Euphoria Waited 4 Years to Come Back — And Critics Are Calling It 'Boring'

5 days ago by Riley Vox 3 min read

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After four years of hype, recasting rumors, and Sam Levinson drama, Euphoria Season 3 finally premieres tomorrow on HBO. The reviews are in. They're not pretty.

Look, I'm going to say something that might get me cancelled in certain corners of the internet: Euphoria Season 3 sitting at 57% on Rotten Tomatoes is not surprising. Not even a little.

Here's the thing. When a show disappears for four years — not because it was planned, not because of some creative vision, but because the production was a mess — you don't come back stronger. You come back different. And different isn't always better.

The Critics Aren't Holding Back

Variety called it "entertaining but disjointed fan fiction." The Hollywood Reporter says Zendaya "soars in an uneven HBO return." Time went with "older but not wiser." CinemaBlend straight up called it "a stark disappointment."

The consensus? The visuals are gorgeous — when has Euphoria ever missed there? Zendaya is still giving everything she has. And Sydney Sweeney continues to prove she's one of the most compelling performers of her generation. But the writing? The storytelling? Critics say it feels "adrift."

The Time Jump Problem

Season 3 jumps forward, and the characters are now in their twenties. And here's the uncomfortable truth: Euphoria worked because it was about being a teenager. The chaos. The intensity. The feeling that everything is the end of the world because when you're 17, it literally is.

Take away the high school setting, age everyone up, and what are you left with? A very pretty show about twenty-somethings doing drugs and having relationship problems. We already have a million of those. They're called every prestige drama on every streaming platform.

Was It Worth the Wait?

Four years. That's how long we waited. In that time, Zendaya won another Emmy, Sydney Sweeney became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and Sam Levinson made The Idol — which we all agreed to never speak of again.

The question isn't whether Euphoria Season 3 is bad. At 57%, it's "mixed." Some episodes apparently work, others apparently don't. The question is whether a show that defined a generation of TV can still matter when it no longer has anything urgent to say.

I'll be watching on Sunday. Of course I will. But the Euphoria that made us feel something in 2019? That show might be gone for good. And no amount of neon lighting and needle drops can bring it back.

The Verdict Before the Premiere

Euphoria Season 3 premieres April 12 on HBO and Max. Eight episodes, airing weekly. If you loved Seasons 1 and 2, you'll probably find enough here to keep you watching. But if you were hoping for the show to recapture what made it special? Maybe lower those expectations.

57% on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't mean it's terrible. It means it's divisive. And honestly? For a show that was always about excess, a divisive comeback feels oddly appropriate.