The Euphoria Season 3 Trailer Raises One Big Question

Euphoria is more than a TV show: it’s an aesthetic. Ever since it dominated pop culture in 2019 with its daring visuals and themes, Euphoria has been synonymous with bold colors, surreal makeup looks, and the dreamlike score by musical genius Labrinth. Despite backlash that the show decorates drug addiction and violence with rhinestones, the Euphoria aesthetic captured the minds of teenagers everywhere—me included.

However, as the series has progressed, it has become clear that style is creator Sam Levinson’s top priority; his writing acts only in service of what could produce cool visuals. With Season 3 on the horizon, will Euphoria survive on looks alone, or have audiences had enough of style over substance? Roll the tapes.

Spoilers for Euphoria incoming.

A Daring Vision

The Season 1 pilot debuted on June 16, 2019, and ran throughout the summer on HBO. Audiences were presented with a bold and controversial amalgamation of teen struggles, with each episode opening with the backstory of a character. This focus on character provided structure for the first season, and its striking visuals and experimental costume and makeup design separated it from other shows. Think Skins (UK, 2007–2013), but colorful and American. Upon its release, heated debates exploded online about whether Euphoria glorified drugs and underage sex, embellishing serious scenes with cool purple lighting and face gems. However, the season contained some hard-hitting depictions of violence and illness that were certainly not painted as desirable. Euphoria took pop culture by storm, and soon makeup tutorials and scene recreations flooded the internet, with many proclaiming the show as their favorite piece of media.

But then, after a long wait, the highly anticipated second season aired at the beginning of 2022.

Sam Levinson’s Euphoric Echo Chamber

And, well, what we received were artsy shots of attractive actors doing… things. We were introduced to the Nate, Cassie, Maddy love (?) triangle, Jules cheating on Rue with Dominic Fike, and Rue scamming a female drug lord out of a suitcase full of pills under the guise of selling them. Spoiler: she took them instead. Because this is a show about drugs!

The visuals were stunning, sure, but I’m convinced Euphoria Season 2 could have been an Instagram carousel of developed film pictures and it would have provided the same amount of substance. Oh, and we must not forget Lexi’s play that she wrote about the main characters, exposing the darkest parts of their lives to the entire school, which offered opportunities for gorgeous, theatrical imagery with a side of absolute character assassination.

While Euphoria had never exactly been realistic, Sam Levinson clearly misunderstood what made Season 1 connect to so many people (the character-driven narrative) and built plotlines around what might look cool on camera. It does not help that Euphoria notoriously does not have a writer’s room, with Sam Levinson writing most of the show alone. Alas, it was renewed for a third season.

It’s important to note that during the wait between Seasons 2 and 3, Levinson blessed us with The Idol! First airing on June 10, 2023, starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd (don’t get me started), Levinson presented audiences with Euphoria Season 2 if it were set in Hollywood, had worse music, and made even less sense narratively.

Season 3 Trailer Breakdown

And now, the trailer for Euphoria Season 3 has finally dropped, set to premiere April 12, 2026. The look of the show has evolved from its neon psychedelic fantasy to muted colors and golden hues, hinting at a sense of newfound maturity, with Rue’s iconic voiceover kindly informing us that the season takes place “a few years after high school.” The drug-filled suitcase plotline that was tied up in a two-minute epilogue last season appears to have been unraveled, with Martha Kelly’s drug lord Laurie making a return and threatening Rue in the trailer’s opening moments. Based on Sam Levinson’s writing history, I’m sure this will have a satisfying payoff!

We peek at Cassie’s new career as a “content” creator, and we are fed some shots of what appears to be Nate and Cassie’s wedding. Nate’s abusive nature and suppressed sexuality may be explored in this new domestic dynamic, but that remains to be seen. Maddy and Jules can also be seen serving looks, but not much else to the narrative at first glance.

Strong reactions to the trailer have flared across social media, with some fans praising the direction that characters have been taken in, and others mocking the overt voyeuristic gaze.

Style Over Substance

Guns, parties, drugs, and sex: the trailer accosts us with Levinson’s “storytelling” toolbox working overtime. The distinct Euphoria style is certainly there… but what is the plot again? Did Euphoria need a third season for any reason except to add more aesthetic shots to Levinson’s portfolio?

This show is an enigma; it has somehow managed to last three seasons without anyone caring about the fates of the characters. The very definition of “based on vibes.” Moreover, even the characters themselves don’t seem to care about each other; the constellation that links their stories together is becoming weaker as the show continues, and they are not likable enough to care about on their own.

Is This Play About Us?

Perhaps there’s an observation to be made here about our appearance-obsessed society enabling media to thrive on style over substance, but I believe this would be an outdated view. Sure, this may have been the case in 2019 (and it helped that Season 1 did have a stronger plot), but in 2026, with the world in flames, Levinson’s aesthetic fever dream feels expired. Especially in competition with today’s saturated media landscape, I do not believe that Euphoria will stick the landing this time around. Audiences deserve more than an egotistical Pinterest board.

The trailer reflects an evolution of the show from a high-school drama to a mobster thriller, so maybe this reinvention will save it. But I doubt it.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Euphoria are available to watch on HBO Max (US) and Sky Atlantic/Now (UK). Season 3 is coming on 12th April 2026.

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