'Euphoria' Season 3: From Rue's addiction to Cassie's breakdown— 5 clues that could shape show's future
Season 3 of 'Euphoria' premiered on HBO and HBO Max last weekend. Featuring a five-year time jump since the sophomore season of the show, 'Euphoria' Season 3's premiere featured quite a lot of material to unpack. From Rue's newfound life as a drug courier to the steadily disintegrating relationship between Cassie and Nate, here we take a look at the five most important hints gathered from the premiere episode that hold significance for the show's future.
1) Maddy's return to Cassie's fold
By the time Season 3 catches up with her, Alexa Demie's Maddy Perez is working at a popular agency where she manages talent. Although the pay is good, Maddy feels undervalued and has high ambitions. One must keep in mind that Maddy and Cassie previously had a violent fallout after the former came to know about Cassie's relationship with Nate, who happens to be Maddy's abusive ex. Despite past enmity, Maddy surprisingly turns around this season and volunteers to help manage Cassie's OnlyFans profile. Frankly, it is quite difficult to digest the fact that someone so vicious and deliberate as Maddy would forget about the past insult from Cassie, and might be poised to plot her revenge in the upcoming episodes.
2) The ultimate fate of Rue
Zendaya's Rue is much more of a train wreck than when we last saw her in Season 2 of 'Euphoria.' She has taken up a new job as a drug courier and is heavily steeped in the drug addict lifestyle. Her past debt to Laurie brought her into the illicit world of drug trade, and in between driving an Uber in Los Angeles, all she does is transport drugs from the Mexico border to the States. It almost seems destined that she will sooner or later turn out dead, either from a lethal overdose or from the lifestyle of a drug courier.
3) Cassie is set up for another breakdown
Although Nate and Cassie's relationship might come across as blissful on the surface, the Season 3 premiere wastes no time in revealing that, beyond the veneer of domestic stability, the ugly truth stares both of them in the face. The two of them are woefully incompatible. One must remember that Cassie had a breakdown in the sophomore season because Nate didn't notice her. She might be poised for another similar breakdown, this time owing to Nate's indifference towards her needs and desires. The fact that she's posting explicit content for money might also come to play a determining part in the disintegration of their relationship.
4) Season 3 might be the end of the road
Both Zendaya and creator Sam Levinson have hinted at different times that Season 3 might be the show's final installment. This is supported by the fact that several major characters have run out of appropriate storylines. While Angus Cloud's Fezco rots in prison, Rue's sister Gia is doing well off-screen, and Eric Dane's Cal Jacobs won't be seen again following the actor's death. Thereafter, it seems likely the show has run out of material.
5) The tonal shift
Lastly, 'Euphoria' began as a show dedicated to depicting the impact of drugs on the lives of teenage and adolescent characters. While previous seasons had been criticized for graphic content or overexposure, Season 3 feels like a completely different show. The shift from high school backdrop to the world of pimps and drug dealers feels too jarring, and Rue is involved in all of this up to her neck.
