Euphoria’s third season divides Gen Z fans as it concludes
The third season of the HBO series Euphoria ends this Monday, marking a turning point for a show that once defined a generation. While the series initially resonated deeply with Gen Z viewers by portraying stylized yet relatable teenage experiences, the latest season’s darker, more surreal storylines have sparked division among fans. Many original viewers now say they have “outgrown” the drama, reflecting a shift in how the show connects with its audience.
Why this matters
Euphoria launched in 2019 as a groundbreaking teen drama exploring sex, addiction, trauma, and identity through the lives of a group of young people. It quickly became a cultural touchstone for Gen Z, praised for its emotional depth and visual style. The show’s evolution and reception reveal how youth culture and media consumption have changed rapidly, highlighting challenges in maintaining relevance over time and the impact of social media on storytelling and audience engagement.
Key developments in season three
- The story picks up five years after the characters’ high school days, following them into a darker, more fractured adulthood.
- Plotlines include Rue smuggling drugs between the US and Mexico, Cassie creating erotic content on OnlyFans, Nate enduring violent revenge, and Jules abandoning her art career to seek a sugar daddy.
- The season has polarized critics and fans, with a Metacritic score of 56%, yet it achieved the highest viewership in the show’s history, drawing over 12.3 million US viewers for the premiere and more than 20 million globally.
- Some scenes appear designed for viral social media moments, sparking memes but also criticism for sacrificing character and plot depth.
Fan and critic perspectives
Many original fans, now in their early twenties, find the latest season harder to relate to. Eve Rigby, 23, notes that the show’s earlier portrayal of issues like addiction, body image, and abusive relationships felt authentic and mirrored her own experiences. In contrast, she describes season three as “detached from reality,” citing storylines involving mob kidnappings and OnlyFans content creation as examples.
Journalist Jess Bacon argues that the show has become “rage bait,” prioritizing viral moments over nuanced storytelling. She says the season’s brutality makes it “almost unwatchable” at times and that it lacks the emotional depth of earlier episodes. Similarly, Vogue’s Daisy Jones criticizes the series’ persistent focus on sex work as feeling “dated and two-dimensional.”
Conversely, some fans and commentators appreciate the season’s intensity and complexity. Noah Ives, a podcast host, finds recent episodes more entertaining and notes that the characters reuniting brings back some of the show’s original appeal, despite the “ridiculous” plot twists. Addiction therapist Gonzalo Sanchez highlights the show’s evolving portrayal of addiction, emphasizing its increasing focus on the emotional and psychological realities behind substance abuse.
Changing cultural context and audience
When Euphoria debuted, it was praised for its fresh take on Gen Z issues and aesthetics, with outlets like The Guardian and Time recognizing its cultural impact. However, the five-year gap between seasons, influenced by strikes and production delays, coincided with rapid shifts in youth culture and social media dynamics.
Brand strategist James Kirkham explains that conversations about identity, mental health, and queerness—once central to Euphoria—have become mainstream, reducing the show’s frontier status. He also notes that the fragmentation of internet culture makes it harder for any single show to dominate youth discourse as it did previously.
Kirkham compares Euphoria to the 2000s series Skins, which similarly struggled to maintain cultural relevance over time. He suggests that it is rare for youth dramas to capture lightning in a bottle more than once, especially amid rapidly changing cultural landscapes.
Recommended reading
For more context, see related Peack News coverage and explainers linked below.
