Season two of Euphoria wrapped up a few weeks ago and ended an impressive second-year run that saw the series see such ratings heights that it is now the most-watched HBO series behind only Game of Thrones. The finale left us with some burning questions about where some of these characters will end up and if some of them will even be returning given what appears to be a violent end for a fan favorite. What can we expect from Euphoria season 3? Let’s take a look!
It’s Going To Be A Long Wait
Let’s get this one out of the way. It’s going to be a long wait before Euphoria returns for its third season. 2024 is when it’s most likely to return and that is due in large part to the busy film schedule of its star, Zendaya. The actress has an expanded role in the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, which films this year, and she also has to shoot Challengers, from director Luca Guadagnino, and she’s rumored to be joining Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. This would keep her busy through 2022 and some of 2023 which makes the return date of 2024 for Euphoria make a lot of sense. Fans had to wait a long time for season two to arrive, with the second chapter arriving two-and-a-half years after season one because of pandemic-related delays. Needless to say, we’re used to waiting but it won’t make the wait any easier.
Who Is Expected To Return?
One easy thing to expect from season 3 of Euphoria is the cast returning? Zendaya’s Rue is certainly returning as well as Jules (Hunter Schafer), Gia Bennett (Storm Reid), Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira), Angus Cloud (Fezco), Lexi (Maude Apatow), Maddy (Alexa Demie), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), and Nate (Jacob Elordi). It’s unclear if we see a return of Cal Jacobs (Eric Dane) as he was turned into the police by his son at the end of season two and then there is Ashtray (Javon Walton), who is also in question as he was killed in a police shootout in the season two finale. Maybe he returns in flashbacks or dream sequences but it’s looking pretty bleak.
Can We Expect More “Fexi”?
One of the more surprising relationships that developed during season two of Euphoria, and gave the show some of its only moments of genuine happiness, was the union of Lexi (Apatow) and Fezco (Cloud). The blossoming friendship (and maybe romance) between the two characters became a big fan favorite this season and it’s something that can and should be explored in season three. Maude Apatow told Entertainment Weekly she wants to see the “innocent and sweet” relationship explored further and she went on to say, “I think Angus is such a great actor, and we just have so much fun working together. So for selfish reasons, I hope we get to do more scene together because it’s fun.”
Resolution of The Big Love Triangle
It’s unclear where Season 3 will pick up from but if it’s immediately after the end of season 2, or sometime afterward, the most pressing issue that needs to be solved is the love triangle that has been playing out between Jacob Elordi’s Nate, Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie, and Alexa Demie’s Maddy. The triangle wasn’t totally expected, especially since we thought season two would explore more with Jules and Nate (there is a lot of rumor and speculation as to why this didn’t happen) but it did lead to some well-acted drama from the trio and it allowed Sydney Sweeney, in particular, to shine as Cassie. In the season’s best episode, Rue angrily revealed that Nate and Cassie had been seeing each other behind Maddy’s back. Nate eventually ended his on-again/off-again relationship with Maddy after a tension-filled late-night visit and he ultimately invited Cassie to live with him for a while, suggesting that they would now be an official item. Then Lexi’s play happened and that overpriced high school spectacle aired everyone’s dirty laundry for everyone to see and that resulted in Nate storming out and ending this with Cassie. This feels like a storyline that could continue to run into season three. Even after Maddy got physical with Cassie in front of the audience of the play, the pair didn’t end season two on totally angry terms but I suspect we’ll see more from this triangle next season.
Is Nate A Villain or A Tragic Figure?
The most compelling character across Euphoria’s first two seasons has been Jacob Elordi’s Nate, who manages to make the audience feel sorry for me despite his treacherous deeds. Nate is presented as not being all bad because of the wounds that have been left on him psychologically by his father Cal (Eric Dane). Nate has spent two seasons trying to deal with his father’s double life. At age 11, he discovered his father’s collection of homemade videos featuring him having sex with young gay men. Subsequently, he learned that his most recent video was with Jules (Schafer), who he knows to be underage. Nate is no hero for the greater good. In fact, during season one, he blackmailed Jules himself because there were things he didn’t want to get out to the public. He is his father’s son and that’s what ultimately makes him pretty tragic. After a lot of back and forth this season, Cal came out to his family and left them to start a new life. This was not enough for Nate. He’s angry that his father’s behavior has had such a huge impact on himself and his mother. Knowing that Maddy had a copy of his father’s tape with Jules, he tracked it down and took it back, eventually returning it to Jules. By the end of season two, he’s confronting his father with a gun and flash drive containing all of Cal’s explicit activity. He also emotionally reveals all the trauma from viewing the videos at a young age has had on him before he turns Cal into the police. Is this the end of the matter? I don’t think so. Sending Cal away doesn’t fully heal Nate. I also don’t think this is the last of us seeing how this affects Nate’s family as a whole. Nate is still quite troubled and his journey from this moment will be one to watch in season three. My hope is that the Jules/Nate narrative is explored more in season three but rumors have suggested this thread was mostly dropped in season two because of tensions between the two actors. Hopefully greater heads prevail here and we get to see more of where this was headed.
Rue and Jules
Rue and Jules spent much of season two together but when Jules discovered Rue had relapsed, she told her family, which made Rue cut their ties during a very bitter intervention. Even as Rue recovered, they remained on icy terms but, during the finale, Jules sat next to Rue in the audience of Lexi’s play and told her that she loves and misses her. It was a very quiet and poignant moment, with Rue kissing her on the forehead before walking away. This leaves us with some hope for their future. Can they fully reconcile? Then there is the matter of Elliot, Rue’s former drug partner and Jules’ sometimes lover. I’m sure he might play a part in where their future is headed in season three. This relationship has been some of the heart of the show since the series began so fans aren’t in the wrong to expect happy-by-Euphoria-standards ending for Rue and Jules, perhaps in season 3.
Fezco and the Shootout
Season two came down to a bullet-ridden stand-off that ended with Cloud’s Fezco being shot in the stomach and arrested for two murders. His longtime business partner Ashtray (Walton) was shot dead in the standoff, which leaves Fezco truly alone. Or does it? As mentioned above, Apatow and especially the fans want more Lexi and Fezco so perhaps he can get some season three redemption through that relationship. There is some potential for the character to come out of this a better man in season three.
Will Season Three Be The Final Season?
High school shows like Euphoria tend to have a short shelflife and, even though the series had grown in popularity, the powers that be know that it can’t go on forever. Season three of Euphoria wasn’t unveiled as its last when it was renewed but, while speaking about the possibility of ending the series with TVLine, Casey Bloys, HBO’s Chief Content Officer, admitted that the show had a definite shelf-life and want on to say, “Well, [the characters] are in high school, so there are only so many seasons it can go. There’s a time limit.” Bloys also said he’s more than happy for creator Sam Levinson to figure out a natural end for the show. Bloys added, “We’ll follow [Sam’s] lead on that. There is no set plan. But I don’t think you want 30-year olds playing [high school students].” That’s all to say that despite the show being a ratings juggernaut right now, HBO seems to accept that the series can’t run for seven or eight seasons, but we have not officially learned if season three will be its last.
What are YOUR thoughts on what to expect for the Euphoria season 3?