment, and more.

In this episode of Well Played, we’ll also cover:

• Yay or nay: the PDA between Kylie and Timothée Chalamet
• Why LeBron gave lip readers everywhere something to chew on after scolding Stephen A. Smith
• The one caveat behind a massive donation to all competing US Olympic athletes
• Why recent NFL trades could lead to uniting Ciara and Norman + justice for gingers
• Josh Allen’s new salary breakdown to the seconds (try not to cry)
• Our Send Its of the week including Bill Belichick’s youthful rebrand, the highdiver who’s celebrating – not shaming – her cellulite, and Grandma Kitty, Steph Curry’s no. 1 fan

Caroline’s Instagram: @cghendy

Blake’s Instagram: @blaaakkkke

theSkimm’s Instagram: @theskimm

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