Fans of “Euphoria” are calling for the cancellation of the show over the introduction of more provocative scenes.
The backlash is largely focused on Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard, who in the new season takes on the lifestyle of an OnlyFans creator. Creator Sam Levinson has yet to address the criticism directly, but has previously defended his work, saying we live in a “sexualized world.”
Sydney Sweeney herself has also not responded, though she has previously shown that she has no issue playing the role.
Sydney Sweeney Appeared In More Provocative Scenes For Season 3
After waiting four years for the third season of “Euphoria,” fans of the show have expressed dissatisfaction with how creator Sam Levinson chose to portray Sydney Sweeney’s character, Cassie Howard.
Some critics have accused the show of leaning into “disturbing” and “misogynistic” storylines, in relation to how Sweeney’s character is featured in even more provocative scenes than in previous seasons.
In one scene, the actress is dressed as an adult baby with her legs spread upwards in a seductive manner, while another shows her styled as a dog on a leash, wearing only lingerie to cover her body.
She is also featured in other revealing scenarios, including one where ice cream drips down her chest and another where she is wrapped in a soaking wet, see-through American flag.
In yet another scene, she is shown wearing only a nude thong for what appears to be a baseball-themed shoot.
See some of the scenes here.
Sydney Sweeney Was Criticized For Acting The Provocative Scenes
Beyond the criticism of Levinson writing such scenes into the script, most fans struggled to understand why Sweeney agreed to perform them despite their highly provocative nature.
A user asked, “How is Sydney even agreeing to do this season of Euphoria?” while another said, “Why would Sydney agree to doing allat… weird.”
One netizen, who, like many others, described the scenes as a “humiliation ritual,” also claimed they could no longer bear seeing Sweeney in such situations.
“Please god i cant keep seeing Cassie degrade herself in the most embarrassing ways imaginable,” the individual noted.
One other person called for the outright cancellation of the show, while questioning the essence of the new storyline.
Syndey Sweeney Was Excited About Her Character On The Show’s Third Season
On her part, Sweeney appeared to have no issues acting out the scenes, as she gushed about her character during the premiere of season three.
“I mean, Cassie’s a crazy character,” the actress told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “She will do anything and at all costs to be famous this season, and she makes a lot of very wild and interesting choices.”
She has also previously talked about her raunchy scenes, noting that she doesn’t have a problem playing such roles, while calling out a “stigma” against actresses who appear nude on screen.
The New Season Has Suffered Poor Reviews From Critics
Amid the backlash from fans, “Euphoria” season three has also been poorly received by movie critics.
The New York Post described the storyline as “lazy writing,” adding that it “sacrifices depth for absurdity.”
“For Zendaya, Elordi and Sweeney, ‘Euphoria’ launched them into stardom, and now it brought them back for material that doesn’t meet their talents,” read the outlet’s review.
Ben Travers of IndieWire described the show’s plot as “maddeningly inert” compared to previous seasons.
He added, “Most characters aren’t changing, nor are their motivations to change clear to them or novel to us. The result is a start to the supposedly final season that grows old instead of up, while evoking a once-unthinkable question: How could ‘Euphoria’ become boring?”
Meanwhile, season three of “Euphoria” is currently the lowest-rated season of the series on Rotten Tomatoes, sitting at 40%, which is approximately half the rating of seasons one and two.
‘Euphoria’ Creator Previously Defended The Explicit Nature Of His Work
Levinson has not directly responded to the criticism targeting his show, but he likely has no plans to change his style, given the defense of his work at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
At the time, he shared that his work reflects the reality of young teenagers today, particularly how they are often interested in exploring their sexuality through exposure to pornographic material.
“We live in a very sexualized world,” he said at the festival. “The influence of pornography is really strong in terms of the psyche of young people.”
For now, only two of the season’s eight episodes have been released, with the next expected to debut on April 26, followed by weekly releases until the finale.
