Do not hesitate to add glitter to your online shopping cart this upcoming April because the beloved “Euphoria Sundays” are back, and better late than never. Premiering April 12, 2026, season three of Sam Levinson’s Euphoria follows the iconic characters five years into the future. Gen-Z’s half-decade deprivation of the HBO series is to be reciprocated with one final season. There are talks of a fourth run, but with deaths and controversies in between, I feel that it is most appropriate for Levinson to call it quits. With that, let’s dive into the wildness that makes Euphoria what I’d name a cultural phenomenon.
The year is 2019. Think when VSCO girls let you borrow their scrunchies, TikTok was “embarrassing” to download, and Kylie Jenner hosted “Stormiworld” for her daughter, Stormi Webster’s first birthday party. Life felt superficial then, lacking grit and harsh reality checks, and an odd abundance of “vibe checks”. Introducing Euphoria, an HBO Original series, when HBO Max ceased to exist (feel old yet?). Viewers tuned into a new show set in a Californian suburb, which explored the lives of seemingly normal high school students with later introduced intertwined plots. Reality was Euphoria in the eyes of writer Sam Levinson, establishing a new genre of toxic high school thrill for Generation Z. Levinson exaggerates the high school experience, however, creating relatable characters and stories for a new generation of HBO viewers.Â
The series sparks controversy, however, as it soon is labeled to romanticize the harsh experiences of a younger generation. Characters like Rue Bennett, as played by Zendaya, find themselves curing their trauma with substance; abusive behaviors of Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi, are counteracted by his father’s own double life; and a portrayal of seeking out validation and friendship is explored through Cassie Howard, as played by Sydney Sweeney. Plots of toxicity, abuse, and destructive substances are embellished with gleaming glitter and an enthralling soundtrack curated entirely by singer-songwriter Labrinth, causing media frenzy over the Euphoria “aesthetic”.
In the early 2020s, many influencers such as Mikayla Nogeuira and James Charles participated in Euphoria-inspired makeup trends created by the show’s lead makeup artist, Donni Davy. Seemingly, the trends stemming from Euphoria created a superficiality to the show, even though it covers graphic themes surrounding high school students. Vogue writer Samuel Getachew even calls one criticism of the series as, “horrifyingly on target,” in which he further attributes the show as a callback to his own past (Getachew, 2022). It’s not that Euphoria fails to be relatable for a new generation of HBO viewers; it is the romanticization of the realities that issues a triggering problem for its audience and backlash towards Sam Levinson.
Many of the stories exhibited in Euphoria are rooted in writer Sam Levinson’s own struggles. He explains to Bryn Sandberg of The Hollywood Reporter his own struggles with addiction and its channeling into his characters’ deep-cut stories. In response to the show’s criticisms of its graphic nature, Levinson tells Sandberg that he and the creators of Euphoria focused on a lens of “a very human perspective and an emotional perspective,” in which “it transcends all ages and groups” (Levinson, 2019). Furthermore, when asked about the age category the series projects to, Levinson states that Euphoria is made for all ages, in which they have a parent’s discretion. A controversial statement for some, due to the fact that the series explores mature themes, but Levinson proclaims to explore the reality of the young in a new light.
Like many, I am personally extremely interested in what’s to come for Euphoria’s characters and plot lines. I am one of many who succumbed to watching Euphoria at a young age due to its ornate social media coverage. It really feels like a red flag to say that my favorite TV series is Euphoria because of its tragedies; it shows that this is the reality for a portion of my age group. The raw storytelling and performances from now A-Listers like Zendaya and Jacob Elordi are spectacular, and are nothing like I’ve ever seen. Safe to say, I grew up obsessing over reality shows like Dance Moms and Teen Mom 2, so to watch a fresh fictional reality genre is personally thrilling. Re-watching episodes like “Stand Still Like A Hummingbird” and “The Theatre and Its Double” provides insights into the tribulations of reality, and makes my own seem a little better. A comfort of sorts, if you will, Euphoria is a cultural phenomenon, in my opinion, that has provided its audiences with a fresh rawness to television. The show has been ongoing for seven years now and is going into its rumored final season. After the season three trailer dropped, I felt immensely better about the contentious time jump five years into the future. Euphoria still seems to have the cinematic and performance appeals that make the show worth watching for many, like myself. The ending is bittersweet, yet holds endless controversy in which it feels appropriate to give a proper sendoff to Euphoria.