Summary:
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“Euphoria” returns April 12 with a polarizing season, critics noting a shift from emotional core to spectacle. Zendaya still shines.
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Variety criticizes Season 3 for lacking the strategic contrast of prior seasons, feeling random and ungrounded.
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Reviews highlight strong visuals and Zendaya’s performance, but note adrift storytelling and criticism of character arcs.
“Euphoria” returns April 12 on HBO with its most polarizing season yet, as early critic reviews suggest the show has swapped its emotional core for spectacle, though Zendaya continues to anchor it.
Season 3 retains the crime elements of prior seasons without the strategic contrast that once made them work, a shift so total and abrupt that it feels somewhat random, according to Variety.
The new season picks up five years after the events of Season 2, with Rue and her former classmates now navigating adult life in markedly different circumstances, including a strip club, an OnlyFans, and a new world of seedy motels and sex work.
🚨The first critic review for ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 has been released:
“With Lexi stuck as a total afterthought and Maddy only slightly more relevant. Cassie’s arc feels like a rather cruel commentary on the way Sweeney has been fetishized by the entertainment industry.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/9552DysysQ
— ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 (@euphoriacentral) April 8, 2026
Variety noted the show has always been the R-rated version of a high-school drama, but that its histrionic extravagance once had a purpose in illustrating the life-or-death stakes of youthful emotion. That grounding, critics say, is now gone.
‘EUPHORIA’ Season 3 debuts at 62% on Rotten Tomatoes from 13 reviews. pic.twitter.com/VoMzr4VKRb
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) April 8, 2026
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The consensus among reviewers is that the visuals remain strong and Zendaya delivers, but the storytelling feels adrift. Levinson still gets the best performance out of Sydney Sweeney that the rising star has given in years, even as her character’s arc draws pointed criticism.
TV Guide summed up the broader critical mood, saying the show is “stuck in a downward spiral” despite Zendaya’s talents and the time jump.
The season consists of eight weekly episodes. Zendaya has suggested the show may end after Season 3, telling The Drew Barrymore Show she thinks this could be the final chapter.
Euphoria season 3 is being heavily criticized for being “too unhinged” and “over the top” according to critics. pic.twitter.com/wiw0Mwgqph
— Euphoria News (@season3euphoria) April 8, 2026
Early critic scores place the season as the lowest-rated in the show’s run, though reviews are still coming in ahead of the Sunday premiere.
