HBO’s “Euphoria” returned for its long-awaited third season on April 12. Ahead of the premiere, critics were sour on the show, with many saying it had lost its way, with the exception of Zendaya‘s performance as its lead character. Now, days later, it’s being reported that viewership was through the proverbial roof, but not all fans think the show has maintained the same quality from its first two seasons.

In addition to Zendaya, “Euphoria” features a crop of popular actors, including Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Colman Domingo, and more. Notably, season three will feature one of the late Eric Dane‘s final performances.

HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Is More Popular Than Ever

There was considerable anticipation for “Euphoria” season three, which arrived after a roughly four-year hiatus. Sadly for the show, some of the excitement was dimmed when, ahead of the premiere, it debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a less-than-stellar score from critics who had seen the first three episodes early.

Now, according to Variety, HBO has reason to celebrate as the premiere delivered 8.5 million viewers across its first three days. This includes both HBO and its streaming platform, HBO Max. What’s even better for the company is that this represents a 44% growth over “Euphoria” season two, which premiered in January 2022.

On the same night of the “Euphoria” premiere, HBO also aired the finale for the comedy series “DTF: St. Louis.” It drew an impressive 3.5 million viewers across its first three days.

Fans Mostly Agree With Critics On ‘Euphoria’ Season Three

“Euphoria” debuted with impressive viewership, but it’s unclear how many fans will continue to tune in. This is based on much of the social media chatter around the show being negative since it returned.

Additionally, it has a “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 48% audience rating based on over 100 reviews. Regarding what critics are saying, the show currently has a meager 43%, which is a substantial decrease from its 57% debut on the platform.

One viewer said on Rotten Tomatoes, “Weird, weird, weird. Not in the quirky or ‘deeply real’ way either. Acting was flat, storyline isn’t looking promising, but that could… hopefully.. change.”

Another one said, “It’s awful. There’s no point to any of it. Who cares about Rue’s drug journey? It’s just boring now. The characters are the same, boring, flat, and unlikable in the most uninteresting ways. There’s nothing and no one to root for.”

People Are Pointing To Several Reasons For Ratings Spike

Following news of “Euphoria” experiencing a massive ratings increase, fans quickly began discussing the reasons, with some crediting “Euphoria” and others calling out fake outrage directed at Sweeney.

One person wrote on X, “Everybody wants to watch Zendaya. She brings the clout,the drama, the class.” Another person wrote, “If @hbomax decides to do another season of Euphoria, pay my girl @Zendaya at least $20 million cause she’s the main reason the viewers are showing up!”

Another fan said, “All the fake performative people pretending to still be mad at Sydney Sweeney’s gene jokes about her t-ts from a commercial tuned in when they said they were boycotting.”

Lastly, a different “Euphoria” fan stated, “I thought y’all on Twitter said you won’t tune in? This is why I can’t stand you, fake performative people on here.”

Sam Levinson Recently Discussed The Show’s Future

Sam Levinson, the creator of “Euphoria,” spoke to Variety in April 2026 while attending the show’s Los Angeles premiere. During the discussion, the interviewer mentioned that Zendaya had told “The Drew Barrymore Show” that season three may be its last.

Levinson stated that he writes “every season like it’s the last season” and that he currently has “no plans” for a season four of the series. According to him, “I want to finish this as strong as I can. I’m cutting [Episodes] 7 and 8 still. I’m putting some finishing touches. I just want to deliver a f-cking slam dunk season.”

Here’s What To Know About ‘Euphoria’ Season 3

Season three of “Euphoria” will include eight episodes, with the finale slated to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on May 31, according to PEOPLE. In addition to the release schedule, viewers should also know that some fan-favorite characters may not appear right away.

For instance, multiple reports indicate that Hunter Schafer‘s Jewels won’t be in the first several episodes despite being mentioned in the premiere. That’s not all. The show’s score may change moving forward, as composer Labrinth has exited the series.