The Season 3 premiere of HBO's Euphoria was overshadowed by off-screen drama, with sources reporting that star Zendaya arrived an hour late, at 8pm instead of the scheduled 7pm. Rumors of on-set tension between Zendaya and co-star Sydney Sweeney have circulated, with inside sources claiming they avoid each other both on and off set. At the premiere event, Zendaya did not pose with any other cast members, and there were no pictures of her with Sydney Sweeney, according to multiple media reports.
Critical reception for Season 3 has been harsh, with the season currently holding a 42% 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics have labeled it an 'expensive mistake'. Viewers have criticized the season for what they describe as 'disgusting' scenes, including depictions of vomiting, diarrhea, and graphic drug use such as characters swallowing fentanyl-filled balloons. E.
The show is not a 'moral tale' to teach people how to live.
releasing a statement against it. On the red carpet, fashion provided a bright spot, with Zendaya wearing a dark brown halter gown and Sydney Sweeney in a white clinging dress, both making stunning displays according to multiple reports. Season 3 introduces a significant time jump, set five years after the previous season with characters now in their early twenties.
The plot includes controversial storylines, such as Cassie, played by Sydney Sweeney, creating OnlyFans content that features scenes of her dressed as a baby and a dog. The official trailers for Season 3 have teased key developments, showing Sydney Sweeney posing in a red bikini and other risqué scenes that hint at drama for characters like Rue and Cassie. According to research, the second trailer opens with Rue, played by Zendaya, in an interrogation room being asked by an officer if she has ever been to Mexico, then shows glimpses of Rue's life in Mexico smuggling drugs.
I quit because I wouldn't let people 'treat me like s***'.
It also depicts Cassie and Nate's wedding, Jules painting in her studio, and Lexi making moves in Hollywood with a cameo from new cast member Sharon Stone. Additional scenes show Maddy getting ready to link up with Cassie to help with her NSFW content career, Jules working as an escort, and Nate seemingly being targeted. The trailer also features the late Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs reuniting with Jules.
A major production change for Season 3 is the replacement of composer Labrinth with Hans Zimmer; Labrinth had previously won an Emmy for the show's music. Some critics believe this change removes an important part of the show's identity, while others see it as a way to reflect character growth. Technically, Season 3 marks an innovation, as it was shot on a new Kodak motion picture film stock in both 35mm and 65mm, per HBO, becoming the first narrative television series to shoot a significant volume of 65mm film.
In the beginning, we had to make a choice about who we were and what we wanted.
Performance concerns have also emerged, with some viewers questioning Jacob Elordi's commitment to his role, saying he looks like he is 'physically forcing himself through every take'. The show's wardrobe budget has come under fire from viewers and internet commentators, with characters like Rue wearing expensive items like a $1,000 hoodie despite being 'broke' in the show. Euphoria, an HBO series created by Sam Levinson, premiered in 2019 and has launched the careers of stars like Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney.
According to research, Season 2 reached new heights with unprecedented viewership momentum and inspired Internet-breaking discourse on social media. Fans consistently took to X, formerly Twitter, to live-post the entire second season, propose theories, discuss plotlines, and share memes. X confirmed that Euphoria had become the most-tweeted-about TV show of the decade ahead of the season 2 finale on February 27, 2022.
But what we didn't realize is how far we were willing to go.
Looking ahead, HBO wrote in October that 'Euphoria Sundays are coming back spring 2026' in a post announcing the series' full cast. Season 3 carries emotional weight as it marks the final on-screen appearance of Eric Dane, who died in February after a battle with ALS, according to multiple reports.
In the end, no matter who you are or what you want, we all answer to God.
A few years after high school, I don't know if life was exactly what I wished. But somehow, for the first time, I was beginning to have faith.