The Downfall of Euphoria
Robin Fuller ’27
After being released on HBO in June of 2019, Euphoria immediately shot to fame, capturing widespread attention for both its storytelling and visual style. The series follows Rue Bennet, a 17-year-old girl who lives in California with her mom and sister. She is a drug addict and has just gotten out of rehab over the summer. She meets and befriends the new girl in town, Jules, and eventually falls in love with her, replacing her drug addiction with her new found love. But this proves unstable, as Rue slowly learns she can't leech onto other things or people and expect them to make her happy. The show simultaneously follows the storylines of Rue’s friends Maddy, Cassie, Kat and Lexi, who all have individual storylines that each speak to an aspect of today's teen culture such as boyfriends, partying, social media and the pressures of the internet.
Beyond just its narrative, Euphoria inspired many real life Gen Z fashion trends, which were characterized by dramatic, glitter heavy makeup and bold colorful fashion choices. The show was also noteworthy for its portrayal of Gen Z, sparking many debates about whether or not it accurately portrays Gen Z youth that still continue today. In particular, Euphoria also stood out for its raw and unglamorous portrayal of mental health and drug addiction, sparking important conversations about teenage substance use.
After finishing its controversial second season in 2022, Euphoria went on a four year hiatus and has just returned for a third season. However, as time passed and anticipation grew, so did skepticism, and many fans were left displeased with the turn the show has taken. Storylines and aesthetics seem to stray away from what made the show so watchable and rewatchable in its early years. While the first season felt grounded, real and honest, recent episodes are more fragmented, rushed and inconsistent. It feels as though the line between realism and drama is blurred, and the characters no longer feel unique and authentic.
So, what happened? The downfall of Euphoria can be attributed to a combination of factors, with much of the blame directed toward creator Sam Levinson, whose creative choices have faced intense scrutiny. At the same time, the rising fame of many of the show’s young stars has complicated production and shifted the dynamic of the series. Behind-the-scenes tensions have also reportedly played a role, contributing to delays and inconsistencies, while the deaths of key actors have further impacted the show’s direction and emotional core.
To start, much of Sam Levinson’s decline in reputation can be attributed to the failure of his controversial erotic thriller The Idol starring The Weeknd and Lily Rose Depp. Shortly after it was released in 2023, many were quick to point and laugh at his bad writing, unnecessary sexual gratuity and weak acting performances. In an article in 2023, The Guardian described it as “Tedious, pointless, and cringe-inducing.” Sam Levinson’s reputation as a prestige creator was damaged, and he was accused of trying to turn the show into “torture porn.”
Levinson was working on The Idol around the same time he was working on Euphoria season 3, which many people figured out was delaying the production of the latter and angered fans. Reportedly, it also soured his relationship with Zendaya, making it difficult for the two to work together. Rumors spread and fans noted that Zendaya avoided taking pictures with Levinson at the Euphoria premiere. Speaking of sour relationships, Labrinth, the musician responsible for Euphoria's iconic sound design and score, came out saying he's been mistreated by Euphoria creators and will no longer work with them. His statement on Instagram read “[Screw] Paramount, Double [screw] Euphoria],” prompting him to leave the music industry.
Due to the absence of Labrinth's score, as well as the change in setting and costuming, Euphoria seems to lose some of the charm that defined it. One look at the new season shows a lack of glitter, purple and blue, and dream-like sequences, and a shift to more mature, neutral color palettes. While this is a stylistic choice by the show to make the characters seem more grown up, it winds up feeling like they are making a different show. They are all older, estranged from each other, and working corporate jobs. The show is no longer about teenager struggles, but adult struggles instead. While that's not a bad thing, it causes the show to lose some of the interest of its target demographic.
One of the major problems that comes with how long it took to produce the third season is what happens to the actors in between seasons. Between season 2 and 3, two key actors passed away: Angus Cloud and Eric Dane. Angus Cloud, who played the character of Rue’s drug dealer Fezco, was deeply loved in the fandom while people worried about what the show had in store for him in the 3rd season. However he unfortunately passed away in 2023 from an overdose, leaving his storyline strained and incomplete. A more recent passing is that of Eric Dane, who died early this year in February after a long battle with ALS. He played the role of Cal Jacobs, Nate Jacob’s dad, and had a pivotal role in the first season. Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat Hernandez, also came out saying that she is leaving the show– a mutual decision between her and Sam Levinson as they felt her storyline had nowhere to go. These absences leave major holes in Euphoria’s storyline going forward and make significant changes to where season 2 left off.
Just to be clear, it's not just the premiere of the 3rd season where Euphoria has begun to decline in quality – back in season 2 fans began to notice the direction the writing had turned in which focused more heavily on drama and shock value rather than building complex characters and compelling emotional situations. A big turning point is when Cassie becomes involved with Nate Jacobs, her best friend Maddy’s abusive ex boyfriend. While it isn't entirely out of line with her character development in season 1, her and Maddy's connection and female friendship in general was crucial to the show's DNA. After finding out what Cassie did, they spend the majority of the rest of the show fighting, which results in a very public physical altercation in the season 2 finale. The issue with Cassie is that she was initially written to be so much more than an object for the male gaze, but in season 2 she is reduced to a male-centered sex object. Kat’s storyline in season 1 centered around accepting her body, but in season 2 she is written into a corner to the point where she is entirely cut out in season 3. This is a problem with nearly all characters in the show– the shock value and drama they are able to induce is prioritized over expanding them as people. And this seems to be a theme continuing into season 3.
Euphoria's trajectory is an example of when a show decreases in its original purpose of creating a story audiences can become attached to. While the show still carries a strong legacy from its early impact, its more recent season seems to fail in doing that. Whether Euphoria can regain that sense of purpose is uncertain, but its rise and decline already serve as a telling example of how quickly a cultural phenomenon can evolve, and how easily it can lose the very qualities that made it meaningful in the first place.