Four years later, Euphoria is back with a new season and there is already controversy.

Euphoria returned on Sunday, April 12, 2026, to HBO Max with its dark, intense, cinematic plotlines; with actors returning such as Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, and Zendaya, the show’s first episode  jumps in time due to the four-year gap of the last season, and quickly begins with drug-muling, western inspired scenery, and a complicated toxic marriage of main characters Nate (played by Nate Jacobs) and Cassie (Cassie Howard). A lethal friendship ended between Maddy and Cassie due to Cassie pursuing a relationship with Nate, who was Maddy’s ex-partner. This created a dynamic that many were ready to see in season 3. Already, in the first episode, Cassie and Nate are planning their wedding.

The first season of Euphoria was released in 2019, and the second in 2022.  According to Varity, since early 2026, Euphoria has been as HBO’s most-watched series since 2004. The series has had the ability to shed light on unknown stars, making them now some of the most desired in Hollywood. The plot revolves around the character Rue, played by Zendaya, who deals with drug addiction, high school toxicity, and unhinged love.

Avery Smith, a 17-year-old from Rye, N.Y., was not overly intrigued to see the new season after the producers took a while for the new season’s production. Avery also feels that the first episode did not start off strong, but was able to improve as it got to the latter part of the episode.

“I thought the first episode of the third season was just okay,” she said. “Honestly, I wasn’t very intrigued in the beginning of the episode, but it got better as it went on.”

After Avery watched the start of season three, she wanted to see the remainder of the episodes, and hopes they will be full of plot twists and drama.

Avery believes that the reason why Euphoria has gotten so much attention is because of the selection of actors and actresses.

“Each character perfectly fits their role in the show, and their acting allows the plot to flow,” she explained.

Caterina Ravosa, a 17-year-old from East Longmeadow, Mass., feels that the prolonging of the show has made a dramatic difference in comparison to the earlier seasons of the show.

“I think that the acting is ok so far,” she said. “I think that because it’s been so long, all of these actors have already done all these other roles and kind of moved on from Euphoria. In the earlier season, everyone had such distinct personalities and now I feel like everyone has almost mellowed out a little bit.”

Caterina believes that this season so far does not meet the standards of past seasons, and feels it doesn’t match previous seasons’ moods.

“While I don’t love it as much as the earlier two seasons so far, I have thought that it’s been good,” she said. “I think that the vibes of the show are definitely different.”

Caterina is excited to see returning characters.

“I think it’s interesting that we didn’t really see Maddy until the very end of the episode so I can’t wait to start seeing her again,” she said.

Maddy is played by actor Maddy Perez.

Caterina believes that the time jump between the last season and now has contributed to this disconnect in the show.

“I think that this should be the last season,” she said. “There was already such a big gap between season 2 and 3, and without two important characters to the show it feels different,” Caterina said. “I think a lot of Euphoria revolved around them being in high school, and now that they’re not, I think one season to wrap it up would be the perfect ending.”

One cast member, Angus Cloud. passed away due to an overdose before production started. Another actor, Barbie Ferreira, decided to part ways with Euphoria.

According to Vogue, many followers feel that the director of the show has contributed to its downfall as a production. People believe that Euphoria now feels foreseeable, and everything sees what’s coming with no shock.

Lux Dugon, a senior from Maine, feels that the series can be far-fetched and not always reflect how teen life can appear.

“It feels kind of unrealistic overall to be honest, maybe it would be more believable in places like California or Florida, but not really accurate to everyday teen life in New England,” she said.