{"id":4741,"date":"2026-06-02T13:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/?p=4741"},"modified":"2026-06-02T13:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:38:14","slug":"sam-levinson-finally-admits-why-euphoria-season-3-ending-is-so-messy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/2026\/06\/02\/sam-levinson-finally-admits-why-euphoria-season-3-ending-is-so-messy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Levinson finally admits why the Euphoria season 3 ending is so messy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sam Levinson is getting candid about the behind-the-scenes difficulties in making Euphoria<\/a> season three, and his post-finale comments explain why the ending – and the story up until that point – feels so messy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The third chapter of the HBO<\/a> series felt like an entirely different show, and part of that is due to the time jump. But it\u2019s no secret that the narrative choices have raised a few eyebrows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rue, Jules, Maddy, and Cassie all find themselves involved in differing forms of sex work<\/a>, Kat is nowhere to be seen (which we knew already due to Barbie Ferreira\u2019s exit), Faye\u2019s dating a Nazi, and Lexi spent the entire season judging everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for Nate, he spent the entirety of season three getting beaten up and having his various appendages removed, before meeting his untimely demise from a snake bite<\/a>. And that\u2019s before we get to the controversial absence of Labrinth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the cast’s star power has grown significantly since the start of Euphoria, viewers have questioned whether increasingly busy schedules affected the story, particularly as many of the characters spent surprisingly little time together on screen.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Jacob Elordi confirmed to <\/span>Variety<\/span><\/a> last year, \u201cI don\u2019t really know what anyone else is doing. It\u2019s all quite separate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Levinson, fans weren’t entirely wrong to suspect that practical realities played a role in shaping the season’s unusual structure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam Levinson reveals how Euphoria\u2019s cast impacted season 3<\/h2>\n
\"Cassie
Credit: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the latest episode of <\/span>Popcast<\/span><\/a>, the Euphoria creator<\/a> confirmed that the cast\u2019s busy schedules did impact season three, as it meant they had to switch up the way they told the story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zendaya<\/a>, Sydney Sweeney<\/a>, Jacob Elordi, and Hunter Schafer are all A-listers in their own right. Co-host Joe Coscarelli asked Levinson how the \u201clogistical puzzle\u201d of getting them together was, and if he got what he wanted out of the character arcs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLogistically, it was very tough,\u201d Levinson replied. \u201cWe had to crossboard all eight episodes. It’s 178 days of shooting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Elaborating on the meaning of \u201ccrossboard,\u201d he explained, \u201cFor instance, when you shoot a show, usually you’ll shoot scenes from, say, two episodes at a time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis season we would do a scene from episode eight in the morning, a scene from episode three, and another scene from episode one\u2026 just because of schedules.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n