Critics Slam 'Euphoria' Season 3 as 'Boring' After 4-Year Hiatus

The HBO teen drama starring Zendaya returns with a grown-up look, but critics say the show has lost its edge.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 9:07pm

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An extreme close-up of shattered glass reflecting dramatic studio lighting, conceptually representing the fractured, over-the-top nature of the 'Euphoria' TV series.The glitzy, high-fashion aesthetic of 'Euphoria' has lost its luster, according to critics who say the show's grown-up look lacks the edge that made it a breakout hit.NYC Today

The controversial HBO drama 'Euphoria' starring Zendaya will return for its much-anticipated third season on April 12, but critics are panning the new episodes as 'boring' and lacking the show's previous 'heart-pounding drama' and 'zeitgeisty edge.' While Zendaya and co-star Sydney Sweeney are praised for their performances, the show's plot is criticized as 'maddeningly inert' and the depiction of Cassie's sex work storyline is called an 'over-sexualized humiliation gauntlet' that uses 'lazy shocks' instead of meaningful commentary.

Why it matters

As one of HBO's most popular and talked-about shows, the return of 'Euphoria' for its third season was highly anticipated by fans. However, the scathing reviews from critics suggest the show may have lost some of the edge and cultural relevance that made it a breakout hit, raising questions about whether the series can maintain its momentum and continue to captivate audiences.

The details

Set five years after the events of Season 2, the new season of 'Euphoria' depicts the show's eccentric characters as twentysomethings navigating adult life. Zendaya's character Rue works as an indentured servant for a drug dealer, while Cassie (Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) are engaged. Critics say the show's heightened ideas and melodramatic portrayals of sexuality and drug use no longer have the same impact when applied to 20-somethings rather than teenagers.

  • The third season of 'Euphoria' will premiere on HBO on April 12, 2026.
  • The show reportedly faced production delays, including the 2023 Hollywood actors and screenwriters strikes.

The players

Zendaya

The show's lead actress, who plays the character of Rue. Critics praised Zendaya's performance, calling her a 'marvel' despite finding the Rue character lacking in depth.

Sydney Sweeney

An actress who plays the character of Cassie, whose new storyline involving sex work was criticized by reviewers as an 'over-sexualized humiliation gauntlet.'

Sam Levinson

The creator and showrunner of 'Euphoria,' whose writing for the new season was panned by critics as 'maddeningly inert' and lacking in compelling ideas.

Cassie

A character on 'Euphoria' who works as an adult content creator in Season 3, a storyline that was criticized for using 'lazy shocks' instead of meaningful commentary on sex work.

Nate

A character on 'Euphoria' who is engaged to Cassie in the new season.

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What they’re saying

“Attention-demanding things that played as extreme and terrifying when they were happening to teenagers simply become 'things' when the protagonists are in their 20s. Heightened ideas that played as gloriously melodramatic and precariously edgy expressed through high-schoolers barely count as 'ideas' when run through a 20-something prism.”

— Daniel Fienberg, Critic

“While Rue's position is fixed, season after season, her struggle to break free makes her compelling. Most characters aren't changing, nor are their motivations to change clear to them or novel to us. The result is a start to the supposedly final season that grows old instead of up, while evoking a once-unthinkable question: How could 'Euphoria' become boring?”

— Ben Travers, Critic

“'Euphoria' has become a series with very little to say, none of it very audacious or compelling. It is a strained attempt to make the closed circle of friends it follows, now in their early 20s, somehow the same only different.”

— Caryn James, Critic

“'Euphoria' doesn't interrogate these biases or examine the intricacies of sex work further. Instead, it's happy to keep the shame coming, using Cassie's aspirations as a springboard from which it can launch suggestive images designed to stir up the most controversy.”

— Belen Edwards, Critic

“If there's a loftier point to be made beyond the camera ogling [Cassie], it's nowhere to be seen.”

— Lauren Sarner, TV Reporter

What’s next

The third season of 'Euphoria' will premiere on HBO on April 12, 2026, marking the return of the acclaimed drama after a four-year hiatus. With mixed reviews from critics, the show's ability to maintain its cultural relevance and captivate audiences remains to be seen.

The takeaway

The scathing reviews of 'Euphoria' Season 3 suggest the show has lost some of the edge and audacity that made it a breakout hit, with critics arguing the transition to depicting the characters as twentysomethings has robbed the series of its previous 'heart-pounding drama' and 'zeitgeisty' appeal. While the performances of Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney continue to be praised, the show's writing and storytelling are criticized as 'boring' and lacking in meaningful commentary, raising questions about whether 'Euphoria' can recapture the magic that made it a cultural phenomenon.