Sam Levinson has long been a magnet for controversy, and the backlash that greeted “The Idol” seems to have followed him straight into Euphoria’s third and final season.
Critics are decidedly underwhelmed, with the embargo having now lifted, and the third season currently holding a lukewarm 50% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Did anyone really expect a smooth ride? Season 3 has been a storm from the start—plagued by delays, rewrites, and on-set friction that’s spilled into the public eye. More recently, series composer Labrinth publicly criticized the show and exited just weeks before its premiere. This might have had to so with Hans Zimmer being hired to co-compose the music with him.
Originally, Levinson pitched a bold third season to HBO in the winter of 2023: a five-year jump forward with “very compelling” arcs for Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie and Jacob Elordi’s Nate. Yet Zendaya was reportedly so dissatisfied with the script that Levinson had to start from scratch.
Even after rewriting, HBO executives weren’t on board. Rue’s new arc—reimagined as a private detective—was sidelined, and numerous other storylines reportedly “didn’t make sense” to the network. Levinson went back to the drawing board for a third revision, but even that didn’t impress HBO, forcing a fourth rewrite.
The chaos reportedly sparked panic behind the scenes. HBO considered replacing Levinson as showrunner and even toyed with the idea of turning season 3 into a feature-length movie.
Regardless, “Euphoria” is still a series, most of the regulars are back, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Colman Domingo, and Hunter Schafer, and that’s alongside a number of starry newcomers joining the cast: Sharon Stone, Rosalía, Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Deadwyler, and Eli Roth.
“Euphoria” season 3 premieres on HBO and HBO Max April 12.