In other words, I understand—and in the first three episodes of the new season, which critics have previewed, there’s plenty to enjoy. The frenetic tempo, the rapid-fire editing, the deadpan narration, the pitch-black comedy, the stellar performances, the stunning visuals… everything you adored about Euphoria remains fully intact. However, away from the closeness and routine of high school, it can feel somewhat directionless and adrift in its vast new environment, unsure of its focus. I get why they made a third installment, but so far, I’m not entirely convinced it was necessary… Zendaya’s Rue in Euphoria season three.. HBO. Nevertheless, the premiere episode is a real cracker. Rue’s escapades as a drug mule are at once horrifying and hilariously sharp, treading a razor-thin line that Levinson has always mastered with finesse. And Zendaya, as expected, delivers a fantastic performance, effortlessly inhabiting the gruff recovering addict desperately struggling to escape an ever-deepening pit. Her first scenes in the show evoke a western vibe—No Country for Old Men mixed with zealous Trump backers, tracker dogs, terrifying henchmen, and balloons packed with fentanyl, gulped down with lube.
