Euphoria is back with more shock and scandal, but mixed reviews
Euphoria Returns with Stirring Controversy, Yet Faces Mixed Critical Response
After a four-year hiatus, the hit US drama Euphoria has resurfaced, bringing back its core cast including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi. However, the series has sparked a range of opinions among critics, with some questioning whether it has maintained the intensity that defined its earlier seasons.
Teaser Sparks Debate on Sex Work and Femininity
The latest trailer for the show’s third season has ignited fresh controversy, featuring Sweeney’s character, Cassie, in a provocative pose dressed as a baby. In a brief clip, Cassie is shown with curly pigtails, a dummy in her mouth, and legs open, as she films herself for OnlyFans. Social media reactions have been sharply divided, with some viewers calling the imagery “fetishistic and distasteful,” while others describe it as “disturbing and unsettling.”
“This isn’t character development, this is fetish content. Disgusting,” one user posted online.
“This is just disturbing,” another commented.
Early Season Reactions: Polarizing and Predictable
Only the first episode is currently available, in which Cassie convinces her fiancé Nate to let her upload videos online to fund their wedding. The Guardian’s Hannah J Davies criticized the season as “a grubby, humourless work of torture porn obsessed with and repulsed by sex work,” arguing that Cassie’s ambitions feel “bafflingly dated” and that the narrative leans into “voyeuristic and judgmental” tropes.
Davies also highlighted Zendaya’s performance, noting her character Rue remains “endearing and unpredictable,” though the show’s focus on synthetic opioids has left her “horrifically bleak” for dramatic effect. Meanwhile, the Telegraph’s Eleanor Halls echoed similar concerns, describing the series as “misogynistic fantasies of a creepy old man” and accusing creator Sam Levinson of objectifying his female leads.
“Essentially, Levinson has trapped all of his female leads in the performance, or exploitation, of sex work, and the camera peers and leers at them with every shot,” Halls wrote.
Divided Perspectives on the Show’s Direction
While some critics praise the series for its vivid portrayal of modern America, others argue it has lost its cultural edge. BBC Culture’s Caryn James noted that Euphoria now “has lost its zeitgeisty edge,” offering “very little to say” and “none of it very audacious or compelling.” Variety’s Alison Herman called it “never not entertaining” but added that it “feels like disjointed fan fiction,” lacking narrative cohesion.
Conversely, The Times celebrated the show as “a dazzling (and stomach-churning) series,” while the Independent praised its “clear-eyed, unflattering portrait of modern America.” The New York Post’s Lauren Sarner described the season as “an unhinged disaster” and “an off-the-rails roller coaster of insanity,” though she acknowledged its bold approach to Gen-Z iconography.
“Whether that’s good or bad depends on if you want to see the biggest Gen-Z superstars – Zendaya, Jacob Elordi and Sweeney – in ludicrous situations that feel like Breaking Bad meets Looney Tunes,” Sarner said.
“It delivers that in spades. But if you want narrative coherence and character consistency, Season 3 leaves you wanting,” she added.
