Hemky Madera on working with Zendaya for ‘Euphoria’ Season 3
Hemky Madera talks “Euphoria” Season 3 while attending “The Mandalorian and Grogu” world premiere in Los Angeles.
Spoiler alert! Season 3 spoilers for “Euphoria” ahead.
Season 3 of “Euphoria” was not for the faint-hearted. Every episode of the series, including its most controversial to date, pushed its characters to the edge – and some even to their death – leaving viewers shocked and, in some cases, horrified.
The latest season of Sam Levinson’s HBO teen drama was set five years following the events of Season 2, with characters wrestling with the “virtue of faith, the possibility of redemption, and the problem of evil,” according to the series synopsis.
Rue (Zendaya) was navigating dangerous territory working as an indentured servant for drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly) and later crime kingpin/strip club owner Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Meanwhile, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) navigated married life and mountains of debt. Cassie, in her attempt to earn money to pay off Nate’s debt, became an adult star with Maddy’s (Alexa Demie) help. Jules (Hunter Schafer), on the other hand, bid goodbye to art school to become a full-time sugar baby. In short, the future of these central characters appears murky and flammable.
“Euphoria” became a TV darling and pop cultural lightning rod when it first premiered, thanks to its frank take on adolescent life, including its graphic portrayals of sexuality and drug use. However, Season 3 returned to mixed reviews.
USA TODAY TV Critic Kelly Lawler gave the new season ★★ out of four, writing that in the “four years since its last season and seven years since it began, ‘Euphoria’ has come back to a completely different zeitgeist ‒ and not just because Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya and newly minted Oscar nominee Jacob Elordi are all bona fide A-listers bigger than the show. The world has changed, the stars have changed and ‘Euphoria’ has changed.”
“There is less passion and vibrancy to the show, even at its most objectionable moments,” Lawler added. “The fire has gone out, the party drugs are all used up, and the lights have turned on at the club.”
Will there be a “Euphoria” Season 4? Here’s what we know so far.
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Will ‘Euphoria’ return for Season 4?
HBO Max has not made any announcements regarding Season 4 yet. Reps for the streamer did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for information on Friday, May 29.
Series creator Sam Levinson, however, hinted Season 3 would be the series’s last, telling Variety in an article published on April 7 that he writes “every season like it’s the last season” and has “no plans” for a Season 4, adding he is currently completely focused on delivering his best work with Season 3.
“I want to finish this as strong as I can. I’m cutting (Episodes) 7 and 8 still,” Levinson told Variety. “I’m putting some finishing touches. I just want to deliver a (expletive) slam dunk season.”
In April, Zendaya, on “The Drew Barrymore Show”, also indicated the series would be ending with Season 3.
“I think so, yeah,” Zendaya told Barrymore when asked if it was the final season. “That closure is coming.”
However, Episode 8 of Season 3 is billed as a season finale rather than the series finale, indicating that HBO may be keeping its options open.
When will Season 4 of ‘Euphoria’ release?
The release date for Season 4 is contingent on whether the series will return for another season.
There was an almost 4-year gap between Seasons 2 and 3 due to the show reportedly facing several production delays, including the 2023 Hollywood actors’ and screenwriters’ strikes. In March 2024, HBO announced that it was allowing the series’ cast to pursue other acting jobs amid the long wait for Season 3.
‘Euphoria’ cast
The star-studded cast for Season 3 of “Euphoria,” according to HBO Max, includes:
- Zendaya as Rue
- Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn
- Eric Dane as Cal Jacobs
- Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs
- Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard
- Alexa Demie as Maddy
- Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard
- Martha Kelly as Laurie
- Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammed
- Chloe Cherry as Faye
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Alamo Brown
- Rosalía as Magick
- Anna Van Patten as Kitty
However, Elordi’s Nate was brutally killed off in the penultimate episode of Season 3, and it remains to be seen who will survive the season finale.
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How to watch the ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 finale
The Season 3 finale of “Euphoria” will air Sunday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET/ PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.
Contributing: Kelly Lawler, Edward Segarra / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
