Euphoria season 3 gets early Rotten Tomatoes score revealed after flurry of first reviews and reactions

The first two seasons of teenage drama Euphoria, which aired between 2019 and 2022, received numerous accolades including Emmy Awards for Zendaya and co-star Colman Domingo.

After a lengthy gap, the highly-anticipated third season launches on 13 April on Sky Atlantic, but reviewers who have seen the first three episodes are more mixed in their reactions this time around.

The new season, which is set four years on from season two, picks up the story of drug addict Rue (Zendaya), her best friend Lexi (Maude Apatow), and fellow former high school students Jules (Hunter Schafer), Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi).

Nate and Cassie, who makes sexy influencer videos for a living, are getting married. Meanwhile, Jules is an art student and Rue is working off her debt to drug dealer Laurie in Mexico, before moving on to Texas to work as a club manager.

Though, with this season being a major departure from the previous two, with the adolescent characters all grown up, critics aren’t all that convinced.

The new season, written by showrunner Sam Levinson, currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 48% from 21 reviews (at the time of writing), which is the lowest rating in the show’s history. (Season one is currently scoring 80%, while season two’s score is 78%).

Both the show’s plot and the characters themselves have been criticised in reviews. Lauren Sarner of New York Post was particularly disparaging, calling the season a "unhinged disaster" filled with characters in situations that are like "Breaking Bad meets Looney Tunes".

Sarner was certainly not alone in her 'rotten' review, with the general consensus seeming to be that the beloved HBO show may have outstayed its welcome.

The season isn't without it's supporters, however, with Nick Hilton of The Independent being a little more positive. Giving the season four out of five stars, Hilton calls it a "generation-defining" show that paints a "clear-eyed, unflattering portrait of modern America".

Delayed by tragic deaths, extensive script re-writes and the conflicting schedules of its in-demand lead cast, the third and supposedly final instalment of Euphoria has been a long time coming since season 2 concluded in 2022.

Euphoria season 3 premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday 13 April at 9pm.

Euphoria seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW with an Entertainment Membership.

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