HBO announced that the third season of *Euphoria* will hit screens on April 12, but it has already arrived on Rotten Tomatoes with the series’ lowest approval rating. So far, 21 critics have given it just 48% positive votes, awarding the title the “rotten” seal on the site. This rating is well below the 78% of the second season and the 80% of the original debut, signaling a colder start for Sam Levinson’s new production phase.
The story will continue following Rue (Zendaya), who tries to stay sober while dealing with family and personal issues. A five‑year time jump brings Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) already married in the suburbs, while Rue is in Mexico to settle a debt with drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly). Other characters also move forward: Jules (Hunter Schafer) continues at art school, and Maddy (Alexa Demie) works at a talent agency in Hollywood.
The cast adds 18 new faces, including Trisha Paytas, Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Deadwyler and Eli Roth, as well as names like Bella Podaras, Bill Bodner and Kwame Patterson. Some expected appearances will not return, such as Austin Abrams, Algee Smith and Storm Reid, whose character Gia will not appear. The series, which has amassed 25 Emmy nominations and nine wins, has the first two seasons available on HBO Max, and the third promises to conclude the story.
Fans are waiting to see if critical reception improves as more reviews are published, but the initial outlook indicates a greater challenge to maintain the success that marked the previous seasons.
