Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, and more return, but temporary cast absences rocked the surprising premiere episode.

Here’s what happens after Euphoria season 3 time jump that leaves 2 major characters missing from premiere

Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, and more return, but temporary cast absences rocked the surprising premiere episode.

Joey Nolfi

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

April 12, 2026 10:00 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer on 'Euphoria' season 3. Credit:

Patrick Wymore/HBO; Courtesy of HBO; Eddy Chen/HBO

**This article contains spoilers for *Euphoria* season 3, episode 1.**

- *Euphoria* season 3 returned Sunday, featuring a five-year time jump from 2022's season 2 finale.

- Rue (Zendaya) now works as a drug mule for Laurie (Martha Kelly), while her story intersects with characters both new and familiar.

- Though they'll return in future episodes, the season 3 premiere doesn't feature Jules (Hunter Schafer) or Cal (the late Eric Dane).

*Euphoria*'s major season 3 time jump has given its central characters about five years to process the eternal mystery: "Is this f---ing play about us?"

While Lexi's (Maude Apatow) infamous season 2 stage production chronicling *Our Life* was *very much* about the explosive dynamic of her central friend group (Zendaya's Rue, Alexa Demie's Maddy, Sydney Sweeney's Cassie), season 3 picks up in even more dramatic fashion — and in an entirely new locale, far removed from the hazy, suburban California hamlet of East Highland.

Sunday's premiere opened "somewhere in Chihuahua" Mexico, with Rue admitting that she's been up to "nothing good" since high school. It's a point driven home by the fact that we also see her literally driving a beat-up station wagon over the border between the United States and Mexico, as she smuggles drugs for charming queenpin Laurie (Martha Kelly). Following the events of season 2, Laurie tracked Rue down and forced her to become a personal mule after informing Rue that, with interest accrued, her former $10,000 debt now stood at $43,887,000.

Rue and Faye (Chloe Cherry) now live with Laurie back in California, in a run-down home where Laurie's operation has grown to include drug manufacturing with assistance from her cousin, Harley, and his son, Wayne (whom Rue suspects is inbred).

Zendaya in 'Euphoria' season 3.

Between gigs swallowing drugs and smuggling them south for Laurie, Rue often travels to Los Angeles to visit Lexi, who now lives in an apartment of her own while holding down a steady job working as an assistant to an Emmy-winning TV executive (Sharon Stone) on the set of a popular TV show, *L.A. Nights*, that stars a young heartthrob actor named Dylan (Toby Wallace).**

Concealing her real source of income from Lexi, Rue tells her longtime friend that, when she leaves the city for extended periods of time, she's actually visiting her sister, Gia (Storm Reid, who didn't return to the cast for season 3), who's at the "top of her class" in college. She also urges Lexi to call her former romantic interest, Fezco (the late Angus Cloud, who died in 2023), who's still alive in the world of the show, despite serving 30 years in prison after the emotional SWAT showdown that led to the death of his adopted brother, 12-year-old Ashtray (Javon Walton) in the season 2 finale.

Meanwhile, despite ex-friend Maddy's ominous season 2 warning about abuse she'd likely endure at the hands of Nate (Jacob Elordi), Cassie and her now-fiancé live in a mansion in a conservative suburb of the city. Nate — who drives a Tesla Cybertruck — has taken over his father Cal's (the late Eric Dane) building business, while Cassie is a stay-at-home aspiring tradwife who quells her daytime boredom by filming scantily clad videos for social media (naturally, Nate disapproves).**

Zendaya thinks 'Euphoria' is ending after season 3: 'Closure is coming'

Popular 'Euphoria' artist slams show, announces exit from industry in fiery social media post

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter*****.**

Listless yet in love, Cassie recognizes her stagnant existence at home, and wants to prove to everyone back home that she's made something of herself. The only way she can do that now is to have a lavish, expensive wedding — something she's inspired to do after seeing on social media the professional success her estranged pal Maddy has found as a celebrity manager in Hollywood.

Cassie pressures Nate to spend $50,000 on a floral arrangement she wants for their upcoming nuptials, though Nate — who desperately seeks investors to construct a major senior living facility as his milestone project for his business — balks at the price. Cassie proposes becoming an OnlyFans model to pay for the flowers, and, after she threatens to leave him if he doesn't comply, Nate reluctantly agrees to the endeavor.

Despite Cassie's jealousy over Maddy's success, the show also teases that Maddy's professional life isn't as glamorous as it seems. Still, we're told that Maddy is working for a high-profile talent agency, managing influencers and actors — including the aforementioned Dylan.

Sydney Sweeney in 'Euphoria'.

Throughout the episode, Rue also flirts with leaning full-on into religion. On a drug run at the start of the episode, we see her take up shelter for an evening with a conservative family on a homestead in El Paso, Texas. She marvels at their simplicity and the untainted happiness they feel, unburdened by the toxic struggles she and those in her life face in the city.

During another heartfelt conversation with fellow recovering addict and her longtime pal Ali (Colman Domingo) at a diner (the exterior of which is notably framed by the camera in a nod to Edward Hopper's famous 1942 painting "Nighthawks"), Rue tells him that she's increasingly inspired by the power of God.

Moonlighting as an Uber driver, Rue begins listening to an audio recording of the Bible. On a late-night run with a passenger in the car, Rue hears the phrase "let there be light" on the voiceover. Then, at the same moment, a flash of lightning jolts across the sky, further convincing Rue that she's on a divine path in pursuit of hope.

Alexa Demie in 'Euphoria' season 3.

The episode concludes in dramatic fashion, setting up a potential war between Laurie and savvy strip club mogul Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). On a run to deliver products to Alamo's secretive estate, Rue wanders into a party populated by sex workers under Alamo's umbrella. Alamo takes a liking to Rue, despite her intrusion, and the pair form a playful bond — until one of Alamo's girls drops dead after ingesting Laurie's drug supply that was accidentally laced with fentanyl.

Alamo holds Rue hostage, and, testing fate and Rue's admission that she wants to work for Alamo because she thinks God brought them together, he places an apple atop her head and attempts to shoot it off. He succeeds, and an unscathed Rue celebrates her new lease on life and faith in the divine as the episode ends.

Maude Apatow in 'Euphoria' season 3.

Patrick Wymore/HBO

It should be noted that, though they've been announced as returning main characters, Jules (Hunter Schafer) and Cal (Dane) don't appear in the *Euphoria* season 3 premiere.

Maddy briefly mentions Jules in the middle of the episode, though, telling Lexi that she heard that Jules is working as a sugar baby. Cal, whom we last saw in handcuffs after Nate tipped off police about his abusive father's whereabouts, also appears in the season 3 trailer, in a moment that seemingly shows him reconnecting with Jules in an unknown location.

While *Our Life* might've debuted and fizzled out five years ago, it seems that Rue's new exploits could provide an incendiary second act before the curtain falls on the show in the episodes ahead.

*Euphoria* season 3 — which is set to feature more guest appearances from Natasha Lyonne, Trisha Paytas, recording artist Rosalia, and more — airs Sundays on HBO.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Drama”