A Much-Needed ‘Euphoria’ Recap From Someone Who Just Watched It For The First Time

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that Euphoria is back for a third season on April 12. Fans have been clamoring for its return since Season 2 hit the airwaves in 2022, but not I. I had no interest in watching the show at the time, but had I known that in a few years the entire cast would become genuine A-list movie stars, I probably would’ve tapped in (I firmly believe in buying stock when it's low). With the imminent release of Season 3, I figured there was no better time to finally check out the show that earned Zendaya two Emmys, and turned Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and Colman Domingo into bonafide, above-the-title names.

A lot has happened in the four years since the Season 2 finale. If you only read one Euphoria recap before Season 3 premieres on Sunday, make it this one.

You probably don’t need a refresher on Zendaya’s character Rue, but I’ll run through the bullet points just in case. A high school drug addict, Rue’s friendship (and eventual romance) with Jules (played by Hunter Schaefer) inspires her to get clean, though it doesn’t really take. She relapses in Season 2 when she meets Elliot (Dominic Fike) at a party, and next thing you know she’s jumping from cocaine to heroin to straight up morphine. She also managed to get her hands on a $10,000 supply of pills by lying to Laurie, the most unassuming and affectless drug dealer on the planet, but lost it all when Jules told Rue’s mom that she was using again. (Do not ask me to explain this part any further — the whole Laurie storyline confused the hell out me.) Rue and Jules end Season 2 on a bittersweet note, with Rue seemingly forgiving Jules for her betrayal before walking away from any chance of reconciliation.

Then there’s Maddy, Cassie, and Nate, who have their own Ciara Miller-Amanda Batula-West Wilson-thing going on: During one of Maddy (Alexa Demie) and Nate’s many breakups, Nate (Jacob Elordi) hooked up with Maddy’s best friend, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney). Cassie’s damaged, daddy-issues ridden brain became instantly smitten, and the two continued seeing each other in secret while Nate and Maddy toyed with the idea of getting back together. Maddy finally wiped her hands clean of Nate’s abusive a*s after Rue revealed the truth of Cassie and Nate’s affair during an intervention — but not before he pulled a gun to Maddy’s head and threatened her to hand over a tape of his father, a grown man, having sex with Jules, an underage trans girl. (Another storyline I refuse to touch with a 10-foot pole: Nate’s f*cked up relationship with his dad.)

Maddy complied and Nate returned the tape to Jules, who didn’t know her anonymous encounter with Cal (Eric Dane) had been filmed. (Remember: Nate and Jules had a pseudo-affair in Season 1, but when Jules turned down his advances, Nate blackmailed her with child pornography.) Don’t get it twisted: Nate is not a good guy, he’s just a guy who fell in love with a trans girl after catfishing her on Grindr. Who among us.

Then, of course, there was Lexi’s play. In an attempt to no longer be a passive participant in her own life, Cassie’s younger sister Lexi (Maude Apatow) decided to write a play based on the complicated and ever-changing dynamics of her friend group. She burned a lot of bridges that day, especially with Cassie — not just because she painted her sister in an unflattering light, but because she poked a little too much fun at Nate potentially (see: definitely) being gay, and he took his anger out on Cassie by breaking up with her. One thing about Nate: He loves to break up in the heat of the moment.

One person who did like the play, however, was Rue, who told Lexi it was the first time she saw her life and didn’t hate it. It was nice to see the childhood besties finally come to an understanding, though I worry it won’t last very long. (There’s also the whole Fezco and Ashtray storyline, though it doesn’t really seem worth recounting due to Ash’s fictional death and Angus Cloud’s tragic passing.)

And there you have it, folks: That’s what you’ve missed on Euphoria. As for what’s to come, expect Nate and Cassie to get married, Laurie to seek her revenge, and Rue to make even more destructive, troubling, and indefensible decisions. Who would’ve thought their high school years would be their glory days?

Euphoria Season 3 premieres on April 12 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.