Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of Euphoria Season 3 "The Ballad of Paladin".
Despite its long breaks between seasons, Sam Levinson's Euphoria is still a HBO show that gets the world talking. The third season is finally airing on TV (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription), and picks up years after the group graduated High School. Episode 3 was all about Cassie and Nate's wedding, but I was truly moved and impressed with how the episode utilized late actor Eric Dane after his ALS diagnosis. Let's break it all down.
Season 3 of Euphoria is here, and has already included tributes to actors who have passed such as Angus Cloud. Fans are still collectively mourning Dane, who passed away in February, just month after he was diagnosed with ALS. And I think that Sam Levinson deserves his flowers for how the show worked around the actor's declining health.
Euphoria Found A Way To Incorporate Eric Dane's Slurred Speech.
ALS is a devastating disease, and one of the most common symptoms is slurred speech. While this has the potential to make Eric Dane's return as Cal in Euphoria a challenge, Levinson found a creative way to make it work. Nate's father was shown to be heavily drinking throughout the season, as a result of losing his business and status post-arrest. And with that one small detail, the late actor's altered way of speaking was able to not only make narrative sense, but actually move his character's story along.
While Eric Dane appeared briefly in Episode 2 of this season, he really got to shine in Episode 3, "The Ballad of Paladin." His scene opposite Hunter Schafer's Jules was really beautiful, and closed the loop for these two characters. Dane got to bring his signature charisma and talent to the screen, and his slurred speech worked for the character. I found this to be a beautiful example of life and art colliding, with Euphoria Season 3 being one of the late actor's final acting credits.
In the BTS clip that plays at the end of Euphoria's most recent episode, Eric Dane himself spoke about how special it was to return for the show's third season on the air. That includes some hilarious moments of improv that didn't end up making it into the final cut of Episode 3. The season premiere was dedicated to both him and Angus Cloud, who sadly passed away before Season 3 began airing.
I'm someone who has adored Eric Dane since his tenure playing McSteamy on Grey's Anatomy, a show I still re-watch regularly. He hold a special place in many fans hearts, including his work on Euphoria. So seeing him return and given dignity and a chance to show his talents in Season 3 had me feeling surprisingly emotional.
Only time will tell how many more episodes Cal appears in this season, but with Nate's work situation getting even more dangerous, it would make sense if he went to his father for advice.
New episodes of Euphoria air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And I have to assume that fans will continue being emotional about seeing Eric Dane on the screen.
