by: Siyona Singhal
Humor Editor
Euphoria is known for its bold visuals, heavy themes, and amazing soundtrack – or is it? After a four-year hiatus, season three premiered on Apr. 12, and episodes come out every Sunday. With season three of Euphoria fully underway, many fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the released episodes and are left wondering what went wrong.
Rumors of rifts between the cast and creator, Sam Levinson, have only grown since its return was confirmed last autumn, and Barbie Ferreira (Kat Hernandez) chose to depart from the show due to creative differences. Furthermore, musical artist Labrinth declined to work on Euphoria because he felt disrespected during the production process. Labrinth’s music was an iconic part of Euphoria, and fans definitely notice and mourn his absence.
Beyond the lackluster soundtrack, viewers are also disappointed in the aesthetic changes of this season. This season is noticeably missing the iconic purple and glittery makeup and theme, a staple of the show. Fans have criticized HBO for firing Petra Collins, the photographer and filmmaker whose photography inspired the show and originated the purple aesthetic.
The first season resonated because, along with its stylization, it felt emotionally honest. It gave space to discomfort without losing sight of humanity. Season three, however, often feels more concerned with being provocative than being meaningful. The intensity is still there, but without the same sense of purpose. The show feels less about drug abuse and emotional relationships and more about making people mad. Season three doesn’t seem like the same show as the first two seasons. Rue Bennet, once the emotional core of the show, is now constantly stuck between high-stakes moments and fast-moving plot points.
People are also calling this season incredibly misogynistic. Every character is somehow involved with sex work, whether it’s Rue working at a strip club or Jules Vaughn becoming a sugar baby. Women seem to be painted as only being able to succeed through the sex industry. When the girls on the show are not being mistreated or treated like cattle, they act in cartoonish ways and embarrass themselves, especially Cassie Howard’s character. She is handing away her dignity like it’s candy and continues to annoy fans to no end, similar to past seasons. The show paints her as a shallow woman whose entire value is her body.
The season’s finale will air on May 31. While there are no confirmed plans for season four, it is not entirely impossible. HBO seems to want the show to continue, but many actors, including Zendaya, have expressed that they may not be interested in another season. Until then, fans are hoping that the season gets better soon and will go back to the epic drama it once was.
(Sources: The Guardian, Vogue)