Zendaya in Season 3 of “Euphoria.” Credit: HBO via TNS
After nearly four years of anticipation, “Euphoria” returned to HBO Max with its season three premiere Sunday, delayed in part due to the 2023 Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes.?
“Euphoria” is a teen drama that originally takes place in a high school setting, mostly following the life of Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a drug addict. The series dives deep into the lives of Rue and her classmates at school. Audiences get an inside look at each character’s home and school lives through high school-centered plot devices such as dances, parties and hangouts.?
“Euphoria” initially gained popularity for its signature aesthetic — characters were frequently seen in dramatic iridescent face glitter, intense makeup, colorful outfits and purple-lit party scenes. The show felt dream-like, which made viewers feel like they were a part of the characters’ lives.?
While the season three premiere retains its provocative edge, the first season premiere feels more grounded by comparison.?
Many viewers first watched “Euphoria” as teens, with its first season releasing in 2019 and the second in 2022. Now, the characters — and their actors — have grown up. The premiere poses a crucial question: is the show willing to grow with its audience?
The series, which also stars Hunter Schafer (Jules Vaughn), Jacob Elordi (Nate Jacobs), Maude Apatow (Lexi Howard), Alexa Demie (Maddy Perez) and Sydney Sweeney (Cassie Howard), opens its third season with a significant time jump following the events of its second season.?
The characters are reintroduced with brief glimpses into their lives now, post-high school and in their early 20s — posing a five-year time jump.?
The first episode primarily focuses on Rue. Post-time jump, following a drug smuggling scheme across Mexico’s border, she encounters a Christian family in Arizona. Upon familiarizing herself with their beliefs, she decides to turn to religion, as she feels it’s the missing part in her life, signaling a new development in the show’s extensive plot.?
The soundtrack of previous seasons also helped give “Euphoria” its identity, making the show notable for its distinctive music with songs such as Labrinth’s “Still Don’t Know My Name.” Labrinth composed the soundtracks for previous seasons, creating an immersive experience for viewers — something season three’s premiere struggles to replicate without Labrinth.?
His absence from season three was due to an alleged feud behind the scenes with the show’s creator, Sam Levinson.?
The soundtrack in the first two seasons sounds gospel-like. The premiere of the third season features a mix of classic rock and soul, curating a completely different energy.?
Season three’s soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer, who is well-known for creating soundtracks for notable movies including “The Lion King,” “Interstellar” and “Gladiator.”?
The episode jumps around between locations and characters, which can be confusing at times. It starts at the U.S.-Mexico border and hops around throughout Southern California. Through this, audiences get a look into what Rue is doing post-high school before getting a glimpse into the lives of Nate, Cassie, Lexi and Maddy. It is unclear whether all of the characters are still friends.?
A surprising Western, almost country-inspired aesthetic dominates much of the episode, a stylistic choice that feels disconnected from the show’s original ethereal visuals.?
Levinson does not hold back cinematically. He doesn’t shy away from making viewers uncomfortable, which is what “Euphoria” is known to do. The episode is still as vulgar as they have been, with decent amounts of blood, nudity, drugs and vomiting.?
Cassie and Nate are seen preparing for their wedding, in which Cassie asks for $50,000 from him for flower arrangements, to which he disagrees, stating he doesn’t want to spend that amount of money.?
Nate, post-high school, has taken over his father’s business, building homes in Southern California, and it is implied that he has been successful. After denying Cassie $50,000, viewers are left wondering how successful he truly is.
Despite his cruel behavior in earlier seasons, Nate appears more restrained in the premiere, masking his anger with Cassie and responding with laughter rather than quickly exploding in anger like he has in seasons past. This character choice increases the underlying tension between the couple.
As a season premiere, the episode reintroduces much of the familiar cast and continues to display the same provocative content fans have come to expect.?
Though earlier seasons created an immersive experience through saturated lighting, dramatic makeup and close up camera angles — viewers could feel like they were there with the characters — this episode, in contrast, felt more narrative as it pivoted away from a dream-like stylization. This could be a stylistic choice representing that the characters are no longer teenagers and are now navigating adulthood.??
Despite being entertaining and well-shot cinematically, the episode is confusing at times and lacks the “Euphoria magic” viewers were hoping for.?
Rating: 3/5??
