When Sam Levinson’s “Euphoria” debuted on HBO, the coming-of-age series quickly became a phenomenon. It provided Zendaya the platform to become the youngest two-time Emmy winner in history as well as the youngest person to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as high schooler Rue Bennett, undoubtedly the role that changed the trajectory of her entire career. Despite its edgy nature, “Euphoria” became a runaway mainstream success, one of the most discussed TV shows on social media, and the launchpad for a new class of Hollywood performers including Hunter Schaefer, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Eloridi, Storm Reid, and the late Angus Cloud.

Based on the Israeli series of the same name, “Euphoria” follows troubled teenage drug addict Rue after her stint in rehab, struggling to adjust to her life in Southern California and maintaining sobriety. She meets and quickly falls in love with Jules (Schaefer), but as the stress of life becomes too much to handle, Rue relapses and the butterfly effect is unfathomable. At the same time, her friends and community have issues of their own, allowing “Euphoria” to tackle taboo and provocative teenage stories often glossed over or sanitized.

Unfortunately, the drama didn’t stay on-screen, and “Euphoria” has been saddled with controversy and delays. Season 3 didn’t begin filming until three years after the premiere of season 2, and many of the show’s supporting characters will not be appearing for a variety of reasons. As of publication, seven different cast members seen in earlier seasons will not be returning for season 3 which, if HBO and Sam Levinson are wise, will be the final season of the show.

At the end of season 2, the young drug dealer and defacto “little brother” of Fezco, Ashtray, was shot to death. This means that actor Javon “Wanna” Walton will not be returning for season 3 because his character was unfortunately killed off. It was expected that season 3 would focus on Fezco’s grief and new direction in life in the wake of Ashtray’s passing, but in an even bigger tragedy, Fez performer Angus Cloud passed away at the age of 25. Fez was the heart of “Euphoria” and had recently begun a heartwarming arc with Maude Apatow’s Lexi Howard, so his absence will be deeply felt in season 3. Many fans believe the show should have been canceled when Cloud passed away, and I tend to agree because imagining the show without the relief of his deadpan observations just feels … wrong.

Storm Reid and Nika King, who play Rue’s sister Gia and mother Leslie respectively, will also not be returning, according to Deadline. Reid’s absence is due to scheduling issues and projects she is currently pursuing under her production company A Seed & Wings, while the reason for King’s exit is unknown. Due to the production delays, it’s been reported that season 3 will include a time jump that takes the characters out of high school, so it’s assumed that the lack of Rue’s family members appearing on the show will be excused by the fact she no longer lives at home. Regardless, having Gia and Leslie serve as a balance to the chaos of Rue and her friends’ lives was a vital component to keeping the over-the-top series feeling grounded, and it’s worrisome to imagine what Levinson will deliver now that he no longer has characters with one foot on the ground.

Austin Abrams, who played Kat’s boyfriend Ethan and later starred in the big school play in season 2, as well as the character Cassie’s ex-boyfriend Chris McKay, played by Algee Smith, have also been announced as not appearing in season 3. These exits make sense because given the time jump, it’s unlikely that Kat and Cassie’s high school boyfriends would be hanging around years later. It is still a bummer, however, because Abrams and Smith are both talented performers and really brought a lot to their roles. Luckily, they’re both staying booked and busy with Abrams set to appear in Zach Cregger’s highly-anticipated “Weapons” and Smith recently appearing in the LeBron James flick “Shooting Stars” for Peacock.

But one of the biggest losses of the series is undoubtedly Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat for the first two seasons. A main character, one of Rue’s closest friends, and one of the only examples of a complex plus-size character in the teen media space, Ferreira announced her exit back in 2022 due to creative differences regarding the future of her character. Abrams’ Ethan was likely written out of the series due to the lack of Kat, a shame because if any couple was going to last out of that high school, it would have been the two of them. “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character, Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” Ferreira wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post. “I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today.”

Euphoria season 3 is currently filming in Los Angeles and is slated for a 2026 release.