‘Euphoria’ Sundays are back: What to know before Season 3 premieres
‘Euphoria’ Sundays are so back
Commentary: This Sunday marks the long-awaited release of the first episode of season three of HBO’s star-studded hit.
After nearly four years, the iconic “Euphoria Sundays” are back.
This Sunday marks the long-awaited release of the first episode of season three of HBO’s star-studded hit. The show follows Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a recovering drug addict, as she navigates love, conflict, trauma and high school. The first season premiered in 2019 and achieved a cult-like following for its intense exploration of addiction and trauma, along with its well-known makeup and lighting aesthetic.
The trailers, the first unveiled in January and the second released on March 30, teased a wedding, drug busts and even more emotional chaos. The most recent trailer reached 157 million views in the first 48 hours — a new record for a returning HBO or HBO Max series, Deadline reported.
Jumping five years into the future, season 3 shows a lot has changed since fans last saw Rue, Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney), Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi), Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer), Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) and Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) in their high school days.
Show creator Sam Levinson said the show picks up with Rue in Mexico working off her debt to drug-lord Laurie (Martha Kelly). Meanwhile Cassie and Nate are getting married and living in the suburbs, Jules is attending art school, Maddy is working at a Hollywood talent agency and Lexi an assistant to a show-runner.
Season 2 ended with Lexi’s controversial school play that took inspiration from her classmates and friends. The performance led to Cassie’s mental breakdown and physical fight with Maddy, with the whole school as their audience — literally. After a dramatic exit, Nate decides to turn his father, Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane), over to the police. And, a fatal gunfight between the police, Fezco (Angus Cloud) and Ashtray (Javon Walton) leaves Ash dead. But, despite all the devastation, the season finale brought viewers hope for Rue and Jules’ relationship, highlighting a simple, but moving, interaction between the two in the auditorium.
The season 3 trailers have received mixed reviews from fans. The most prominent reaction was that it feels like an entirely different show, viewers wrote on X and in YouTube comments. Some argue the show more closely resembles “Grand Theft Auto” or “Breaking Bad” than the story’s original plot.
Fans have also criticized the oversexualization of the show’s female characters and reliance on shock value. The trailer foreshadows Cassie’s OnlyFans plotline, with Nate walking in on Cassie in lingerie and puppy dog makeup posing for a camera to which she responds, “I was just making content.” One Reddit user posted a screenshot from this quick scene, quipping, “ATP, what is this show even about?”
Many have placed the blame on Levinson, citing his previous work on “The Idol” that faced backlash over its excessive nudity and male-centered portrayal of female characters. Even Sweeney and season 2 cast member Chloe Cherry have publicly disclosed their discomfort with the nudity and sexualization of teenage characters in “Euphoria.”
But, not all the reactions have necessarily been negative. One YouTube comment pointed out that the show has always been about drugs and different life paths, suggesting that some viewers may have missed its message. Others have supported the time jump and the change in the show’s formula.
Off-screen conflict has also impacted viewers’ perception of the show and its cast. Both Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez, and Algee Smith, who played Chris McKay, left the show unexpectedly. Others allege tensions have arisen off-camera between Sweeney and Zendaya, stemming from their different political views. Viewers pointed out Sweeney’s absence from a group shot in a March 11 Instagram teaser, but Page Six reported that it is unrelated to any alleged feud.
The show’s cast, crew and fan base are also grieving the loss of two cast members: Cloud and Dane. Cloud died in 2023 from “acute intoxication,” and Dane recently died of respiratory failure with ALS as a contributing cause. Season 3 will be Dane’s final on-screen appearance.
In a speech at season 3’s Los Angeles premiere, Levinson dedicated the new season to “those who we lost,” including Cloud, Dane and producer Kevin Turen.
“Some people ask why it took so long between seasons two and three,” he said in the speech. “There were obvious factors — the strikes, trying to make a schedule work with our very in-demand cast, but the real time was in trying to figure out how to find a way to pay respect to those who we lost.”
He added that he wanted the third season to be “the meaning beyond the absurdity.”
Despite all the time passing and rumors flying, fans anxiously await the return of “Euphoria” on Sunday. Season 3 of “Euphoria” premieres Sunday, April 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Eight episodes will be released weekly.
is a digital producer for The NewsHouse.