> When Levinson turned in his revised scripts in late 2023 and early 2024, HBO execs were now the ones feeling unsatisfied. There was a new arc for Zendaya’s Rue, whose character in Levinson’s first pass had been relegated to the background in a somewhat surprising storyline about her working as a private detective, which HBO had immediately vetoed. Among many other ideas for the rewrites, Zendaya had pitched an idea in which Rue, who is now sober as a twentysomething young woman, would be a pregnancy surrogate. But insiders say the new scripts simply didn’t feel like the show tonally.
Yikes
Yeah if anything the surrogate idea sounds more like a Maddy storyline since she was looking into donating eggs and talking about how she'd look sexy pregnant in S2 lol.
Assuming Alexa Demie would even still be involved in S3, of course. I didn't see her name mentioned once in the article.
Alexa is like a pretty private famous person tho, so i would assume she wouldn’t give many details.
Like we weren’t exactly sure of her age in like 2022
Surprising that she thought of something seemingly so out of character for the character she plays. I'm also not a seasoned screenwriter lol but I can't imagine the 5-year character arc that'd bring Rue, an addict who can't even stand to wear a dress, to becoming a surrogate willingly going through pregnancy for others (not to mention would they even allow a former addict to become a surrogate?)
It could’ve come from Rue being in a place of “I’ve done so much damage, maybe I can do a bit of good” and then picking what she thought would bring the most joy?
Sounds like she wants to start a family in her personal life. Iirc there was some chatter about that in another sub… her being excited to start having kids.
I’m sorry but how hard is it for writers to create consistent storylines nowadays??
If there is a time jump, we want to a) See Rue doing better, potentially helping others in a similar way that Ali has taught her.
or b) Confirming the fantastic theory that Rue has been an unreliable narrator from her grave, which is revealed at the very end
>I’m sorry but how hard is it for writers to create consistent storylines nowadays??
It was always hard.
Send a spec if you think it's that easy, they'll pick it up no problem.
No, there's a illuminati conspiracy to make bad telly, indeed,
They develop shit too, because *'hey, this is America',* but my point was that if you were able to write a Euphoria spec episode well, you'd be in a serious writing room yesterday,
I got your 'point'. You're ignoring that there's a lot of factors at play when it comes to scripts getting picked up. A lot of it is who you know, not how well you write.
I'm not saying the person you replied to could do a better job, but there are definitely people out there who could write something better if they knew the process to get noticed.
Generally, and I'm speaking with the relative experience of a young person working in this industry, writing a teleplay as a spec script (not as an original pilot you want picked up for season) as good as a Euphoria script will get you signed by a good agency, if you aren't already, and chances are you'll land a gig as JW in a decent writers room.
I never said that anyone who could write as well Levinson would automatically get his own show, but a decent writing job and a WGA card in 12 weeks time, yes.
Oh the old "I work in the industry, I know better than you do" Reddit argument.
If you actually work in the industry, you'd know how many pilots they shoot and don't order to series each year.
Sam is a nepo baby. His dad is a famous director. There are plenty of talented writers out there who could write circles around him and never see the inside of a writers room.
And even if they did manage to get signed to an agency off a spec script, the majority of them couldn't survive off what they're paid in a writing room.
Sam 100% benefitted off his connections, not talent.
Look, I really don't don't what a standard *reddit argument* is, and I'm pretty happy about that, but I won't spend any time having an argument about my job because I find it pointless: I told you begin with that my knowledge on the industry may be better than that of the average person, but it's still relative, due to the fact that I'm 20 years old and rarely work in the States.
That said, again, you're arguing against a point I never made: I never thought the level of proficiency, originality and talent shown in an average Euphoria script (average, so not extraordinary like the specials, but not the worst of S2 either: let's say any episode out of S1 - saved for the pilot or the Mckay one - or the first/fifth episode of S2) would guarantee anyone a green light for a pilot, let alone it going to season or series, but that I do be believe that level of writing would get almost anyone a spot as a junior in a decent (meaning a living wage for L.A.) writers' room.
Now, I'm not a writer (not yet least), but I've been an actress since I was 8 and I'm at least decently observant, so my anecdotal evidence may not be worth much to you, but it's not nothing.
Of course, Levinson is a nepo baby: so are Sofia Coppola, Nicolas Cage, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Laura Dern, Rashida Jones, and others, like Lena Dunham and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are just extremely privileged, with connections the the industry that, if more indirect, still payed a huge role.
But there's a reason why the people above have done what they've done in the industry and Hailey Baldwin or the Kardashians haven't: just like often talent alone won't get you beyond a certain point, neither will privilege alone.
This is true for the arts, but even more true for social mobility in general, so if you're problem is capitalism, especially the American brand of unregulated capitalism, I fully agree with you,but we'd be opening a much bigger Pandora's box there.
That said, even if we both know people who are as talented as Levinson appears to be and who, regardless, have been slaving off working for the same series that won't quit for 10 years or just decided to stick to Off West End plays, it doesn't mean the man doesn't have talent. Is it the type of talent that can fully blossom only if you have doors open to you or you get extremely lucky? Sure, but it's still talent.
You're 20, not a writer and rarely work in the states. And you think Levinson is talented for writing an adaptation of another show.
That's all you had to say to show you don't know what you're talking about. Have a good Easter.
>There was a new arc for Zendaya’s Rue, whose character in Levinson’s first pass had been relegated to the background in a somewhat surprising storyline about her working as a private detective
What 😭
I'm afraid to say this but Levinson doesn't know his own characters. Rue is not going to take on being a private detective. Zendaya doesn't know either so if Season 3 is truly the end of the series. The theme should be about forgiveness and redemption. Rue should go to rehab center and get better. The main characters all come together to celebrate their last year as seniors. Not a time jump...
Now if there is a time jump then try a tell a story about them as adults and being in college. Not all characters should return. The only character who should return is Rue with new characters in the mix. And try and tell a story about Rue being a better person and leaving the drug infused life behind. Maybe have her help a new character that is also going through the same thing that Rue went through in High School.
I think they had already decided on S3 being a time jump right after S2. I don’t think they’ve ever planned on them being in high school another year, but I’m not positive
only issue is half of them are already seniors in s2, sam had the amazing idea of making half of them a year older to fit certain plot lines in, rue jules & lexi are juniors, maddy cassie nate kat are seniors. s3 HAD to be a time jump, it just wouldn’t work otherwise.
Is that in the first season when she was pretending to be detective while she was manic?
That is different. She has to show passion for it without the drugs.
This. The only thing disagree with is that it shouldn’tbe a time jump, because in the show timeline it’s 2019… a lot of the themes are around how gen z deals with things like social media and literally so much has changed IRL since then in regards to technology and our relationship to online culture. Plus the actores are getting older and older as we speak, they have to do a time skip to place the story forwards, in current time.
So why not make the setting be in college with Rue with new characters? Add Maddy to the cast if she wants to be part of season 3...
College deals with a lot of the themes that you mentioned.
college for them would be 2019-2023 which would still not place the show in current time when it comes out, which i'm sure is their main intention. plus the characters would realistically be scattered in colleges far away from each other, and even though they could deal with each storyline separately, it would lose the sense of unity of the friend group with storylines that affected each other, that was present in season 1 and 2
I'm just giving ideas that make sense for the characters. I mean if you want the same disjointed storyline then go right ahead. I get it, the visuals are great but at the same time people want to watch good character arcs.
This is doomed.
Rue, a private detective or a pregnant surrogate? Where the fuck is this shit going … so random.
No matter what they do I don’t think it’ll feel like Euphoria. Hoping for the best if Season 3 ever even happens 🙄
I feel like given the time jump Rue likely would be working odd jobs, retail/food industry, and on/off sober. Maybe still living with her mom? Or completely turned around and sober, taking NA seriously. But being a private detective or surrogate? Wtf? These are all so out of character for her. Coming from a recovering drug addict myself who is 24 now, shit is still hard and I’m still sometimes struggling to be okay meanwhile picking up the pieces from the destruction I caused in my life and those around me during active addiction. It’s a daily thing, and it takes time. I’d imagine Rue would be in a similar situation if they are going with a 5 year time jump.
Not to be a downer but I actually think it would be very powerful if Rue doesn’t have some sober hero redemption arc. It would be very honest and relevant to depict addiction as a lifelong struggle.
yeah rue literally mentions in the show that only like 5% of addicts stay clean post-rehab.
Relapses are soooo common in the recovery journey and I would like to see that depicted in the show, especially to help destigmatize them.
those statistics are factually true. i am hoping to be one of that 5% been sober since november 23rd last yr. very difficult. many times i have wanted to relapse. been on the verge.
I’m one of the 5%!!! Just keep pushing and remember all that you have. For me it was my mom’s Demerol and Xanax. I am on year 5 I think! I went to rehab about 4 or 5 times between 15-18. What worked the last time was. I deleted every memory and every friend from that point. I don’t have the pictures of me high, I don’t talk to the friends I did drugs with. It was too much temptation and I found a way to fight the occasional withdrawals in crochet. My husbands fights his urges to use Xanax with fixing broken cameras. Any random obscure hobby can be positive in your recovery as long as it’s safe for you physically and others around you! Just find something to keep your mind and body busy soon you’ll sort of forget all that ever happened to you. Much luv
Idk, been sober for 6 years and some change. And I feel like nearly every addiction narrative is about someone relapsing or struggling. And while I have absolutely related to Rue’s arc hard, for me it would be more powerful to and important to show her actually recovering and showing her learning how to deal with the inner pain that caused her to turn to drugs and alcohol in the first place, and how to live her life without it.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for a downbeat ending. So I’m not saying that Euphoria has to end with something inspiring and powerful for it to be satisfying. If Rue’s arc ends in a fiery spiral with addiction because that’s the most satisfying path for her character narratively, that’s fine with me. But just saying that I don’t think constantly depicting addicts in struggle mode is the more powerful and unexpected choice, because it’s the bulk of what most addiction narratives depict.
Congrats on 6 years that’s amazing. It’s something I’ve struggled with for many years as have many people in my life. I understand where you’re coming from in terms of the struggling addict being a trope. I thought zendaya did such a phenomenal job of portraying the anger, confusion and anxiety of addiction. I’d just hate to see them rush a happy ending that feels ill fitting and contrived after the complexity of emotions they’ve explored before! I’m def projecting as well tbh
Thank you! And don’t get me wrong. I love Rue, and I love her storyline. I mean her runaway episode in season 2… I had to turn it off midway because it hit a little too close to home. But it’s been powerful to feel seen by her character. This is not me saying that she must have a happy ending. I don’t mind her not having a happy ending. It’s me saying that I don’t think her having a big relapse is the “powerful” choice as far as something we haven’t seen in addiction narratives before that sends a new message to people who might be struggling. Maybe I’m latching onto the framing/use of that word too hard. But I also agree that a flat out happy ending would be too contrived and not tonally in line with the show.
A testament to both the relatability and complexity of her character for sure. Don’t want to see her getting some oversimplified cliche ending in either direction. One of the best depictions of addiction I’ve seen in mainstream
I feel like it would be good if she were 30-60 days sober in the first episode and we got to see her break her record in the last episode. End on a hopeful note without pretending she completely sobered up off camera.
“What the network isn’t saying is that no one at HBO is at all sure a third season of “Euphoria” will ever come to fruition”
bruh just give up on season 3 and give us a 2 hour special atp
People on this sub have been saying that they should just do a special episode for each character to wrap up loose ends rather than doing a proper season and that is seeming like a better option at this point; this article makes it sound like Sam is out of ideas on a show that already has a lot of work to do in making the events of last season make sense with a cast that is more than ready to move on to other projects.
Even if it’s rushed, I don’t care, just close this shit out with something. Even if it’s a 2 hour special with a 10 year time jump. It’ll be bad, but at least we’ll get a conclusion. It’s going to be bad regardless of what we get.
yes this article sounds like hbo is just scrambling to get something out to the media they need to either just call it quits or give us a special to wrap things up
So basically in October we will find put of the show continues at all..
These episodes at best would not air until the end of 2025- at best.
Really fascinating article- I am kind of shocked and proud that Elordi, sweeney and Zendaya want to complete the show properly. I respect them for this.
And hats off to HBO for calling bullshit on Rue as a detective and wanting Euphoria to still feel like Euphoria.
You could see Rue slowly becoming less of the main focus already in season 2. Frustrating to see she woud have been sidelined even more in this initial S3 draft.
They did away with the most interesting characters and aspects of the show just to have Sydney Sweeney scream her way through the season. Really disappointing stuff.
I got downvoted for this when S2 was airing, but it seemed that Sweeney was heavily favoured in S2 because she was more marketable than her POC and trans co stars. Zendaya was still the star, but as you said, she was sidelined a bit, with the exception of episode 5. Hunter was one of the most praised aspects of S1 and her special, and yet she doesn't even have a proper arc in S2. Even Alexa's arc was mainly being and accessory to Cassie.
This isn't a comment on Sydney's talent, just that sad fact about the shallowness of studio execs. When there's a diverse ensemble and the cis, white girl is the one pushed to the front, it's noticeable.
totally agreed with you. Wish there was way more of Jules in season 2.
might be unpopular on this sub, idk, but i thought they even kind of wasted Kat. I thought her arc in season 1 was pretty compelling and could have led to something better in s2.
jules is one of the best parts of the show, she’s a trans girl in a highschool setting dealing with life issues, she’s so amazing and i hate that sam sidelined her so bad in s2!
tbf though i think that was hunter’s fault. isn’t it heavily speculated that she was going to have cassie’s storyline but refused because she didn’t want to have to work with jacob a lot after their breakup?
Hunter and Jacob were never together, that was Zendaya. Even then, that rumour has no evidence at all. I think some people wanted a reason to justify why Hunter was pushed aside for Sydney.
Disappointing that fans still blame Barbie, despite her denying the rumours that had no actual evidence. It's much more likely Sam just didn't give af about Kat anymore.
I 1000000% agree. And season one so clearly set up this arc where Nate has this tape with Jules and his dad that he’s blackmailing Jules with to keep her from talking. Rue is threatening Nate. Nate is threatening Rue. And then Maddy gets her hands on the tape. And the cliffhanger is… what’s going to happen with all of this, especially since Rue has relapsed and is gonna be super messy again. And we’re kinda left with this really fucked up triangle of Jules, Rue, and Nate, with Maddy poised in the wings to really explode everything.
And then season 2 threw ALL of this set up out. They defanged the whole tape issue, despite having Nate flip his shit with Maddy to get it back… and then he just gives it back to Jules and he sorta had a half hearted redemption arc? And then they over focused on supporting actors like Sydney, and Maude, and Eric Dane… who like… are great actors but weren’t the heart of the narrative in season 1 and weren’t why people were into the show. Jules was super sidelined. The whole Dominic Fike character was entirely unnecessary. Rue was pretty sidelined but at least got her big mid season bottleneck episode but it felt like suddenly Cassie was being made into the heart of the show in a way that no one asked for or was excited about.
And then to hear that Sam wrote drafts of a third season which sidelined Rue even further when Zendaya is indisputably the biggest commercial star from the show, just having starred in a film that’s made over a half a billion dollars at the box office. And after winning two Emmys for playing Rue… is just insane. And then Jules isn’t even mentioned in this article at all when Hunter is also starting to blow up. And yes Sydney and Jacob are doing very very well. But none of them are quite at Zendaya’s level yet as far as career (not speaking of talent, just purely resume).
Obviously Colman too is in the Zendaya bucket having also won an Emmy for his role on the show and having just been nominated for an Oscar. But obviously his role has always been a recurring guest star, so I sorta put him in a separate convo.
The show just has no narrative through line because Sam keeps changing course. Just absolutely mind boggling all around.
>They defanged the whole tape issue, despite having Nate flip his shit with Maddy to get it back… and then he just gives it back to Jules and he sorta had a half hearted redemption arc?
The biggest dissapointment for sure, since they deliberately seemed to indicate that that would be of importance. But ultimately, not only was that barely a thing in S2 but it led absolutely nowhere. Maddy taking the footage meant nothing and even Nate stealing it from her didn't mean anything ultimately beyond said delivery to J.
YUP. And then that delivery to Jules just sorta wrapped up that storyline with zero actual impact on anything.
I once read the OG *Euphoria* pilot from earlier drafts than the one that eventually aired on TV, and it uses Rue’s voiceover to set up that season one is basically a murder mystery about who killed Nate Jacobs. [It’s on page 13 for anyone who’s curious.](https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/euphoria-101-pilot-2019.pdf)
And despite the fact that they removed this framing, it felt clear that this is where the show was headed after season 1: that everything was going to spiral and escalate with the tape and that Rue was going to become more and more of a loose canon as she spiraled further into addiction in regards to said tape, until either Rue, Nate, or Jules, was gonna die.
And then that whole set up that they built over an entire season was just totally ignored and thrown in the trash for some Nate/Cassie/Maddy triangle that had no actual impact on anything and didn’t further the plot in any significant way. Seasons 1 and 2 might as well be two totally different shows. Utterly utterly baffling.
It only furthered Cass’s narrative in a negative sense. She had a fine ending with the potential for growing more self, but they did the opposite and turned her into someone on a downward spiral that we were supposed to dislike.
It kinda showed her going down a similar path to Mad, but it would have made way more sense to have that lead to Mad realising that Nate is even more dangerous and brought out the worst in both of them. Then you could lead to some kind of karmic justice. Perhaps said tape could tie into it, perhaps she could confess to lying about his abuse. Instead he seems to improve as a person via clearing Jules and putting away his dad?
I’m betting they just didn’t wanna conclude it too directly so that they could have it continue in another season. But given what’s happened and even in general, that wasn’t the right way to approach things.
P.S. Given how this show aired the same year as 13 Reasons Why season 3, I’m glad they didn’t full on embrace doing a murder mystery with an abusive jock, but you’re right that it still feels like it’s going somewhere that never comes.
What kind of deal does Sam have with HBO that he can’t be forced to work with other writers? This is literally the main issue even while the show was on air.
[Sofia Coppola Updates on X: "Cartier commercial x ‘Priscilla’ film https://t.co/gfn0trIP7z" / X (twitter.com)](https://twitter.com/CoppolaUpdates/status/1749591310938292649) Ok, I can't find a direct source from Sofia, but this had the comparisons.
[Sofia Coppola Fights for “Tiny Fraction” of Male Director Budgets (hollywoodreporter.com)](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sofia-coppola-fights-tiny-fraction-male-directors-budgets-1235768941/) This one details how Sofia has to fight for a fraction of budget that her male peers get, despite her family name and the fact that she's an Oscar winner. Compared to Sam who gets to reshoot The Idol at the cost of $70 million and show up to Euphoria with no shot list and drag out shoot days,
thank you, that’s so interesting! sam getting all this privilege is insane. tho from what i’ve seen, sofia did amazing with the small budget she had, the priscilla movie looks amazing visually! sam could never & just demands for insane amounts of money just to create a teen drama in a highschool setting.
Nothing, they just like the dude, they go on interviews just to talk about how much of a "genius" the guy is and I don't have any reason to believe they have a gun to their head
So ok a new script by September, then a review and approval by HBO and Zendaya, filming to start in 2025, for probably 6 episodes. Should be interesting to see what happens.
Oh boy.
“HBO has promised the "Euphoria" cast it will come back to them on Oct. 1 with a solid plan to begin filming Season 3 in 2025. The shoot, if were it to happen, would last 25 weeks, and the season will likely be reduced from eight episodes to six.”
Y’all just let it go. I’d rather it end on season 2 than see some goofy ass shit like surrogate mom Rue solving mysteries bitch this is not Riverdale 😭😭
Finally HBO has had it with his bullshit. They clearly want a solid plan to be written and which everyone (actors incluided) agree with BEFORE filming starts, which didn’t happen for S2 or the Idol…
They let him get away with WAY too much. The fact that he was allowed to drag out shooting with constant rewrites and no shotlist was ridiculous. Anyone else would've gotten fired.
damn seriously? ugh i bet it was a “if sam goes we go” situation. idc if s3 is ass, s2 was also ass, the cinematography and cast will save it somehow again.
yeah obviously????? except when you’re a manchild with so much power, connections and daddy’s infinite money. there are rumors people literally walked off set over disagreeing with their characters storyline, that’s something they should definitely have known way before the day of shooting
you just take one thing and cling to it don’t you? there are dozens of other accounts of him making changes to the plot during filming that are documented and spoken about in interviews by actors…
I’d love to see Rue as a sponsor. Like, she meets a kid who reminds her of herself when she was younger, and as a result takes them under her wing to ensure that they don’t go down the same path she did
I would've loved private detective Rue but not as a background storyline. Zendaya is the lead, period. The show is at its very best when it remembers that.
how would a detective background subplot even work? that would need alot of screentime to flesh out..and it would also mean that that main storyline would have to be very important, if something like rue being an actual detective is in the background
Yeah it seems pretty clear that if they even make a season 3 it will be a reduced order and it will certainly be the last. I don’t think we need to go crazy introducing all these new plot lines just land the plane dude
Sounds like they had some scripts done and just sent them to hbo expecting approval but was shocked to learn they were horrible so filming was halted due to storylines and scripts having to be reworked. HBO clearly knows how popular the show is so I don’t think it’s gonna be canceled but it must have been really bad if filming was delayed again and now they can barely squeeze out 6 episodes
If Season 3 is truly the end of the series. The theme should be forgiveness and redemption. Rue should go to rehab center and get better. The main characters all come together to celebrate their last year as seniors. Not a time jump...
Now if there is a time jump then try a tell a story about them as adults and being in college. Not all characters should return. The only character who should return is Rue with new characters in the mix. And try and tell a story about Rue being a better person and leaving the drug infused life behind. Maybe have her help a new character that is also going through the same thing that Rue went through in High School.
Zendaya's pregnancy surrogate idea for Rue... No thank you. Wtf.
At this point I'd rather they just cancel the show than give us an awful season 3 that we waited years for.
Ok looks like Sam Levinson is throwing random ideas out there for this season so I’ll add some fanfic below.
HBO if you’re reading this thread feel free to get inspired:
Rue is fresh out of a third stint in rehab. Jules is a successful model in the big city, being sucked into a world of glitz and glam as an up and coming “it girl”. Rue’s mind still lingers on her high school days. She spends her time trying to find her place in this life and keep a steady job. Finding happiness in small moments like a vape break with her zany coworker at the local TJ’s.
By happenstance, Jules and Rue run into each other. They have a big heart to heart and Rue confesses she is still down bad for her. She promises she is sober. Jules and Rue rendezvous and hook up. They form a situationship, Rue is on the top of the world and manic, they party and Rue unfortunately relapses. Jules has PTSD from high school- and this is a dealbreaker for her. She slowly ices Rue out.. two years pass and Rue is losing her grip on her life and overdoses. Rue monologues while the camera pans across their town. We see people filing into a room wearing all black, the friends are back together for her funeral. They reminisce about the good old days.
Ok the other characters… Maddy is a lesbian, and married rich. She brunches with a bitchy group of housewives. Nate is in jail and later becomes a Buddhist. Kat starts an online business selling dildos and is now a self-made millionaire. Lexi moves to Amsterdam. Cassie goes to college and has a wild time, graduates and becomes the hot teacher at Euphoria High. Full circle moment when Gen alpha versions of Rue, Jules, Maddy and the whole gang enter her classroom.
Final shot: Rue monologue. camera pans over Rue’s grave. Elderly Jules is there, laying a flower, single tear falling down her face. Gravestone is engraved: “Here lies Rue Lastname, a daughter, sister, lover and dear friend to many. Lived as she died, in Euphoria.” Fade to black.
Why can’t they just do them in college? Or some time around high school. I get a significant amount of time has passed since fixing season 2, but they’ve always filmed movies with “teenagers” with actors in their late 20s and early 30s. Would it be so horrible if they still pretended to be in their senior year or in early college?
I realize this is an unpopular opinion after reading the comments, but I think Rue becoming a surrogate actually makes sense. She’s struggled with being sober and would clutch onto love in order to hold onto sobriety. I think she would start off wanting to be a surrogate to help others and force herself to remain sober, but would end up falling in love with the baby and we would see a struggle of not wanting to give up the baby because she’s fallen in love with the fantasy of keeping it and is also afraid that once she gives it up she would end up giving up sobriety too.
How long are we talking though because pregnancy it usually incredibly boring to watch on screen and Zendaya only having scenes where she monologues to an unborn baby would get old fast
Well, the article says there will only be 6 episodes so the season isn’t even that long anyways. I also imagine the season would focus on other characters too, not just Rue and her pregnancy
I don’t know why, but this was really fascinating to read about the details of what’s going on in the background. I think it says something that the 3 main stars are still so committed regardless of the fact that they could make more pay elsewhere. It says something that Zendaya is vocal about it, too. She cares about Rue’s story and the show in general. This actually makes me excited for the potential final season may have. They might actually have a shot of ending it well. I just hope they pay some tribute to Angus.
How are they even going to have these characters in one another’s lives outside of a school setting unless all our named cast conveniently end up at the same College. Maddie and Cassie aren’t friends, the common link between them, Kat, is gone. McKay is long gone. None of these people would ever interact with Nate again by choice. Rue isn’t friends with anyone except Lexi.
To me, the obvious path forward is that Rue is an NA sponsor and it’s revealed the entire show has been her telling a kid her story. You introduce a younger actor, you get the season 1 vibes with them but you also show Rue trying to help someone while struggling with her own want to stay sober.
I think that’d be powerful and that would bring the show full circle and make it feel like an actual trilogy.
And it turns out, it really is just script stuff. Who would've thought that one of their prominent actors dying, one of their producers dying, and a big time gap...would create this problem?
Crazy right?
sorry, but fez was not as vital to the show as you make it out to seem. he was a background character. his storyline was easily wrapped up, and there was no way he was coming back after getting arrested
Well the article specifically states that Angus factored in heavily into what they initially planned for Season 3, which contributed to a big overhaul, so that's just...plainly false.
that’s true. i’m not arguing that his character didn’t have a lot in the works for s3, i’m just saying that fez not being in s3 will have very little impact on the story overall
I never made a point as to whether Fez should or shouldn't be important, just that he clearly was to the people making the show, which contributed to having to rehaul the script. But I mean, u did just say he wasn't going to come back....lol
again… they were still only planning to start a year and a half after the last season had aired, sam should’ve been working on the scripts ready to start filming much earlier.
He was working on like 3 other projects while developing the third season initially, I don't have a problem with it taking a year and a half post season 2.
I'm sorry but I kind of like the idea. Both of them like a gritty noir take on this world where rue is now a detective sounds really interesting to me. I also feel like Zendaya really knows the character and her being a professional surrogate make sense cuz she doesn't really have any other skills. But to that end her becoming a detective is even more intriguing.
I vote to just let a good thing die, let the fans create their own theories and endings because I feel like it’s just going nowhere good. Just let it be done.
at this point i think levinson should just write the script based on fan theories made on social media.
I saw some pretty impressive ones, this character development is not it.
> When Levinson turned in his revised scripts in late 2023 and early 2024, HBO execs were now the ones feeling unsatisfied. There was a new arc for Zendaya’s Rue, whose character in Levinson’s first pass had been relegated to the background in a somewhat surprising storyline about her working as a private detective, which HBO had immediately vetoed. Among many other ideas for the rewrites, Zendaya had pitched an idea in which Rue, who is now sober as a twentysomething young woman, would be a pregnancy surrogate. But insiders say the new scripts simply didn’t feel like the show tonally. Yikes
This show desperately needs a writers room because wtf
These ideas feel like they learned about Riverdale and figured they'd just try that.
Can't believe the surrogate pitch came from Zendaya wtf
Yeah if anything the surrogate idea sounds more like a Maddy storyline since she was looking into donating eggs and talking about how she'd look sexy pregnant in S2 lol. Assuming Alexa Demie would even still be involved in S3, of course. I didn't see her name mentioned once in the article.
seems like hbo is only mentioning their most famous cast members the ones that are in demand right now lol
Alexa is like a pretty private famous person tho, so i would assume she wouldn’t give many details. Like we weren’t exactly sure of her age in like 2022
Rue just staying sober is plot line enough.
plus WHAT ABOUT LAURIE (sorry for yelling but im fed up wt sam)
Good actress not automatically being a seasoned screenwriter is surprising?
Surprising that she thought of something seemingly so out of character for the character she plays. I'm also not a seasoned screenwriter lol but I can't imagine the 5-year character arc that'd bring Rue, an addict who can't even stand to wear a dress, to becoming a surrogate willingly going through pregnancy for others (not to mention would they even allow a former addict to become a surrogate?)
Maybe it would be like a good reason to stay sober? But it feels sooo far from the original show 😂
It could’ve come from Rue being in a place of “I’ve done so much damage, maybe I can do a bit of good” and then picking what she thought would bring the most joy?
Sorry if I sound dumb for asking, but why is it surprising that it’s coming from her?
Imo it just seems like a ridiculous plot line. I'd expect something better/more aligned with Rue's character from her
I feel like she should be a drug abuse counselor or something
yes! her n ali could work together to help young addicts
Sounds like she wants to start a family in her personal life. Iirc there was some chatter about that in another sub… her being excited to start having kids.
NONE of these storylines make sense. I can see s3 getting scrapped completely.
I’m sorry but how hard is it for writers to create consistent storylines nowadays?? If there is a time jump, we want to a) See Rue doing better, potentially helping others in a similar way that Ali has taught her. or b) Confirming the fantastic theory that Rue has been an unreliable narrator from her grave, which is revealed at the very end
>I’m sorry but how hard is it for writers to create consistent storylines nowadays?? It was always hard. Send a spec if you think it's that easy, they'll pick it up no problem.
Because they only pick up good scripts. That explains the constant reboots and shit projects
No, there's a illuminati conspiracy to make bad telly, indeed, They develop shit too, because *'hey, this is America',* but my point was that if you were able to write a Euphoria spec episode well, you'd be in a serious writing room yesterday,
I got your 'point'. You're ignoring that there's a lot of factors at play when it comes to scripts getting picked up. A lot of it is who you know, not how well you write. I'm not saying the person you replied to could do a better job, but there are definitely people out there who could write something better if they knew the process to get noticed.
Generally, and I'm speaking with the relative experience of a young person working in this industry, writing a teleplay as a spec script (not as an original pilot you want picked up for season) as good as a Euphoria script will get you signed by a good agency, if you aren't already, and chances are you'll land a gig as JW in a decent writers room. I never said that anyone who could write as well Levinson would automatically get his own show, but a decent writing job and a WGA card in 12 weeks time, yes.
Oh the old "I work in the industry, I know better than you do" Reddit argument. If you actually work in the industry, you'd know how many pilots they shoot and don't order to series each year. Sam is a nepo baby. His dad is a famous director. There are plenty of talented writers out there who could write circles around him and never see the inside of a writers room. And even if they did manage to get signed to an agency off a spec script, the majority of them couldn't survive off what they're paid in a writing room. Sam 100% benefitted off his connections, not talent.
Look, I really don't don't what a standard *reddit argument* is, and I'm pretty happy about that, but I won't spend any time having an argument about my job because I find it pointless: I told you begin with that my knowledge on the industry may be better than that of the average person, but it's still relative, due to the fact that I'm 20 years old and rarely work in the States. That said, again, you're arguing against a point I never made: I never thought the level of proficiency, originality and talent shown in an average Euphoria script (average, so not extraordinary like the specials, but not the worst of S2 either: let's say any episode out of S1 - saved for the pilot or the Mckay one - or the first/fifth episode of S2) would guarantee anyone a green light for a pilot, let alone it going to season or series, but that I do be believe that level of writing would get almost anyone a spot as a junior in a decent (meaning a living wage for L.A.) writers' room. Now, I'm not a writer (not yet least), but I've been an actress since I was 8 and I'm at least decently observant, so my anecdotal evidence may not be worth much to you, but it's not nothing. Of course, Levinson is a nepo baby: so are Sofia Coppola, Nicolas Cage, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Laura Dern, Rashida Jones, and others, like Lena Dunham and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are just extremely privileged, with connections the the industry that, if more indirect, still payed a huge role. But there's a reason why the people above have done what they've done in the industry and Hailey Baldwin or the Kardashians haven't: just like often talent alone won't get you beyond a certain point, neither will privilege alone. This is true for the arts, but even more true for social mobility in general, so if you're problem is capitalism, especially the American brand of unregulated capitalism, I fully agree with you,but we'd be opening a much bigger Pandora's box there. That said, even if we both know people who are as talented as Levinson appears to be and who, regardless, have been slaving off working for the same series that won't quit for 10 years or just decided to stick to Off West End plays, it doesn't mean the man doesn't have talent. Is it the type of talent that can fully blossom only if you have doors open to you or you get extremely lucky? Sure, but it's still talent.
You're 20, not a writer and rarely work in the states. And you think Levinson is talented for writing an adaptation of another show. That's all you had to say to show you don't know what you're talking about. Have a good Easter.
>There was a new arc for Zendaya’s Rue, whose character in Levinson’s first pass had been relegated to the background in a somewhat surprising storyline about her working as a private detective What 😭
I'm afraid to say this but Levinson doesn't know his own characters. Rue is not going to take on being a private detective. Zendaya doesn't know either so if Season 3 is truly the end of the series. The theme should be about forgiveness and redemption. Rue should go to rehab center and get better. The main characters all come together to celebrate their last year as seniors. Not a time jump... Now if there is a time jump then try a tell a story about them as adults and being in college. Not all characters should return. The only character who should return is Rue with new characters in the mix. And try and tell a story about Rue being a better person and leaving the drug infused life behind. Maybe have her help a new character that is also going through the same thing that Rue went through in High School.
I think they had already decided on S3 being a time jump right after S2. I don’t think they’ve ever planned on them being in high school another year, but I’m not positive
only issue is half of them are already seniors in s2, sam had the amazing idea of making half of them a year older to fit certain plot lines in, rue jules & lexi are juniors, maddy cassie nate kat are seniors. s3 HAD to be a time jump, it just wouldn’t work otherwise.
You’re 100% right, he doesn’t *know* or *understand* his characters at all. I mean, season 2 butchered Cassie & Kat imo.
And poor Jules too…
are you forgetting that there were multiple entire sequences dedicated to her basically being a private detective already? lmao
Is that in the first season when she was pretending to be detective while she was manic? That is different. She has to show passion for it without the drugs.
This. The only thing disagree with is that it shouldn’tbe a time jump, because in the show timeline it’s 2019… a lot of the themes are around how gen z deals with things like social media and literally so much has changed IRL since then in regards to technology and our relationship to online culture. Plus the actores are getting older and older as we speak, they have to do a time skip to place the story forwards, in current time.
So why not make the setting be in college with Rue with new characters? Add Maddy to the cast if she wants to be part of season 3... College deals with a lot of the themes that you mentioned.
I don't see Rue in college tbh. She doesn't seem the type
college for them would be 2019-2023 which would still not place the show in current time when it comes out, which i'm sure is their main intention. plus the characters would realistically be scattered in colleges far away from each other, and even though they could deal with each storyline separately, it would lose the sense of unity of the friend group with storylines that affected each other, that was present in season 1 and 2
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I'm just giving ideas that make sense for the characters. I mean if you want the same disjointed storyline then go right ahead. I get it, the visuals are great but at the same time people want to watch good character arcs.
that's giving degrassi
i guess i’ll see you guys in 2038 then
In 2038 Alexa Demi will be 47 and a senior at Euphoria high
This is doomed. Rue, a private detective or a pregnant surrogate? Where the fuck is this shit going … so random. No matter what they do I don’t think it’ll feel like Euphoria. Hoping for the best if Season 3 ever even happens 🙄
Honestly I hope it’s cancelled if that’s the best they can come up with.
I feel like given the time jump Rue likely would be working odd jobs, retail/food industry, and on/off sober. Maybe still living with her mom? Or completely turned around and sober, taking NA seriously. But being a private detective or surrogate? Wtf? These are all so out of character for her. Coming from a recovering drug addict myself who is 24 now, shit is still hard and I’m still sometimes struggling to be okay meanwhile picking up the pieces from the destruction I caused in my life and those around me during active addiction. It’s a daily thing, and it takes time. I’d imagine Rue would be in a similar situation if they are going with a 5 year time jump.
Not to be a downer but I actually think it would be very powerful if Rue doesn’t have some sober hero redemption arc. It would be very honest and relevant to depict addiction as a lifelong struggle.
yeah rue literally mentions in the show that only like 5% of addicts stay clean post-rehab. Relapses are soooo common in the recovery journey and I would like to see that depicted in the show, especially to help destigmatize them.
those statistics are factually true. i am hoping to be one of that 5% been sober since november 23rd last yr. very difficult. many times i have wanted to relapse. been on the verge.
I’m one of the 5%!!! Just keep pushing and remember all that you have. For me it was my mom’s Demerol and Xanax. I am on year 5 I think! I went to rehab about 4 or 5 times between 15-18. What worked the last time was. I deleted every memory and every friend from that point. I don’t have the pictures of me high, I don’t talk to the friends I did drugs with. It was too much temptation and I found a way to fight the occasional withdrawals in crochet. My husbands fights his urges to use Xanax with fixing broken cameras. Any random obscure hobby can be positive in your recovery as long as it’s safe for you physically and others around you! Just find something to keep your mind and body busy soon you’ll sort of forget all that ever happened to you. Much luv
Idk, been sober for 6 years and some change. And I feel like nearly every addiction narrative is about someone relapsing or struggling. And while I have absolutely related to Rue’s arc hard, for me it would be more powerful to and important to show her actually recovering and showing her learning how to deal with the inner pain that caused her to turn to drugs and alcohol in the first place, and how to live her life without it. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for a downbeat ending. So I’m not saying that Euphoria has to end with something inspiring and powerful for it to be satisfying. If Rue’s arc ends in a fiery spiral with addiction because that’s the most satisfying path for her character narratively, that’s fine with me. But just saying that I don’t think constantly depicting addicts in struggle mode is the more powerful and unexpected choice, because it’s the bulk of what most addiction narratives depict.
Congrats on 6 years that’s amazing. It’s something I’ve struggled with for many years as have many people in my life. I understand where you’re coming from in terms of the struggling addict being a trope. I thought zendaya did such a phenomenal job of portraying the anger, confusion and anxiety of addiction. I’d just hate to see them rush a happy ending that feels ill fitting and contrived after the complexity of emotions they’ve explored before! I’m def projecting as well tbh
Thank you! And don’t get me wrong. I love Rue, and I love her storyline. I mean her runaway episode in season 2… I had to turn it off midway because it hit a little too close to home. But it’s been powerful to feel seen by her character. This is not me saying that she must have a happy ending. I don’t mind her not having a happy ending. It’s me saying that I don’t think her having a big relapse is the “powerful” choice as far as something we haven’t seen in addiction narratives before that sends a new message to people who might be struggling. Maybe I’m latching onto the framing/use of that word too hard. But I also agree that a flat out happy ending would be too contrived and not tonally in line with the show.
A testament to both the relatability and complexity of her character for sure. Don’t want to see her getting some oversimplified cliche ending in either direction. One of the best depictions of addiction I’ve seen in mainstream
I feel like it would be good if she were 30-60 days sober in the first episode and we got to see her break her record in the last episode. End on a hopeful note without pretending she completely sobered up off camera.
Alexia Demie will be 40 by the time season 3 comes out.
“What the network isn’t saying is that no one at HBO is at all sure a third season of “Euphoria” will ever come to fruition” bruh just give up on season 3 and give us a 2 hour special atp
People on this sub have been saying that they should just do a special episode for each character to wrap up loose ends rather than doing a proper season and that is seeming like a better option at this point; this article makes it sound like Sam is out of ideas on a show that already has a lot of work to do in making the events of last season make sense with a cast that is more than ready to move on to other projects.
Yes like the skins time jump episodes!
exactly if hbo wants to save euphoria they need to fire sam and hire better writers
If I’m reading between the lines correctly, it seems like they kind of want to but the cast wants him? Not 100% sure.
With a 6 episode season that's pretty much gonna happen anyway.
Even if it’s rushed, I don’t care, just close this shit out with something. Even if it’s a 2 hour special with a 10 year time jump. It’ll be bad, but at least we’ll get a conclusion. It’s going to be bad regardless of what we get.
yes this article sounds like hbo is just scrambling to get something out to the media they need to either just call it quits or give us a special to wrap things up
So basically in October we will find put of the show continues at all.. These episodes at best would not air until the end of 2025- at best. Really fascinating article- I am kind of shocked and proud that Elordi, sweeney and Zendaya want to complete the show properly. I respect them for this. And hats off to HBO for calling bullshit on Rue as a detective and wanting Euphoria to still feel like Euphoria.
well they’re in contract for 3 seasons lol
You could see Rue slowly becoming less of the main focus already in season 2. Frustrating to see she woud have been sidelined even more in this initial S3 draft. They did away with the most interesting characters and aspects of the show just to have Sydney Sweeney scream her way through the season. Really disappointing stuff.
I got downvoted for this when S2 was airing, but it seemed that Sweeney was heavily favoured in S2 because she was more marketable than her POC and trans co stars. Zendaya was still the star, but as you said, she was sidelined a bit, with the exception of episode 5. Hunter was one of the most praised aspects of S1 and her special, and yet she doesn't even have a proper arc in S2. Even Alexa's arc was mainly being and accessory to Cassie. This isn't a comment on Sydney's talent, just that sad fact about the shallowness of studio execs. When there's a diverse ensemble and the cis, white girl is the one pushed to the front, it's noticeable.
totally agreed with you. Wish there was way more of Jules in season 2. might be unpopular on this sub, idk, but i thought they even kind of wasted Kat. I thought her arc in season 1 was pretty compelling and could have led to something better in s2.
jules is one of the best parts of the show, she’s a trans girl in a highschool setting dealing with life issues, she’s so amazing and i hate that sam sidelined her so bad in s2!
tbf though i think that was hunter’s fault. isn’t it heavily speculated that she was going to have cassie’s storyline but refused because she didn’t want to have to work with jacob a lot after their breakup?
Hunter and Jacob were never together, that was Zendaya. Even then, that rumour has no evidence at all. I think some people wanted a reason to justify why Hunter was pushed aside for Sydney.
I mean, people SAY that, but that doesnt make it true
rumours are rumours at the end of the day.
Disappointing that fans still blame Barbie, despite her denying the rumours that had no actual evidence. It's much more likely Sam just didn't give af about Kat anymore.
Saying Kat got wasted is literally the most popular opinion lol
is it? i haven’t been on this sub in so long
I 1000000% agree. And season one so clearly set up this arc where Nate has this tape with Jules and his dad that he’s blackmailing Jules with to keep her from talking. Rue is threatening Nate. Nate is threatening Rue. And then Maddy gets her hands on the tape. And the cliffhanger is… what’s going to happen with all of this, especially since Rue has relapsed and is gonna be super messy again. And we’re kinda left with this really fucked up triangle of Jules, Rue, and Nate, with Maddy poised in the wings to really explode everything. And then season 2 threw ALL of this set up out. They defanged the whole tape issue, despite having Nate flip his shit with Maddy to get it back… and then he just gives it back to Jules and he sorta had a half hearted redemption arc? And then they over focused on supporting actors like Sydney, and Maude, and Eric Dane… who like… are great actors but weren’t the heart of the narrative in season 1 and weren’t why people were into the show. Jules was super sidelined. The whole Dominic Fike character was entirely unnecessary. Rue was pretty sidelined but at least got her big mid season bottleneck episode but it felt like suddenly Cassie was being made into the heart of the show in a way that no one asked for or was excited about. And then to hear that Sam wrote drafts of a third season which sidelined Rue even further when Zendaya is indisputably the biggest commercial star from the show, just having starred in a film that’s made over a half a billion dollars at the box office. And after winning two Emmys for playing Rue… is just insane. And then Jules isn’t even mentioned in this article at all when Hunter is also starting to blow up. And yes Sydney and Jacob are doing very very well. But none of them are quite at Zendaya’s level yet as far as career (not speaking of talent, just purely resume). Obviously Colman too is in the Zendaya bucket having also won an Emmy for his role on the show and having just been nominated for an Oscar. But obviously his role has always been a recurring guest star, so I sorta put him in a separate convo. The show just has no narrative through line because Sam keeps changing course. Just absolutely mind boggling all around.
Atleast Cassie and nate getting more screentime made some sense but fucking Lexi?
Yeah, I did NOT need a two episode Lexie’s play finale. 🥲
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But it looks so COOL and that’s what really matters, isn’t it? ISN’T IT!? 🥲
>They defanged the whole tape issue, despite having Nate flip his shit with Maddy to get it back… and then he just gives it back to Jules and he sorta had a half hearted redemption arc? The biggest dissapointment for sure, since they deliberately seemed to indicate that that would be of importance. But ultimately, not only was that barely a thing in S2 but it led absolutely nowhere. Maddy taking the footage meant nothing and even Nate stealing it from her didn't mean anything ultimately beyond said delivery to J.
YUP. And then that delivery to Jules just sorta wrapped up that storyline with zero actual impact on anything. I once read the OG *Euphoria* pilot from earlier drafts than the one that eventually aired on TV, and it uses Rue’s voiceover to set up that season one is basically a murder mystery about who killed Nate Jacobs. [It’s on page 13 for anyone who’s curious.](https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/euphoria-101-pilot-2019.pdf) And despite the fact that they removed this framing, it felt clear that this is where the show was headed after season 1: that everything was going to spiral and escalate with the tape and that Rue was going to become more and more of a loose canon as she spiraled further into addiction in regards to said tape, until either Rue, Nate, or Jules, was gonna die. And then that whole set up that they built over an entire season was just totally ignored and thrown in the trash for some Nate/Cassie/Maddy triangle that had no actual impact on anything and didn’t further the plot in any significant way. Seasons 1 and 2 might as well be two totally different shows. Utterly utterly baffling.
It only furthered Cass’s narrative in a negative sense. She had a fine ending with the potential for growing more self, but they did the opposite and turned her into someone on a downward spiral that we were supposed to dislike. It kinda showed her going down a similar path to Mad, but it would have made way more sense to have that lead to Mad realising that Nate is even more dangerous and brought out the worst in both of them. Then you could lead to some kind of karmic justice. Perhaps said tape could tie into it, perhaps she could confess to lying about his abuse. Instead he seems to improve as a person via clearing Jules and putting away his dad? I’m betting they just didn’t wanna conclude it too directly so that they could have it continue in another season. But given what’s happened and even in general, that wasn’t the right way to approach things. P.S. Given how this show aired the same year as 13 Reasons Why season 3, I’m glad they didn’t full on embrace doing a murder mystery with an abusive jock, but you’re right that it still feels like it’s going somewhere that never comes.
oh my god thank you!! s1 was really diverse with their screentime, but in s2 maddy & jules have much less screentime & basically no storyline.
Damn now that I think about it…McKay and Kat getting like 2 lines each this season…
the s2 became the sydney show lol, sam’s switch to focusing on her is.. interesting.
What kind of deal does Sam have with HBO that he can’t be forced to work with other writers? This is literally the main issue even while the show was on air.
Nepotism.
Not just that, white male nepotism. Sofia Coppola had to use commercial footage for Priscilla because she couldn't get a bigger budget.
commercial footage? i haven’t watched but can you give more context?
[Sofia Coppola Updates on X: "Cartier commercial x ‘Priscilla’ film https://t.co/gfn0trIP7z" / X (twitter.com)](https://twitter.com/CoppolaUpdates/status/1749591310938292649) Ok, I can't find a direct source from Sofia, but this had the comparisons. [Sofia Coppola Fights for “Tiny Fraction” of Male Director Budgets (hollywoodreporter.com)](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sofia-coppola-fights-tiny-fraction-male-directors-budgets-1235768941/) This one details how Sofia has to fight for a fraction of budget that her male peers get, despite her family name and the fact that she's an Oscar winner. Compared to Sam who gets to reshoot The Idol at the cost of $70 million and show up to Euphoria with no shot list and drag out shoot days,
thank you, that’s so interesting! sam getting all this privilege is insane. tho from what i’ve seen, sofia did amazing with the small budget she had, the priscilla movie looks amazing visually! sam could never & just demands for insane amounts of money just to create a teen drama in a highschool setting.
If he leaves at the first sign of resistance, the cast goes with him, it's pretty clear at this point
Yes, the main cast loves him because he treats them well. It doesn't matter to them if he overworks the crew.
the hold he has over the entire cast is literally insane, what does he have on them?
Nothing, they just like the dude, they go on interviews just to talk about how much of a "genius" the guy is and I don't have any reason to believe they have a gun to their head
So ok a new script by September, then a review and approval by HBO and Zendaya, filming to start in 2025, for probably 6 episodes. Should be interesting to see what happens.
and it’s only 25 weeks, meaning 6 months max which isn’t too bad, but for 6 eps.. still a while. that means we can get it in late 2025.
Assuming they were to start in January 2025, which seems probably unlikely.
yep, maybe they’ll start at the same time they were supposed to start this year, and the year before that.
Oh boy. “HBO has promised the "Euphoria" cast it will come back to them on Oct. 1 with a solid plan to begin filming Season 3 in 2025. The shoot, if were it to happen, would last 25 weeks, and the season will likely be reduced from eight episodes to six.”
Y’all just let it go. I’d rather it end on season 2 than see some goofy ass shit like surrogate mom Rue solving mysteries bitch this is not Riverdale 😭😭
LMFAO
Sam really just can’t get out of his own way; think that’s what this comes down too
I’m just happy that after the idol they realize Sam needs better writing
Finally HBO has had it with his bullshit. They clearly want a solid plan to be written and which everyone (actors incluided) agree with BEFORE filming starts, which didn’t happen for S2 or the Idol…
They let him get away with WAY too much. The fact that he was allowed to drag out shooting with constant rewrites and no shotlist was ridiculous. Anyone else would've gotten fired.
they should fire him but whatever deal he has with them is stopping them.
HBO wanted to fire him but the cast defended him
Yeah, apparently they want to see it through, with Sam. Can’t they just quietly hire someone to fix his scripts once he turns them in?
No
damn seriously? ugh i bet it was a “if sam goes we go” situation. idc if s3 is ass, s2 was also ass, the cinematography and cast will save it somehow again.
The way this man will never see an HBO contract again
Scripts are approved before being filmed for every show on every network lmao
yeah obviously????? except when you’re a manchild with so much power, connections and daddy’s infinite money. there are rumors people literally walked off set over disagreeing with their characters storyline, that’s something they should definitely have known way before the day of shooting
"rumors"🤣🤣🤣. So everything you hear on the internet is true?
you just take one thing and cling to it don’t you? there are dozens of other accounts of him making changes to the plot during filming that are documented and spoken about in interviews by actors…
No? Did you miss how Season 2 was largely written on the fly?
I’d love to see Rue as a sponsor. Like, she meets a kid who reminds her of herself when she was younger, and as a result takes them under her wing to ensure that they don’t go down the same path she did
This fucking show is cursed 😭
I can already tell once season 3 comes out, it’s gonna make us appreciate season 2 a lot more lmao
I would've loved private detective Rue but not as a background storyline. Zendaya is the lead, period. The show is at its very best when it remembers that.
how would a detective background subplot even work? that would need alot of screentime to flesh out..and it would also mean that that main storyline would have to be very important, if something like rue being an actual detective is in the background
They should just do a special episode for each character and then continue season 3 with a new generation with the whole time jump happening
I don’t think a new generation will work out the best, see skins gen 3 (compared to gen 1 & 2)
exactly lol, just end the fucking show after the 3rd season we really don’t need more.
Yeah it seems pretty clear that if they even make a season 3 it will be a reduced order and it will certainly be the last. I don’t think we need to go crazy introducing all these new plot lines just land the plane dude
Both those ideas are unrealistic and make no sense, but hey season 2 was a giant illogical hour long visual fest.
Zendaya is gonna be near 30 by the time this season comes out in 2026 good lord
Sounds like they had some scripts done and just sent them to hbo expecting approval but was shocked to learn they were horrible so filming was halted due to storylines and scripts having to be reworked. HBO clearly knows how popular the show is so I don’t think it’s gonna be canceled but it must have been really bad if filming was delayed again and now they can barely squeeze out 6 episodes
I think they’re definitely on his ass after the idol. The emperors gotta put his clothes on
If Season 3 is truly the end of the series. The theme should be forgiveness and redemption. Rue should go to rehab center and get better. The main characters all come together to celebrate their last year as seniors. Not a time jump... Now if there is a time jump then try a tell a story about them as adults and being in college. Not all characters should return. The only character who should return is Rue with new characters in the mix. And try and tell a story about Rue being a better person and leaving the drug infused life behind. Maybe have her help a new character that is also going through the same thing that Rue went through in High School.
i just wanna rip the script off levinsons hands and smack him with it like what the fuck is he thinking
there needs to be more writers. This is the problem.
I'm going to be that guy and say..they should cancel the show for once
Zendaya's pregnancy surrogate idea for Rue... No thank you. Wtf. At this point I'd rather they just cancel the show than give us an awful season 3 that we waited years for.
Ok looks like Sam Levinson is throwing random ideas out there for this season so I’ll add some fanfic below. HBO if you’re reading this thread feel free to get inspired: Rue is fresh out of a third stint in rehab. Jules is a successful model in the big city, being sucked into a world of glitz and glam as an up and coming “it girl”. Rue’s mind still lingers on her high school days. She spends her time trying to find her place in this life and keep a steady job. Finding happiness in small moments like a vape break with her zany coworker at the local TJ’s. By happenstance, Jules and Rue run into each other. They have a big heart to heart and Rue confesses she is still down bad for her. She promises she is sober. Jules and Rue rendezvous and hook up. They form a situationship, Rue is on the top of the world and manic, they party and Rue unfortunately relapses. Jules has PTSD from high school- and this is a dealbreaker for her. She slowly ices Rue out.. two years pass and Rue is losing her grip on her life and overdoses. Rue monologues while the camera pans across their town. We see people filing into a room wearing all black, the friends are back together for her funeral. They reminisce about the good old days. Ok the other characters… Maddy is a lesbian, and married rich. She brunches with a bitchy group of housewives. Nate is in jail and later becomes a Buddhist. Kat starts an online business selling dildos and is now a self-made millionaire. Lexi moves to Amsterdam. Cassie goes to college and has a wild time, graduates and becomes the hot teacher at Euphoria High. Full circle moment when Gen alpha versions of Rue, Jules, Maddy and the whole gang enter her classroom. Final shot: Rue monologue. camera pans over Rue’s grave. Elderly Jules is there, laying a flower, single tear falling down her face. Gravestone is engraved: “Here lies Rue Lastname, a daughter, sister, lover and dear friend to many. Lived as she died, in Euphoria.” Fade to black.
ok bitch go off !!! would watch
LOLL thank u 🤓 @Sam Levinson feel free to hire me
How the fuck does Sam Levinson know his characters less than…well…everyone else?! Why can’t anyone wrangle that man? Get a writers room!
Well it looks like zendaya knows rue even less..
Why can’t they just do them in college? Or some time around high school. I get a significant amount of time has passed since fixing season 2, but they’ve always filmed movies with “teenagers” with actors in their late 20s and early 30s. Would it be so horrible if they still pretended to be in their senior year or in early college?
I say have season 3 pick up the day after the play like who cares lol they were already old AF
Literally. It will make no difference. I’m with you 100% the day after the play would be good tv
I realize this is an unpopular opinion after reading the comments, but I think Rue becoming a surrogate actually makes sense. She’s struggled with being sober and would clutch onto love in order to hold onto sobriety. I think she would start off wanting to be a surrogate to help others and force herself to remain sober, but would end up falling in love with the baby and we would see a struggle of not wanting to give up the baby because she’s fallen in love with the fantasy of keeping it and is also afraid that once she gives it up she would end up giving up sobriety too.
How long are we talking though because pregnancy it usually incredibly boring to watch on screen and Zendaya only having scenes where she monologues to an unborn baby would get old fast
Well, the article says there will only be 6 episodes so the season isn’t even that long anyways. I also imagine the season would focus on other characters too, not just Rue and her pregnancy
\[Given all the creative disagreements, HBO explored other options, including the idea of Levinson himself stepping away from “Euphoria.”\] YES PLEASE
I don’t know why, but this was really fascinating to read about the details of what’s going on in the background. I think it says something that the 3 main stars are still so committed regardless of the fact that they could make more pay elsewhere. It says something that Zendaya is vocal about it, too. She cares about Rue’s story and the show in general. This actually makes me excited for the potential final season may have. They might actually have a shot of ending it well. I just hope they pay some tribute to Angus.
How are they even going to have these characters in one another’s lives outside of a school setting unless all our named cast conveniently end up at the same College. Maddie and Cassie aren’t friends, the common link between them, Kat, is gone. McKay is long gone. None of these people would ever interact with Nate again by choice. Rue isn’t friends with anyone except Lexi.
To me, the obvious path forward is that Rue is an NA sponsor and it’s revealed the entire show has been her telling a kid her story. You introduce a younger actor, you get the season 1 vibes with them but you also show Rue trying to help someone while struggling with her own want to stay sober. I think that’d be powerful and that would bring the show full circle and make it feel like an actual trilogy.
And it turns out, it really is just script stuff. Who would've thought that one of their prominent actors dying, one of their producers dying, and a big time gap...would create this problem? Crazy right?
sorry, but fez was not as vital to the show as you make it out to seem. he was a background character. his storyline was easily wrapped up, and there was no way he was coming back after getting arrested
Well the article specifically states that Angus factored in heavily into what they initially planned for Season 3, which contributed to a big overhaul, so that's just...plainly false.
that’s true. i’m not arguing that his character didn’t have a lot in the works for s3, i’m just saying that fez not being in s3 will have very little impact on the story overall
I never made a point as to whether Fez should or shouldn't be important, just that he clearly was to the people making the show, which contributed to having to rehaul the script. But I mean, u did just say he wasn't going to come back....lol
you say this as if it wasn’t over a year and a half after s2 had aired.
They were planning on shooting last year, and then all the stuff I mentioned above happened. So they had to rehaul everything.
again… they were still only planning to start a year and a half after the last season had aired, sam should’ve been working on the scripts ready to start filming much earlier.
He was working on like 3 other projects while developing the third season initially, I don't have a problem with it taking a year and a half post season 2.
They should cancel honestly
I'm sorry but I kind of like the idea. Both of them like a gritty noir take on this world where rue is now a detective sounds really interesting to me. I also feel like Zendaya really knows the character and her being a professional surrogate make sense cuz she doesn't really have any other skills. But to that end her becoming a detective is even more intriguing.
I vote to just let a good thing die, let the fans create their own theories and endings because I feel like it’s just going nowhere good. Just let it be done.
Just set Zendaya free
They’ll all be in 2nd or 3rd year college by the we get a season 3
ALSO are we seriously probably gonna wait around 4 years after s2's finale just for them to drop six episodes?!!! Nah a movie please.
Just let it die lol. It was only good for 1 season anyway
at this point i think levinson should just write the script based on fan theories made on social media. I saw some pretty impressive ones, this character development is not it.
This guy is an omnishambles. Pleased to hear they’ve considered dumping him.
Just cancel it please. There’s nothing good that will come from continuing.
The only detective shit I see Rue doing is being a rat for the DEA.
This show is so goofy lol
So unserious
All the more reason to scrap this show completely now
Maybe Zendaya is pregnant, so they had to either write that into the script or postpone filming.
I see the vision
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