HBO Renews Euphoria for Season 3

To the surprise of no one, HBO has renewed its acclaimed drama series Euphoria for Season 3, according to a press release provided to The Root.

Created, written, directed and executive produced by Sam Levinson, and starring The Root favorite Zendaya, the series follows 17-year-old Rue and her friends as they continue to deal with complicated relationships, never-ending family issues and a crazy amount of drugs. Seriously, how are there any drugs left for these kids to do?

The cast includes Hunter Schafer, Nika King, Eric Dane, Angus Cloud, Jacob Elordi, Algee Smith, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Barbie Ferreira, Maude Apatow, Javon Walton, Dominic Fike, Storm Reid and Austin Abrams.

Apparently, absence does make the heart grow fonder. After a two-and-a-half-year wait, Euphoria Season 2 had a record-breaking premiere, becoming the most-watched episode of an HBO series on streaming service HBO Max.

Think about how huge that is. That list includes legendary shows like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Succession. Euphoria’s second season has seen the show more than double its viewers, going from 6.6 million in Season 1 to 14 million in Season 2.

As previously reported by The Root, the show made the news recently when it was criticized by D.A.R.E., the Drug Abuse Resistance program, with the group accusing Euphoria of glorifying teen drug use.

We’re wondering if this early renewal is about the show’s success or is it to give Levinson plenty of time to craft a satisfying ending? We’re just speculating, but TV history proves teen shows don’t work when they leave high school.

“Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of Euphoria have taken Season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more honored to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into Season 3.“

Zendaya has truly hit her stride, with a career trajectory that includes Malcolm & Marie, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and Dune, then ended 2021 with a little indie movie called Spider-Man: No Way Home.

This just proves her standing on our “will watch in anything” list.

Euphoria airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO, then streams on HBO Max.