Euphoria hit me like a rock-hard punch to the solar plexus. A sort of coming-of-age drama, but without any moralising and without shying away from the horrors. Topped off with absolutely first-class acting - with Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi now all regarded as Hollywood elite - this led to a series that broke new ground and lingered in the mind long after the first season had ended.
In the second season, released in 2022, we were treated to more of the same, with impressive character development, and it soon became clear that there would be a third season. But then reality came knocking in the form of the Covid pandemic, actors' strikes and difficulties in organising filming, as large parts of the cast had, as mentioned, gone on to enjoy incredibly successful careers of their own.
OnlyFans becomes the solution for Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) when she runs out of money.
What's more, Angus Cloud, who had a fairly substantial role in the series, passed away, and in the spring of 2025, Eric Dane revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS. It was no longer a given that there would be a third season at all, but as we know, it has now started on HBO Max and I've watched the first two episodes.
Although Rue (Zendaya) has always been the series' protagonist, this is particularly evident at the start of Euphoria: Season 3. The fact that four years have passed in real life is also reflected to some extent in the TV series. A lot has happened; high school is over and the groups of friends have split up - but things don't seem to have gone particularly well for anyone. When we see Rue again, she has become a drug courier between Mexico and the US, and unsurprisingly, she is not happy with her life.
A great deal of time is spent telling her story, how she ended up where she is and her path away from misery. It becomes clear early on that the darkness and the grey tones remain, and on several occasions I'm struck by the fact that what in any other context would be regarded as terrible circumstances, in Euphoria can feel like a relief and a positive development.
Rue remains at the heart of the story, and Zendaya does a brilliant job of bringing her to life and making her believable.
Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) also make an appearance as early as episode one. Cassie is still on the verge of a breakdown and has realised that OnlyFans seems like a good way for her to make money. Nate, on the other hand, isn't quite so convinced, as he runs a business and needs serious investors.
Moral dilemmas are constantly tested and often end up far beyond any conceivable boundaries. The creators of Euphoria remain utterly fearless, telling the story as they see fit and allowing us to enter a world that few of us have hopefully ever had to deal with, with drugs and mental health issues serving as a central pillar. That said, however, there is a clearer overarching narrative this time, where Rue's life is considerably more eventful than when she was at school and, as an addict, was trying to struggle through everyday life.
Sadly, Eric Dane recently passed away as a result of ALS, and makes his final appearance in Euphoria: Season 3. He struggles with his lines, but still delivers with the professionalism he was known for.
This gives season three a different feel to its two predecessors; it's more action-packed, for want of a better word. I reckon not everyone will like this, but for my part, I find myself appreciating that it isn't more of the same and that the high school chapter for the gang is now over. Of course, one might argue that some parts feel a bit too far-fetched, and that it's a bit of a shame that such fine actors have so few scenes together because they're at different stages in life (both geographically and mentally) - but it still feels like a natural progression.
It's exciting to see where everyone has ended up, how they're coping with life, and of course to witness new twists, betrayals, but also some truly heart-warming reunions. After two episodes of Euphoria: Season 3, I think the creators are absolutely on the right track, and in several sequences it almost feels as though Quentin Tarantino could have written a coming-of-age story, which is high praise indeed. If the rest of the series maintains this pace, it looks as though this gang will get the send-off both they and we viewers deserve.
