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While the initial episode or two of Euphoria <\/em>season 3 were such a jarring shift in tone from the original, it seemed like nothing could be salvaged here, now, by episode 5, it\u2019s easier to get used to the show this has turned into. It is not Euphoria <\/em>seasons 1 and 2, despite sharing actors. Half these characters have undergone personality transplants, and the entire genre has flipped. But the new, not-Euphoria <\/em>show that\u2019s arrived is innately entertaining and watchable. At least hate-watchable. And people are still watching.<\/p>\n HBO’s viewership for season 3 of Euphoria <\/em>spiked dramatically for its premiere, a 44% jump despite it being almost 4 years since the last season, when many shows can see returning viewers cut in half. People wanted to see what on earth would happen here.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the ultimate embodiment of Knives Out\u2019s<\/em> \u201cIt makes no damn sense. Compels me, though.\u201d Every week, viewers flock to social media to express shock at the episode or be offended, and then they\u2026 tune in next week to do it again.<\/p>\n Rue is no longer an emotionally compelling character as she was in the last two seasons of the show, but she is doing a great job as a pawn in a war between criminal factions, even if, again, this has turned into what is effectively a western.<\/p>\n This week I think we got to see a good version of Maddy being unleashed. She\u2019s not exactly successful yet, but she was singlehandedly responsible for blowing up Cassie, and now she\u2019s adding other girls to her \u201cstable.\u201d She could pretty much co-lead future seasons of the show.<\/p>\n Sydney Sweeney is on a generational run this season. An absolutely 150% committed performance to the absurdity of season 3 Cassie, allowing herself to be turned into a boundary-pushing parody of Sweeney\u2019s real-life sexualization, which has become innately tied to her \u201cbrand.\u201d It\u2019s hard not to think of the whole thing as meta commentary, but she has thrown herself into this more than I\u2019ve seen her in any other role. Even though she\u2019s busy with many other projects, she might want to consider sticking around.<\/p>\n I do sort of hate what they\u2019ve done to Nate, one of the personality erasures in question, but what screen time Jacob Elordi has had in these later episodes, he\u2019s done a good job, and I think if they \u201cfix\u201d him a bit, he could get where he needs to be. I do think that both the show and the actress have no idea what to do with Jules at this point. Hunter Schaefer is the only one acting like she\u2019s in the old Euphoria, but that no longer fits with what the show has become.<\/p>\n Euphoria <\/em>is insane now. But maybe the new show it\u2019s become deserves to keep coming back for more.<\/p>\n Follow me <\/strong><\/em>on Twitter<\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/a>, <\/strong><\/em>YouTube<\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/a>,<\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/a> and <\/strong><\/em>Instagram<\/u><\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n