Euphoria Season 3 Premiere: A Disappointing Departure from the Original Show

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Warning! Spoilers ahead for Euphoria’s season 3 premiere.

Around twenty minutes into the first episode of Euphoria season 3, titled “Ándale,” as some shocking and messy scenes unfolded – including drugs falling out of Rue and a dog licking something off Faye’s leg – I started to question what the show had become. While the first two seasons weren’t flawless, prioritizing style over depth, they were undeniably captivating as a scandalous teen drama. They featured well-known actors, beautiful visuals, a great soundtrack, and HBO’s willingness to push boundaries with its content.

The second season of Euphoria ended on a frustratingly unclear note, and fans waited four long years for more episodes. Now that the first episode of the new season is finally here, it’s a letdown doesn’t even begin to cover it. After such a long break, the show feels completely different. Just five minutes in, watching Rue attempt to drive across the border, it seemed like the creator might have wanted to make a crime drama set in Mexico, but was forced to fit it into another season of Euphoria.

The start of season 3 just doesn’t feel right—it’s like a completely different show. Rue’s story feels strangely sensationalized, almost like a low-budget thriller reminiscent of No Country for Old Men. Lexi and Maddy are now portrayed as influential figures, while Nate and Cassie are stuck in a ridiculously over-the-top, soap opera-like situation. We haven’t even seen Jules yet, and to make things worse, the show is missing Labrinth’s signature music.

Euphoria’s Original High School Setting Facilitated Messy Drama & Awkward Encounters

Because filming for season 3 of Euphoria didn’t begin until the actors were in their late 60s, the show had to jump forward in time. The new season picks up five years after the characters graduate high school – after some have gone to college – and shows them navigating the everyday challenges of adult life, largely on their own. The show really thrived on the energy and constant drama of the high school environment, and that’s missing now.

Having all these characters constantly cross paths at school really fueled the show’s drama. The forced interactions—like when Nate’s relationship with Cassie came out and Maddy ended things with him—created intense and uncomfortable moments. Now that they’ve graduated, characters who dislike each other won’t be forced to see each other, meaning season 3 will likely lack the constant, messy encounters and awkwardness that defined the show in high school.

As the actors aged and the story evolved, Euphoria had to move past its high school setting and explore the characters’ lives as adults. However, high school was central to what made the show work; taking Euphoria out of high school would be like moving Scrubs outside of a hospital or SpongeBob SquarePants onto dry land – it just wouldn’t feel right.

Labrinth’s Music Was Integral To Euphoria’s Vibes In Seasons 1 & 2

One of the biggest changes this season compared to previous seasons is the lack of music by Labrinth. His music was a key part of what made Euphoria so popular and gave it a distinctive feel. Although Hans Zimmer created a perfectly good score for this season, it doesn’t capture the same Euphoria vibe – it sounds like many other films and TV shows.

Creating a new season of Euphoria without Labrinth’s music would be like making a new Indiana Jones film without John Williams’ iconic score, or a new Last of Us game without Gustavo Santaolalla’s compositions. The music is integral to the show’s overall feel – it’s as important as the actors or how the show looks – and the series just doesn’t feel the same without it.

Euphoria Season 3‘s Characterization Is Wildly Inconsistent With Past Seasons

Levinson is a capable writer, but his characters aren’t consistently developed. He started with a group of rich, complex individuals in the first season, but by the second, they felt simplified and stereotypical. By the third season, they barely resemble their original selves. While it’s understandable that people change over five years, there’s a difference between natural development and completely becoming a different person.

Lexi is now working as an assistant, hoping to eventually become a writer, but she still has some serious flaws – like criticizing others for being judgmental while doing the same herself. Everyone else, however, has become a much simpler version of who they once were, or they’re completely different people. Rue wasn’t ever a genius, but she’s smart enough to know when to leave a situation, especially after upsetting a dangerous drug dealer.

The biggest issue with Nate and Cassie’s scenes is how dramatically their personalities have changed. In season 2, their relationship was intensely toxic, with Cassie desperately seeking Nate’s approval and him cruelly taking advantage of her. Now, after a five-year gap, Cassie is portrayed as someone obsessed with money, demanding extravagant spending like a $50,000 flower budget, while Nate has become a surprisingly weak and ineffective businessman, struggling financially and easily dominated by Cassie’s demands.

Both Nate and Cassie have become incredibly flat and unconvincing characters – they just don’t feel like themselves anymore. Cassie doesn’t seem to care about Nate’s opinion, and Nate has lost his usual drive to manipulate her, making their scenes completely unengaging. I was hoping for some drama from their relationship, but it’s just become dull. It’s honestly shocking that I’ve had to watch Jacob Elordi perform such bizarre scenes twice in just two months.

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2026-04-19 21:19