Spoilers for the Euphoria Season 3 premiere ahead. Hell has frozen over, because Euphoria is actually back. The HBO drama’s long-awaited third season finally premiered on April 12 after a four-year break, and writer-creator Sam Levinson left viewers with some very urgent questions. But perhaps the most important one is: Who’s going to die?
OK, I may be jumping ahead of myself. No one is confirmed to die this season, but given where everyone’s at in the season premiere, it seems likely to happen. It’s been almost five years since Zendaya’s Rue and her unhinged friend group at East Highland graduated high school, and while some of them have grown apart, it feels like none of them have grown up.
Rue isn’t entirely clean and still has to deal with her old dealer, Laurie (Martha Kelly), who employs her as a drug mule to repay her $10,000 debt that somehow ballooned to $43 million (girl math, I guess). Jacob Elordi’s Nate and Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie are still as toxic as ever, engaged and living in a suburban bubble, while his ex-girlfriend and her ex-BFF, Maddy (Alexa Demie), works for a talent management agency. Hunter Schafer’s Jules doesn’t appear in the first episode, but her friends know she’s a “sugar baby,” falling right into her attraction to older men.
Although their troubles are straight out of high school, they now have adult stakes. In the first episode alone, Euphoria feels more like a Western crime saga than the provocative high school drama fans spent two seasons watching. That isn’t a bad thing, but it does point to uncertain death. Here are the top contenders for who will die by the season finale.
Rue Bennett
The obvious answer to “who dies?” seems like Rue, who finally leaves Laurie’s drug operation at the end of the first episode — by entering another crime ring (this one involving strip clubs). Unfortunately, her new employer goes to war with Laurie, leaving Rue squarely in the crossfire. However, it’s hard to imagine that Levinson would really do that to our central heroine.
Faye Valentine
Poor Faye. Chloe Cherry’s lovably ditzy character knows no other reality outside of Laurie’s drug ring, and she’s only getting more involved by the looks of things. Sadly, Laurie’s crew doesn’t seem to find her all that valuable to their operation, which means they wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice her if needed.
Nate Jacobs
The Season 3 trailer shows that Nate gets the sh*t beaten out of him on several occasions, already making him a prime suspect for who won’t make it out alive, even before the premiere. He seems to have some financial struggles that are hindering his ability to afford Cassie’s dream wedding, and that’s likely where the violence stems from. As seen in Rue’s situation, no one on Euphoria plays when it comes to money.
Cassie Howard (soon-to-be Jacobs)
Cassie arguably gives off similar vibes as Chelsea from the latest season of The White Lotus, and you know how that played out. She’s not in immediate danger yet, but who knows where Nate’s business could take her? And while she won’t tolerate a “ghetto wedding,” she’d be exactly the type of girl to take the sword for her man — literally.
Lexi Howard
Euphoria is not above killing off our wholesome beacons of hope, like Ashtray in the Season 2 finale. Naturally, the only one that’s making something of herself (so far) is Cassie’s sister, Lexi (Maude Apatow), who is the assistant of a big-time Hollywood director (Sharon Stone). But even though Lexi is on her way to living the life she deserves, she can’t be counted out — especially when Rue still crashes on her couch occasionally, potentially putting her in the direct line of fire.
