Euphoria season 3's post-high school setting could make or break the show

Euphoria, HBO’s award-winning high school drama that centers around an ensemble of teens struggling with their sexuality, identity, and place in the world, finally has given fans some much-needed updates on its long-awaited third season.

In a discussion with Variety, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and MAX, provided insight into the delay, sharing that the show’s polarizing creator, Sam Levinson, is considering removing the show's setting from high school and introducing a time jump. According to Bloys, Levinson is figuring out this premise and is still currently writing.

The production of Season 3 of Euphoria has faced its fair share of controversies and was evenrumored to be completely canceled at one point. While some of the production challenges were not the fault of the show’s creators (such as the 2023 Hollywood strikes and the passing of Angus Cloud), some issues were within their control, like Barbie Ferreira quitting the third season due to creative differences.

Despite the show constantly breaking viewership records and catapulting the cast to Emmy nominations, the long delay never truly surprised the show’s biggest fans. Critics and fans alike have frequently accused the storylines of being unfocused, and actors like Ferreira have openly questioned the arcs of their characters.

Euphoria, at its best, has always been about its characters' journeys—Rue Bennett (Zendaya) learning how to overcome her self-sabotage, and Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) learning how to love herself beyond just how desirable others find her. A few years away from each other could allow all these characters to grow in ways that the episodic nature of the show couldn’t. This premise sounds promising, especially considering how well-received the two-episode special in between seasons was, where each episode focused on a single character.

That being said, most of the main cast has had their careers blow up because of their impressive performances in the first two seasons of the show. Jacob Elordi, Zendaya, and Sydney Sweeney are now all movie stars who can sell a film just by having their names attached to it. Even after the final scripts are turned in, it’s certainly going to be quite a struggle to align all their schedules to find time to shoot the last few episodes of Euphoria.

When Jacob Elordi was on his press run promoting Saltburn, Jimmy Fallon asked him when season 3 of Euphoria would be released. Elordi joked, saying he hopes it’s soon because if not, they’re going to have to figure out a way to age him backward like Benjamin Button. At least they’re all on the same page regarding when the show should be set.

Zendaya, on the other hand, simply said she didn’t know if Euphoria would ever come back, adding that it was beyond her. Well, now the CEO of HBO has confirmed it will be back, so all the pressure now lies on Sam Levinson’s shoulders.

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