Fans of the popular series, “Euphoria,” starring Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, are excited for the return of season three after an extended delay following the pandemic.
Though years have passed in both the storyline and since the last season aired in 2022, not much has changed for Sweeney’s character in terms of her provocative scenes.
She portrays the series’ character Cassie Howard, a sweet but insecure high schooler with a desperate need for male validation and often objectified by men who encourage her to make destructive decisions.
The character is frequently shown in revealing scenes or suggestive settings, and the trailer suggests she’s leaning into that persona as part of her career.
In the nearly three-minute clip, Cassie is no longer taking her clothes off for free. Set five years after high school, the new season will show her attempting to monetize her image by launching a subscription-based content platform.
Dressed in a bunny costume with ears that displays playful cosplay elements, Cassie is seen filming provocative content, with the help of either her nanny or a housekeeper recording. In one scene, she’s shown in a garden striking exaggerated poses, while another shows her positioned on a bed as she records herself.
“I was just filming content,” she tells her partner, Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi, — who also happens to be her former best friend’s ex. Despite that history, Cassie becomes involved in a secret relationship with Nate, even though he is the on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend of her best friend, Maddy Perez.
Toward the end of the new trailer, Cassie is shown once again posing provocatively. Another major update reveals that Howard and Jacobs are now engaged and, judging by the footage, appear headed for the altar. Still, tension surfaces before they get there, as Jacobs voices his unease about her continued online content.
“I work all day,” Jacobs says in one scene from the trailer. “My bride-to-be is all over the internet.”
“Euphoria” follows the life of Rue, played by Zendaya, who struggles with a drug addiction in high school. The show explores themes like self-esteem, relationship issues, and family drama through the backgrounds and stories of the people in her friend group.
One X user shocked by Howard’s scenes in the trailer wrote, “OF on a series..Didn’t see that one coming.”
Another viewer who appeared eager for Sweeney’s character shared two screenshots from the garden scene, adding, “Honestly, take my money.”
Daily Mail readers were similarly fixated on Sweeney’s figure, a recurring reaction whenever the actress wears form-fitting or revealing looks. One commenter summed it up bluntly: “They’re real, and they’re spectacular!”
Others leaned into broader commentary, with one reader questioning, “Why? It sounds like it would make a pretty good storyline for that type of series. Young people have to really look at those things these days.”
But one critic who wasn’t interested in seeing the actress without her clothes typed, “Can she do anything without taking off her clothes?”
Sweeney discussed her comfort with revealing scenes and being unclothed on camera, explaining that although she’s felt uneasy on other sets, she didn’t have that experience on “Euphoria” due to the show’s director, Sam Levinson.
Sweeney opened up about her comfortability when it comes to getting bare for the camera. She said she felt the discomfort on other sets, but didn’t feel that way on the set of “Euphoria,” thanks to director Sam Levinson.
“Sam is amazing,” she told The Independent in 2022, “there are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it’. I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me.”
“Euphoria” season 3 premieres on April 12 on HBO Max.
