The last time that Rue Bennet and company were on our TV screen was 2022 and since then, a whole lot has changed in that Euphoriaverse and in real life. Since the hype around the show has increased, I decided it would be best to refresh my memory on what the show and its production were all about.
What I came to learn very quickly was that there has been constant controversy since the show’s conception. Petra Collins, a photographer and director, has had a tumultuous public relationship with Sam Levinson (Euphoria’s creator) since she claimed that her artistic vision and established aesthetic were stolen from her. In an interview done by the Hungarian photography magazine known as Punkt, Collins claims that Levinso invited her out to LA, telling her that he created a television show inspired by her work. After she got to the city, she went to work with HBO to establish the world of the show and cast it; only then was she let go from the project after being told she was just too young. But they went on without her and continued on with her vision as the center force of the show. She describes the aftermath as a sort of “exorcism” which forced her to change her style and the way in which she viewed herself and her work.Â
I also found it really interesting that another creative who helped craft the tone of Euphoria left the project. Labrinths’ music was an essential part in shaping the world and aesthetic of the show. His impact can be seen in some of the show’s greatest and most cinematic scenes, like Rue’s hallucination where she imagines herself hugging her dead father as the song “all for us” plays in the background. From what I can tell after taking a look at his Instagram post on the subject, he seems to have had a falling out with the show producers, one which left him upset with the industry. Similar to Collins, he felt that he was taken advantage of and mistreated, which demonstrates a strange pattern. He wasn’t the only one to leave this season; Barbie Ferreria also left, leaving an empty hole in the cast where her character Kat once stood.Â
The show itself has also experienced an obvious transformation. It takes place after a five year time jump, one that has totally shifted the story from the way we left it four years ago. This change in setting has a similar effect as seen in other shows that have attempted to make the jump from high school drama, with a large interconnected cast, to one set in the adult world, where each individual has their own storyline. Resulting in an entirely different show. This causes frustration among audience members who have signed up for one thing and were given another. It’s also inevitable that some will be more invested in one storyline than others. If you’re interested in following Maddy navigating her way through the entertainment industry, then anything else that isn’t that will become bothersome and boring.Â
Of course there were a few good things as well. The choice to continue shooting on 35mm Kodak Ektachrome film was a really good one and gives the show itself a different feel. Also, some of the actors do a great job of embodying their characters. Zendaya especially really becomes Rue Bennet, she takes a different form and is totally detached from the real-life person we see on red carpets and press interviews. I will say, despite the good things, that for anyone looking to get back to the Euphoria of yesteryear, your best bet is to rewatch older seasons and accept season three as a new project entirely.Â