“I’ve written every season of Euphoria like it’s the last season,” said Euphoria Creator Sam Levinson.
After four long, uncertain years, Euphoria Sundays are officially returning to HBO Max, weekly at 9 p.m. The internet sensation is back for its third season, and no one seems to know if it will be its last — while others are surprised this third installment ever aired at all.
With the passing of key actors Angus Cloud and Eric Dane, as well as controversies surrounding other actors — Sydney Sweeney’s internet presence and Zendaya’s detachment from the show’s media press tour — have led to a lot of speculation.
Euphoria, in its entirety, is a raunchy, heavily sexualized portrayal of high school life, rampant drug addiction and excess. Its reputation seems to be preceding itself. This upcoming season will also lack some previous cast and crew members like Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez and states that her exit was a mutual decision between herself and Levinson.
Notably, Singer-Songwriter Labrinth, who is famous for his Emmy- winning work on the Euphoria soundtrack, is also not returning. On March 13, he posted on Instagram, “I’M DONE WITH THIS INDUSTRY, F*** COLUMBIA [Record Company] DOUBLE F*** EUPHORIA I’M OUT.” Many fans believed this was a publicity stunt until it was confirmed that Labrinth was not coming back.
The first episode opens with Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, crossing the Mexican-American border into El Paso, TX. Lugging a large duffel bag, Rue suspiciously travels from Texas to California, where we see what she’s been up to over the past few years. Left on a cliffhanger last season, Rue has turned into a drug mule for Laurie, a woman she owes millions of dollars to.
Other characters are seen living eccentric post-high school lives as well. Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie Howard (Sweeney) are engaged. Nate now owns his father’s construction company and Cassie is exploring a career in OnlyFans. Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) is an assistant to a television showrunner, still friends with her childhood best friend Rue and she works with Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) in Hollywood, who is now a talent manager.
Some characters whose actors did not come back for a third season, like Ferreira, are not mentioned at all. Others, like Cloud’s Fezco O’Neill, are quickly alluded to. In his case, Rue reports to Lexi that Fezco’s now in jail.
After the release of the first episode, it is clear that this is not the same Euphoria that we watched in 2022. The aesthetic that once reflected the hyper-glamorous lives of west-coast suburban high school students with vibrant purple and blue colors, has now matured into a brown and yellow commentary on modern adulthood, emphasizing the desert landscape of Southern California.
Quite honestly, the entire feel of the show now resembles something completely different. Yet, that shift may be the point. The characters are no longer teenagers; they are stepping into messy, uncertain adulthood, and the show reflects that transition.
The real question, however, is whether that evolution will resonate with the audience or alienate them from the identity that orignally made Euphoria a cultural phenomenon.