When Euphoria premiered in summer of 2019, it was an absolute hit. Possibly the mesmerizing party scenes, glittery make-up, or relationship explosions, but the show stood out because it is so relatable and raw for teenagers. Beneath the neon purple lights and psychedelic visuals, teenagers found a relatable story about addiction, identity, growing up, meeting expectations, and loneliness. But in season three, the show has lost its touch, that depth is gone.
Instead of targeting character development and plot twists, the direction of the show has shifted to oversexualizing scenes and characters. This show used to truly feel like a work of art with deep intentions, now it’s just exaggerated for attention.
One of my biggest issues with this season is how disconnected the characters feel from each other, and their original identities. In earlier seasons, it made sense to viewers why a character would make a poor choice because the intentional writing explored their emotions without directly stating them. Rue’s battle with addiction, Cassie’s desire for attention, and the layers of Nate’s anger. A lot of characters feel reduced to be given dramatic moments, without any build-up or emotional exploration. Nate not fighting back against the Armenians, allowing his wife to demand 50,000 dollars for flowers, does not portray the same Nate who aggressively abused Maddie in high school. Rue becoming religious also felt unbelievable in that way, a drug addict/distributer who claimed she was atheist several times, randomly decides to follow Christ.
The pacing of this season is so strange. There is so much context to be filled between season 2 and 3 that viewers end up watching boring background stuff for an entire hour and a half. There are many scenes that were obviously meant to shock their audience, but the shock feels less impactful when the substance and emotional aspect is lacking. It regularly feels like directors are very focused on style rather than meaning.
Another disappointing aspect is the tone. Earlier seasons were dramatic, but filled with quiet moments to raise tension to connect characters and viewers. The new season is so fast paced that those emotional moments are minimized. It’s clear that writers are attempting to make something controversial for all ages, and trying to set a darker tone.
Another major difference sticking out to me this season is the music. In seasons one and two, the soundtrack gave that emotional element to the show. Songs made scenes feel vulnerable, heartbreaking, or intimate, which adds depth to the understanding the audience has on characters. The music was carefully chosen, a lot of it coming from Labyrinth. In the new season, a lot of scenes rely on loud generic background noise songs, almost like elevator music. It made the show feel more dramatic than emotional. Instead of expanding on important moments with engaging songs, the soundtrack feels disconnected from the original storyline. The shift reflects a larger problem with the season, style without any emotional impact.
Visually, the show is still intriguing. The lighting, pleasing angles, and actor performances are top tier. There is still that occasional scene that reminds viewers what they used to love about the show, and why it became so popular.
Ultimately, the new season feels like writers are trying to shock their audience instead of trying to give them an emotional connection to characters. The show was meaningful and now it feels hollow. Instead of naturally progressing, the series lost its original purpose, telling honest hard stories about characters that must navigate difficult daily life.
