Upon its premiere, Euphoria immediately joined the ranks of HBO shows that got the world talking. The controversial series (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription) shocked viewers in its portrayal of high school kids, and earned Zendaya an Emmy for her role. We just got the first look at the show's third season in the network's tease for their 2026 shows, and I'm already seriously worried about protagonist Rue.
What we know about Euphoria Season 3 is limited, but it's been a long time coming. Luckily we got some limited footage in the above trailer, teasing what's happened to the Euphoria cast since graduating high school. In it we see Rue meeting with what I assume is another drug dealer. And yes, he's armed.
In the scene, she's brought in to see this new character, who is lounging in a hot tub. Rue looks pretty scared, and right after we see him using a gun. I'm wondering if this means that we'll finally get answers about the abandoned Season 2 storyline, where Rue had taken a bag of drugs from a dealer named Laurie but failed to sell them before her mother threw them away. Laurie hinted that she might have to do sex work to make up the money, but we never got closure on that story.
I'm just guessing here, but it would make sense if this is where the story continues. It would be fascinating to see Rue try and navigate being a drug dealer, especially while trying to stay clean herself. We see a shot in the trailer of her running away from someone, so the stakes definitely feel high.
Aside from Rue, we also got a few quick moments with a bunch of other Euphoria characters. We see Sydney Sweeney's Cassie, seemingly in the midst of a shoot for her OnlyFans. We also see a shirtless Nate Jacobs, and Maddy doing her makeup. There's also a shot of Jules with straight hair, and I'm curious about where her story might be going when the show returns for its third season on the air.
Euphoria Season 3 might have ben delayed a number of times, but that hasn't quelled fan excitement about finally seeing the acclaimed series back on TV. The first two seasons were sensations, and brought some of the most thrilling sequences I've seen on the small screen in years. The pressure is on for the third season to meet those high expectations, and make the years of waiting worth it.
Euphoria is expected to return for Season 3 in April as part of the 2026 movie release list, nearly four years after Season 2 as released. We'll be missing a few beloved characters when it returns, thanks to Barbie Ferreira departing and the death of Angus Cloud. We'll just have to see how their characters' absence is addressed.
