Feel the High
Euphoria is slated to have its last season in 2026, so here’s a recap of the first two seasons.
The first season of Euphoria aired in 2018, and it wasn’t until 2022 that the second season hit HBO. Finally, after an almost four year hiatus, the third season is allegedly going to air in the spring of 2026. When fans of the show heard that the creator Sam Levinson was going to take this long break, they were completely bummed. But now, the rumors and hype for its return are starting to amp up.
I’m a fan of the show even though some of the content can be emotionally brutal. I decided that a rewatch was in order, so I could prepare for the new season. Watching the first two seasons back to back on a binge was rough; I had forgotten how much turmoil there was. Even though there are some comedic aspects in most of the episodes, it’s not enough to call the show a dramedy.
Let’s take a look back, and a look at some changes headed our way for Season 3.
Season 1
The first episode is a shock to the system. Keep in mind that the story revolves around kids that are juniors in high school. We’re introduced to the major characters in crazy ways. Maddy is complaining that her nipples look weird. Cassie is complaining about general body issues. Nate is a total sexist jock with dialogue that makes my skin crawl. Jules meets up with an older man at a motel and has a hard-to-watch sex scene, and then there’s Rue.
Rue, played by Zendaya, is the narrator of the entire series. Her character is supposed to be the lovable drug addict, but it becomes clear early on that she’s a manipulator trying to play innocent. The teens are oversexed, overdrugged, overexposed, and overexaggerated. They are extremes of the stereotypical archetypes that we think of when it comes to high schoolers, but damn, does it make for good watching!
Mixed in with the normal high school drama of first loves and parties is some dark shit. The toxic relationship between Maddy and Nate is at the forefront and delivers a majority of the stomach churning drama. Again, I had forgotten how harsh this show could be.
But there were some lighter plot points, such as the burgeoning friendship between Rue and Jules, as well as some good lessons learned for Cassie and Maddy.
Season 2
It was rough getting through this season, not because it wasn’t good, but because it was much darker than the previous season. Rue gets heavy into her addiction in this season, and it’s utterly depressing to watch her spiral. There were episodes where, at the end, I was glad it was over. Zendaya won a Golden Globe for this season, and she truly deserved it.
The crazy love triangle between Maddy, Nate, and Cassie caused a big break in the friendship between the two girls. In the first season, they were partners in crime, and it was refreshing amongst the chaos to watch them rely on one another. So it was kind of surprising, but also not, when Cassie decided to double-cross her alleged best friend.
Nate is even more abominable in this season, which is hard to comprehend considering what a dick he was in the first season. I think the most difficult scene to watch was when he held a gun to Maddy’s head, and then put the gun to his as he laid on top of her and played Russian Roulette. I mean, I was completely freaked out and then completely heartbroken for Maddy.
Moving Forward
There are some real-life happenings that will influence the show, most of which are sad. For one, the overdose death of Angus Cloud in 2023. He played Fez, the sweet natured yet nefarious drug dealer. His character was starting to develop more in Season 2, and he had a bigger role. The cliffhanger that the audience was left with involved his apartment being raided by law enforcement, and Fez getting shot in the stomach.
This will be an easy way to write out the character, but the death of Cloud leaves a hole in the heart of the show. When I was rewatching Season 2, all I could think about was what he could’ve done with his career. I hope the writers will do right by his character and give him a proper sendoff.
Another tragedy hit the cast when Eric Dane announced his ALS diagnosis in 2025. Footage of him in recent interviews is heartbreaking to see, and it’s clear that he will not be acting anymore. He played Nate’s perverted father that was obsessed with sleeping with men and trans women while secretly filming them (Jules being one of them); his character was arrested at the end of Season 2.
Although his character wasn’t a main one, his negative influence over Nate, to the point of trauma, was something that should be explored more deeply. I’m sure the writers will figure out how to incorporate more of that influence in this new season, but not having Dane to act alongside his fictional son will leave another hole.
Lastly, Barbie Ferreira will not be coming back to reprise her character Kat. Ferreira was rumored to have feuded with Levinson over the development, or lack thereof, of her character in Season 2. Even though she denies there was an issue, it was clear that Kat took more of a backseat in the second season, especially after having a big storyline in the first. Apparently, she and the writers agreed that there really wasn’t anywhere for her character to go, and she decided to walk away from the show.
I’m excited for Season 3, which is the last of the series, and kind of nervous. I have no clues or predictions for the characters. I want to believe that they will all end up in good places, but I doubt that will happen.