Euphoria Season 3 First Look Teases Aged-Up Rue, but Is She Wiser?

The world has changed considerably since Euphoria last aired in 2022, and I’m inclined to believe a lot will have changed for the teens of East Highland High School when Season 3 finally debuts in 2026.

Over the last three years, much has been discussed about whether the series would ever return, so I’m shocked we’re finally getting somewhere.

The longer viewers waited, the less likely the cast would unite again to continue the stories that ended pretty neatly with Euphoria Season 2.

Thankfully, for the fans still awaiting new episodes, HBO confirmed on Monday that Euphoria Season 3 has entered production.

Even better, the premium cabler shared a first-look photo that shows Rue (Zendaya) staring at the camera.

I’ve been wrestling with whether the series could continue with the cast relatively intact, but Rue is probably the one I’m most invested in.

Will Rue Be Front and Center of Euphoria Season 3?

Her journey throughout the first two seasons was devastating, powerful, and poignant. Those three terms rarely go together, but Euphoria isn’t like any other show.

All signs point to the series picking up with many of the cast following high school, which could be a good way to see how they’ve all changed in the years they’ve been M.I.A.

Rue was sober in Euphoria Season 2 Episode 8, but there was no indication whether that would be sustainable going forward

There were so many dastardly situations Rue got caught up in while under the influence of alcohol and drugs that it’s a miracle she lived to tell the tale.

One of the lingering plot threads from the sophomore season is what happened to Laurie, aka the woman who tasked Rue with selling $10,000 worth of drugs.

As we learned, Rue’s mom, Leslie, flushed the drugs down the toilet midway through the season, leaving an opening for Laurie to return.

When that didn’t happen at the end of the season, it makes sense to think she’ll be back in some capacity.

Then again, perhaps the plot will be resolved with a throwaway line about Laurie being in jail or something else happening to her.

Rue’s relationship with Jules was also effectively over at the end of the season, and given their traumatic encounters, it makes me wonder whether they’ll be far apart when we pick up years later.

Many Cast Members Will Not Return

How can they realistically be together unless they’ve both turned their lives around and confronted that trauma?

As previously reported, Barbie Ferreira will not be back as Kat.

There were many reports that Barbie clashed with Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson over the direction of Kat’s arc, meaning her departure wasn’t too surprising.

However, losing such a pivotal character is a big problem. Kat brought comic relief to some of Euphoria’s darkest moments but was significantly sidelined during Season 2.

It didn’t track her status on Euphoria Season 1, so it’s a shame she won’t return during Season 3.

How the show will address Angus Cloud’s death remains to be seen. The end of Euphoria Season 2 strongly implied that Fezco would be forced to spend a lengthy stint behind bars, possibly explaining where the character is.

With so many cast members expected to leave the show, compelling ways must be found to write some of them out.

The only other confirmed cast members for Euphoria Season 3 are Maude Apatow, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer, and Sydney Sweeney.

A series like Euphoria has so much potential, but skipping the high school years after two seasons may be too challenging to pull off.

Many teen dramas pull such a trick when the storylines are faltering by their fourth or fifth seasons, but Euphoria Season 2 was a solid series from start to finish, even if it did have some niggles during production.

With HBO staying tight-lipped about storylines for Rue and everyone in her orbit, all we can do is eagerly anticipate what comes next.

The creatives must go to great lengths to appease fans and lure them back after so many years away.

The target audience for Euphoria is fickle and has probably moved on to countless shows in the years since it was last on the air.

What are your thoughts on the first look at Euphoria Season 3? Do you think the show will be better after being off the air, or is the buzz gone?

Hit the comments below.

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