‘Euphoria’ Starring Sydney Sweeney Officially Returns in Two Days

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Sydney Sweeney had a breakout year in 2025, starring in the hit thriller The Housemaid with Amanda Seyfried, and the wrestling biopic Christy. Before that, she appeared in a few smaller films and showed her comedic side in the 2018 Netflix series Everything Sucks! She also demonstrated her dramatic range playing complex characters in darker series like Sharp Objects and The Handmaid’s Tale. However, it was a role in an HBO show that truly launched her career.

As a huge fan of television, I’m so excited that Euphoria is finally returning! I started watching when Sydney Sweeney joined the cast as Cassie Howard back in 2019, and it’s been a wild ride ever since. It’s a really gripping, often difficult, show about the lives of these young people, and the new season is set to premiere this Sunday, April 12, 2026. I’ve been thinking a lot about the series lately, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

The Very Divisive ‘Euphoria’ Made Sydney Sweeney Famous

As of today, season 3 of Euphoria has a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Given that it’s been four years since the last season, and the show was initially very well-received, this low score is concerning.

It’s undeniable that Euphoria was a turning point for Sydney Sweeney, launching her into stardom. While the entire young cast of Euphoria is talented, Zendaya and Sweeney have seen the most impressive career growth. Beyond her role as a wealthy teenager in Season 1 of The White Lotus (2021), Sweeney quickly became a leading movie actress, appearing in films like the thrillers The Housemaid and Echo Valley, the romantic comedy Anyone But You, and even Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Despite her 2025 wrestling biopic, Christy, not performing well in theaters, it demonstrated her ability to carry a major film. Now, she’s set to star in the upcoming science fiction movie Gundam.

Sydney Sweeney’s portrayal of Cassie Howard has been widely praised for its depth and honesty. She fully embodies the character, allowing viewers to deeply feel Cassie’s anxiety, pain, and desperation. A prime example is the powerful scene in Season 2, Episode 3, “Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys,” where Cassie confronts herself in a bathroom mirror. She imagines passionately declaring her love for Nate Jacobs and insisting they are in love, justifying her actions by claiming she didn’t betray her friend Maddy Perez because Maddy and Nate had already broken up. Despite insisting she’s “never been happier” and that Maddy and Nate weren’t a good match, the scene reveals Cassie’s underlying awareness that she’s deceiving herself. This moment perfectly captures her guilt, her longing for genuine connection, and her fear of being hurt by Nate.

A moment from the show became incredibly popular – Brian Cox even recreated it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March 2022. Fans enthusiastically quoted and shared it online. However, considering the initial reaction to Season 3 of Euphoria, it’s unlikely anyone will be doing the same with lines from the new episodes.

‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Proves That Conversations About the Show Have Overshadowed the Actual Plot

Since the second season of Euphoria aired, discussions about the show itself have often overshadowed the actual plot and characters. When it first debuted in 2019, Euphoria launched a new wave of teen dramas for HBO, joining a long tradition of coming-of-age stories on television. However, Euphoria is quite different from classics like Beverly Hills, 90210, Dawson’s Creek, Gossip Girl, and The O.C.. While those shows also dealt with themes like sex, relationships, substance use, and mental health, Euphoria pushes boundaries and takes things to a more extreme level.

The first season of Euphoria explores Kat Hernandez’s journey into the world of camming and the damaging relationship between Nate and Maddy. The second season takes things further, with Fez seriously injuring Nate, almost fatally. The show also doesn’t shy away from the dark side of addiction, as Rue’s story features alarming moments and manipulation by Laurie, who, despite trying to help, ultimately causes Rue more harm.

Other teen dramas still resonate because they capture the experience of growing up. They often mix serious issues with lighter, fun moments – like friends hanging out at diners or just enjoying each other’s company. However, Euphoria takes things further with its explicit portrayal of sex, drugs, and difficult relationships. Even Gossip Girl, known for pushing boundaries in 2015, feels relatively mild in comparison to the HBO series.

I really connected with the first two seasons of Euphoria. It felt like a genuinely raw and honest look at growing up and dealing with tough stuff at a young age. But honestly, Season 3 feels different. It’s become much more sensationalized, focusing heavily on dramatic storylines like Cassie’s foray into OnlyFans, Rue’s legal troubles, and the whole mess surrounding Cassie and Nate’s relationship. That grounded feeling from earlier seasons seems to have gotten lost in all the heightened drama.

Fans have also learned about disagreements on set. According to The Independent, Minka Kelly expressed discomfort with a nude scene, and Sydney Sweeney didn’t want her character, Cassie, to appear topless. In both cases, the scenes were altered and ultimately not filmed as originally written. However, the publication noted that viewers questioned why those scenes were even included in the script to begin with, sparking discussion on Twitter.

Zendaya reportedly questioned Sam Levinson about the delay in making a new season of Euphoria, and why he instead worked on the HBO series The Idol in 2023. The Idol, which starred Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd, faced criticism and controversy. Rolling Stone reported that 13 people involved with the show alleged that, after a change in directors, scripts included troubling scenes of sexual violence. These negative reports likely created challenges for the return of Euphoria.

Does Euphoria offer meaningful insights into the teenage experience, or does it focus too much on drugs and explicit content? Has the show become more about shocking viewers than telling a real story? Viewers will find out when the new episode airs this Sunday.

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2026-04-11 02:03