The season 3 premiere of Euphoria hit the screen this Sunday, and it’s fair to say it wasn’t exactly what everyone expected. There’s a time jump now, and Rue—played by Zendaya—is in a spot that feels pretty grim. According to Misryoum editorial desk, she’s smuggling fentanyl across the border using, well, balloons she swallows and then has to pass. It’s a messy, frantic start. I could smell the stale coffee in the newsroom while writing this, honestly. It’s heavy stuff.
Then there’s Cassie, living this totally different life as a right-wing suburban wife with Nate. She’s trying to fund a big wedding by doing, let’s say, unconventional content on OnlyFans. It’s jarring. Lexi is out in Hollywood now, working as an assistant and—this is the tough part—avoiding calls from Fez. Misryoum analysis indicates that the show handles the late Angus Cloud’s absence by establishing his character is serving a 30-year prison sentence. It’s a quiet, abrupt way to close that door.
Rue, meanwhile, is trying to find a new path. She ends up linking up with a strip club owner named Alamo after a bizarre scene involving a gunshot and an apple. They’re in business now, or maybe just partners? It’s not entirely clear yet. Maddy is also doing her own thing, grinding away for a talent manager in what seems like a more stable environment, if you can call it that.
It’s been a long road to get here. The show premiered back in 2019, and the gaps between seasons have been massive. Misryoum editorial team noted that production faced delay after delay—the strikes in 2023, scheduling nightmares with the cast, and just the sheer difficulty of moving past the deaths of Angus Cloud and Eric Dane. It took a toll on the production. Actually, it’s impressive they managed to pull it together at all.
Creator Sam Levinson spoke before the premiere about those losses. He mentioned that figuring out how to honor those they lost was a huge part of the wait. He shared a bit about his personal struggle with Angus, noting that the actor’s death hit the 73,000-mark for fentanyl overdoses in America that year. He talked about how death gives life meaning—or maybe he was just trying to justify the tone shift. It felt like a long speech.
Anyway, the show is back on HBO, Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET. Whether the audience stays for this darker, more disjointed version of the story… that remains to be seen.