Fans have waited four years for the return of Euphoria to be seemingly left disappointed…
HBO’s hit series first arrived in 2019 and quickly built a devoted following. Zendaya leads the cast as Rue, and several of her co-stars have gone on to major success too — including Oscar-nominated Jacob Elordi, who plays Nate.
Seasons one and two of Euphoria were widely praised, but the third season has attracted far harsher reviews. It’s even been labelled “an expensive mistake”, with Mail Online reporting the new season cost $200 million to produce.
Rotten Tomatoes reflects the shift in audience reaction: season one sits at an 84 percent audience score, while season three has dropped to 51 percent.
Among the biggest critiques is the show’s sexual content. While Euphoria has always explored adult subject matter, some viewers feel season three has pushed things further — particularly with Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) launching an OnlyFans account in the storyline.
One scene in particular has sparked backlash: Cassie and Nate take part in “pup play”, with Cassie dressed as a dog — something critics have described as a “humiliation ritual”.
Elsewhere, some viewers have taken aim at Elordi’s acting, with a number of comments suggesting he looks disengaged and like he’s “physically forcing himself through every take”.
Somebody said on Twitter: “You can tell Jacob Elordi is just doing #euphoria season 3 for the money because his heart isn’t in it.”
“Jacob Elordi said f**k the acting this season or any other season of Euphoria,” said a second.
A third penned of season three: “Jacob Elordi’s acting this season feels off idk maybe just me.”
Others have echoed similar sentiments, saying the Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights actor appears to have “checked out”.
However, plenty of fans have defended him, arguing his performance remains one of the show’s strongest elements so far.
“Jacob Elordi’s role as Nate on Euphoria is one of the best tv performances, genuinely so triggering so scary so unnerving,” said someone of the latest season so far. “Sends a chill down my spine every time he’s on screen.”
A different Euphoria fan insisted: “His acting was good, the screenplay was cringe and trash. He did what he could with what was given to him.”
“I didn’t know people didn’t like Jacob Elordi’s acting in the first episode. Legit felt like he was out-acting Sydney in them scenes,” added another.
Seven more episodes are still to come for season three, with episode two set to air on HBO on Sunday (April 19).