Euphoria

HBO

While the initial episode or two of Euphoria season 3 were such a jarring shift in tone from the original, it seemed like nothing could be salvaged here, now, by episode 5, it’s easier to get used to the show this has turned into. It is not Euphoria seasons 1 and 2, despite sharing actors. Half these characters have undergone personality transplants, and the entire genre has flipped. But the new, not-Euphoria show that’s arrived is innately entertaining and watchable. At least hate-watchable. And people are still watching.

HBO's viewership for season 3 of Euphoria spiked dramatically for its premiere, a 44% jump despite it being almost 4 years since the last season, when many shows can see returning viewers cut in half. People wanted to see what on earth would happen here.

It’s the ultimate embodiment of Knives Out’s “It makes no damn sense. Compels me, though.” Every week, viewers flock to social media to express shock at the episode or be offended, and then they… tune in next week to do it again.

Rue is no longer an emotionally compelling character as she was in the last two seasons of the show, but she is doing a great job as a pawn in a war between criminal factions, even if, again, this has turned into what is effectively a western.

This week I think we got to see a good version of Maddy being unleashed. She’s not exactly successful yet, but she was singlehandedly responsible for blowing up Cassie, and now she’s adding other girls to her “stable.” She could pretty much co-lead future seasons of the show.

Sydney Sweeney is on a generational run this season. An absolutely 150% committed performance to the absurdity of season 3 Cassie, allowing herself to be turned into a boundary-pushing parody of Sweeney’s real-life sexualization, which has become innately tied to her “brand.” It’s hard not to think of the whole thing as meta commentary, but she has thrown herself into this more than I’ve seen her in any other role. Even though she’s busy with many other projects, she might want to consider sticking around.

I do sort of hate what they’ve done to Nate, one of the personality erasures in question, but what screen time Jacob Elordi has had in these later episodes, he’s done a good job, and I think if they “fix” him a bit, he could get where he needs to be. I do think that both the show and the actress have no idea what to do with Jules at this point. Hunter Schaefer is the only one acting like she’s in the old Euphoria, but that no longer fits with what the show has become.

Euphoria is insane now. But maybe the new show it’s become deserves to keep coming back for more.

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