The return of “Euphoria” was one of the most anticipated television events of the year. After a prolonged hiatus, the HBO drama that helped define a generation of prestige teen television was back — and the response from its own audience has been swift, loud, and largely negative.
The first two episodes of Season 3 have ignited a backlash that, by the standards of a show long accustomed to controversy, feels qualitatively different. Viewers are not simply debating whether the content goes too far. Many are questioning whether the show has any coherent direction left at all — and some are calling for it to be pulled entirely.
The criticism has been pointed and consistent across platforms.
“Euphoria should’ve just been cancelled and over with. It’s tiring seeing Sam Levinson turn the girls into worthless prostitutes for every single episode — just say you hate women and pack this sh—y doomed show up,” one viewer wrote on X.
Another framed the problem as one of squandered potential rather than intentional provocation.
“I honestly think they just didn’t know what to do with Euphoria and that’s why the plot was lost so bad. It had so much potential and so many different storylines to dive into to keep the story true to different teenage struggles. Now it’s just fetish SLOP.”
The recurring target in both weeks of viewer response has been Sydney Sweeney’s storyline — and the treatment of her character Cassie Howard by the show’s creator, Sam Levinson.
“The way the director sexualizes all these girls for this show is very disturbing to me,” one viewer wrote, “and that will never be one of the main reasons I watch Euphoria.”
The Storyline at the Center of the Controversy
In Season 3, Cassie Howard is portrayed as attempting to launch an OnlyFans account to fund the extravagant wedding she is planning with fiancé Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi. The storyline has drawn criticism since the first episode — but a specific scene in the second episode accelerated the backlash considerably.
In it, Sweeney’s character poses as an “adult baby” for her OnlyFans content.
“I’ve no words for Sydney — this scene is actually terrible,” one viewer wrote in response.
The criticism extended beyond the individual scene to what many fans characterized as a pattern of degradation applied specifically to Sweeney’s character.
“Sydney Sweeney in Season 3 is literally just humiliating her. I don’t get how they don’t see that it’s not about this — her role is reduced to basically humiliating her. She’s not gonna win any awards like that,” one user wrote on X.
“I thought it was AI but it’s real, my God, what did they do to Sydney Sweeney in the third season of Euphoria?” another added.
Defenders Push Back
Not everyone in the show’s audience has joined the criticism. A contingent of viewers has pushed back against what they characterize as manufactured outrage about a show whose provocative nature has always been central to its identity.
“Girl, it’s called acting. Sydney’s playing a messy character on a show that’s always been wild and unhinged. If it was too much for her she wouldn’t have signed on. People acting shocked like they haven’t seen ‘Euphoria’ before,” one commenter wrote.
The argument — that the show’s current content is consistent with its established tone — has found some traction, though it has done little to quiet the louder voices calling for change or cancellation.
One viewer offered what may be the most cynical and self-aware take on the entire controversy.
“The sad thing about Euphoria is that we’re all gonna keep watching it no matter how many f—-d up fantasies Sam Levinson injects into the show. As long as the ratings are good, HBO doesn’t give a f–k,” the viewer wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to HBO for comment and did not receive a response.
What “Euphoria” Has Been and What It Helped Build
Whatever viewers think of Season 3, the show’s cultural and career impact since its 2019 premiere is undeniable.
“Euphoria” launched or significantly elevated the careers of multiple cast members. Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi both emerged from the show as major Hollywood figures. Zendaya’s performance as Rue Bennett became one of the defining portrayals of her generation. Colman Domingo — also a cast member — has since received two Best Actor Oscar nominations.
The show also gave meaningful industry visibility to Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, and Barbie Ferreira. Angus Cloud, another breakout performer from the series, died in 2023.
The show’s dark exploration of suburban teen life — addiction, trauma, identity, and sexuality — made it a cultural touchstone for younger viewers and a critical darling in its early seasons. Whether Season 3 can recover from the current backlash and reconnect with that original sense of purpose remains an open question that its audience is now asking very publicly
“Euphoria” built its reputation on being uncomfortable, provocative, and unwilling to look away from difficult realities. For a significant portion of its own audience, the first two episodes of Season 3 have crossed a line — not from discomfort into revelation, but from provocation into what they are calling purposeless degradation. Whether Sam Levinson and HBO view the backlash as a sign that course correction is needed, or simply as the predictable noise that accompanies any daring creative choice, will become clear in the episodes to come. The audience, for now, is watching — and arguing loudly about whether they should be.
