The season premiere of “Euphoria” sees the cast in more perilous situations than ever.
It has been four years since the show’s season two finale. After a series of intense behind-the-scenes controversies and roadblocks, the first episode of the show’s final season has finally arrived. The 2023Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and writer’s strikes, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, played a major role in the long delay between seasons, but many off-screen controversies also contributed significantly.
A large number of cast departures, including the loss of Angus Cloud in 2023, made the delay even more significant. Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez in the show, announced in August 2022 that she would not be returning for the third season. Her absence from the show as a big part of Maddy’s support system is heavily felt.
Director Sam Levinson has also come under fire, as it is suspected that tensions between him and Ferreira led to her decision to leave. Levinson has been criticized for his work style. In 2022, The Daily Beast published an article alleging that Levinson created an unsafe work environment. It was also reported that his focus on his other HBO series “The Idol” contributed to the delay.Labrinth, the composer for the series, allegedly left the show due to mistreatment from Levinson, with Hans Zimmer replacing him for the third season.
Perhaps the biggest controversy regarding “Euphoria” is the recent backlash against series star Sydney Sweeney. Sweeney, who plays Cassie in the series, has been under intense scrutiny since posting a 2022 photo in which one of her relatives wore a “Make America Great Again” hat. Things died down until her infamous 2025 American Eagle “Great Jeans” ad, which faced heavy backlash due to its eugenics-promoting undertones.
Controversy-induced delays aside, how does the third season hold up as a result of all of these changes?
Right away, the first episode sets itself apart from the rest of the series. It has been five years since the events of season two. Rue has become a drug mule to pay back the money she owes Laurie, who says she now owes her over $43 million, but will settle for $100,000. Lexi is slowly working towards her dream of becoming a writer, working as an assistant for a famous TV executive. Nate and Cassie are now preparing for their wedding, as Nate struggles with taking over his father’s real estate business, and Cassie becomes an explicit content creator to help bring in money, causing tension between the two. Lexi tells Rue that, according to Maddy, Jules has become a “sugar baby,” living off the funds of well-to-do men. Maddy has secured herself a job as an assistant to a big-time talent manager. With Cloud’s death, Fezco has now become an off-screen character, being sentenced to 30 years in prison after the raid in the season two finale. Maddy, Lexi, Nate and Cassie all seem to be struggling with a similar issue, trying to convince themselves that they are in better positions than they truly are.
The first episode sees Rue struggle with the third step in her recovery, giving herself over to God. When she is sent to sabotage Laurie’s rival, a cowboy-loving powerhouse named Alamo Brown, she saves herself after being discovered when she explains her situation, saying she thinks God might have sent them to each other. It seems the show is setting up a partnership between the two to take down Laurie once and for all.
It certainly looks like the stakes have never been higher for Rue. Will her actions put her friends and family in danger? What will happen between Cassie and Nate? We will have to wait to find out.
