After a four-year hiatus, HBO’s acclaimed teen drama series “Euphoria” has returned with Season 3 — but the reception has been as divisive as it is anticipated. With A-list stars Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi leading the cast, the series’ comeback ranks among the biggest streaming events of the year.
Set five years after the events of Season 2, the series finds its characters now in their twenties. Rue (Zendaya) is working as an indentured servant for drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly), while Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) navigate the complexities of married life. According to the official series synopsis, “a group of childhood friends wrestle with the virtue of faith, the possibility of redemption, and the problem of evil.”
USA Today TV critic Kelly Lawler awarded the season just two out of four stars, arguing that the series has returned to a fundamentally changed cultural moment — one in which Zendaya, Sweeney, and newly minted Oscar contender Elordi have each become stars far bigger than the show itself. In Lawler’s assessment, the series has shed the raw energy that once defined it: “The fire has gone out, the party drugs are all used up, and the lights have turned on at the club.”
READ MORE: ‘Euphoria’ May End After Season 3, Zendaya Hints
Episode Schedule and Broadcast Details
New episodes of ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 drop every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max. The season runs for a total of 8 episodes, with the following schedule:
Episode 2: April 19, Episode 3: April 26, Episode 4: May 3, Episode 5: May 10, Episode 6: May 17, Episode 7: May 24, Episode 8: May 31.
“Euphoria” Season 3 cast
The cast for “Euphoria” Season 3, according to HBO Max, includes:
Zendaya as (Rue), Hunter Schafer as (Jules Vaughn), Eric Dane as (Cal Jacobs), Jacob Elordi as (Nate Jacobs), Sydney Sweeney as (Cassie Howard), Alexa Demie as (Maddy), Maude Apatow as (Lexi Howard), Martha Kelly as (Laurie), Colman Domingo as (Ali Muhammed), Chloe Cherry as (Faye), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as (Alamo Brown.
Series creator Sam Levinson signaled to Variety that Season 3 may be the show’s last chapter. “I write every season like it’s the last season and have no plans for a Season 4,” Levinson said. “I want to finish this as strong as I can — deliver a slam dunk season.” Zendaya echoed that sentiment on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show,’ telling host Drew Barrymore, “I think so, yeah — that closure is coming.” HBO Max has yet to make any official announcement regarding a fourth season.
“Euphoria” has consistently ranked among HBO Max’s most-watched series, with each season directly impacting the platform’s subscription numbers. The Season 3 premiere drew 8.5 million U.S. viewers in its first week — a figure that underscores the franchise’s enduring streaming power.
