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Welcome back to Worth the Chat!

I took a break from reality this past weekend—reality TV, that is—to finally make time for HBO Sunday nights. Right now, that coveted spot belongs to Season 3 of Euphoria—Sam Levinson’s gritty fever dream exploring addiction and the jaw-dropping lives of suburban teens. 

I like to keep my TV on the feel-good or reality side (as you know), but I save up my anxiety tolerance for the really good stuff. The first two seasons of Euphoria were anxiety-inducing to say the least, but the collective conversation around the show each week made it appointment viewing, a difficult feat in the modern streaming era, and I was hooked.

Now, after a four-year hiatus between seasons, over 8.5 million people have tuned in for Season 3 (a 44% increase compared to last season’s premiere), but I’ve barely heard a peep about it online from viewers. Where are the memes and the Monday am group chats that dominated social media during the first two seasons? This stark contrast to the previous seasons piqued my interest enough to dive back in. So, what’s going on with Euphoria? Let’s dive in!

Euphoria has never been a stranger to chaos, and I don't just mean the show. The behind-the-scenes drama going into the current season reads like its own pilot: first and foremost, we tragically lost actors Angus Cloud and Eric Dane. Then there are reports of a toxic set environment, whispered feuds between creator Sam Levinson and his stars, Barbie Ferreira's shock exit, and Labrinth, the architect of the show's entire emotional sound, pulling his work from the third season at the last minute. His explanation was unsparing:

—Labrinth

He was replaced by the legend Hans Zimmer, which should have been a dream for fans, but the switch is just a small factor in why the new season feels like a major departure from its predecessors.

And that's all before we get to the cast. In the four-year delay between seasons, the show's stars have reached the Hollywood stratosphere (Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and even Sydney Sweeney, despite recent controversy), and there’s a subtle feeling while watching that they’re just back to fulfill a contract. Don’t get me wrong, the performances are still outstanding. But, for better or worse, they all grew up and moved on, and growing up is part of the problem.

The first two seasons were set in high school, and Season 3 begins with a time jump that finds our characters in their mid-20s with little explanation. This is where one of my TV hills I’ll die on comes into play: shows about high school don't survive graduation.

High school gives you an easy container to work with; everyone is trapped together, the world is small, and there's nowhere to run from the drama. Graduation hands that container back and says figure it out. They almost never do.

Stronger shows before it have fallen into the same trap. The O.C. lost most of its magic after Marissa Cooper died, and graduation finished the job (sorry, is it still a spoiler if it's been 21 years?) One Tree Hill never recovered after they handed over the diplomas, Vampire Diaries peaked while Elena was still in Mystic Falls (don't @ me), and did anyone watch Glee past Season 3? Anyone?

Similarly, one of post-grad Euphoria’s biggest struggles is the inability to keep its characters intertwined. There is no version of reality in which Rue, Lexi, Cassie, Maddy, and Jules would still hang out after the betrayal, trauma, and accumulated wreckage that make up their shared history—here’s an HBO recap if you need a refresher. It feels like separate shows with differing tones sewn together.

Blakely Thornton put it perfectly (if not generously) on his podcast Yestergays:

—Blakely Thornton

This mostly comes down to the show’s sole writer, Sam Levinson, who, as I mentioned at the start, has long had an air of controversy surrounding him, which came to a head after his sophomore HBO series, The Idol, soured viewers. While earlier Euphoria seasons weren’t exempt from similar critique, the new season feels especially icky, most notably in Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) storyline, where the whole thing just feels like one big humiliation ritual. If you don’t mind spoilers, read more on this from Vogue.

Drama aside, I’m partial to a writer’s room over one unchecked mind. There are exceptions, of course—Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag is a masterpiece. But (get ready for my most controversial take) even the heavy hitters, like Mike White’s The White Lotus, could benefit from additional writers to fill a few plot holes. Could a writer’s room have saved Season 3? Maybe.

What I do know is, after watching the current batch of eps, I’m tapping out. Season 1 was shocking, Season 2 was appointment television, and Season 3 has become a guilty pleasure people are watching in a vacuum. You can safely skip this one; reading a recap after the finale will suffice.

If what you loved about Euphoria of the past was the chaos, the spirals, and the feeling that everything could go terribly wrong at any moment, I've got better options for you.

P.S. Have you been watching? Hit reply and let me know your thoughts, I’m dying to know!

Meredith is the Managing Editor at Pix Media and has been covering TV, movies, podcasts, and books for 8 years. Raised on VH1's I Love the... series, E! True Hollywood Stories, and The Real Housewives, Meredith has been fluent in pop culture since infancy. She religiously watches every Bravo show, lives for HBO Sunday nights, goes deep on reality-scandal discourse, and has a TBR that is physically taking over her apartment.  

Currently watching: Summer House and Hacks