Last year, the good folks at HBO gave us another edgy series to become ridiculously obsessed with: Euphoria. If you’ve been living under a rock, it’s basically Degrassi, but on steroids molly, Xanax, Fentanyl, and whatever other drug the kids on the show are doing. Toxic relationships, assault, addiction, and teen pregnancy were all covered in the first season’s eight episodes, but the East Highland students’ stories are far from over. If you’re caught up in its heady rush, you’re in luck—the show is returning for round two. Here’s everything we know so far, including the latest update on filming.
When will Euphoria return?
We don’t have an exact date for season 2, but on Monday, October 19, HBO announced that two new Euphoria episodes will arrive soon. The first will premiere in December, while no other date has been confirmed for the second ep.
“We really missed them. Two special Euphoria episodes coming soon,” Zendaya, who plays main character Rue on the show, wrote on Instagram. “First one December 6th on @hbo.”
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Last December, HBO confirmed on Twitter that Euphoria will return sometime in 2020. Of course, at that point no one knew a global pandemic would upend every plan set for the new year. “My favorite thing to do in the world is watch great TV. But watching hype sizzle reels is a close second. See what’s available to stream now and what’s coming in 2020,” the network captioned a video of its 2020 releases, which opened with a shot of Rue and Jules at the carnival in season 1.
In July 2019, HBO announced it would be renewing Euphoria for a second season. “Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has built an incredible world with an extraordinary cast led by the supremely talented Zendaya,” Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming, said in a statement. “We are so grateful that he chose HBO as the home for this groundbreaking series. We look forward to following these complex characters as their journeys continue through the challenging world they inhabit.”
Following the announcement, Zendaya reacted to the news. “Literally just got the call. Can’t say thank you enough for the support we’ve seen, wow,” she tweeted after the news was announced.
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Season 1 premiered on June 19 and quickly became the most buzzed-about show of the summer.
Has the show started filming?
A first taste of season 2 came on March 11, when the official Euphoria Twitter account shared a photo of Zendaya (Rue Bennett) and Angus Cloud (Fez) sitting side by side at a table read. The photo was captioned, “here we go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!” suggesting work on the new season is in full swing. However, filming delays due to the coronavirus pandemic has affected when the season will premiere.
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Zendaya confirmed that production on the second season halted mere days before filming was set to start. “We were supposed to go back to work, I believe, on March 16,” she told Pose‘s Mj Rodriguez during a virtual Variety conversation. “And, literally, three or four days before that, they were shut down. I was like, ‘I was so close.’ We did camera tests and hair and makeup tests, and we got to see everybody and we had the sets built.”
She added, “I mean the scripts were written and I was just so excited—just to go back home is really what it feels like. But of course, this has all happened and I’m just grateful that I’m in the position I’m in. I can’t complain. I’m very lucky to be safe and healthy and still know that I have a job, Euphoria, that will be there.”
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What will season 2 be about?
Season 1 introduced us to Rue, a troubled 17-year-old (Zendaya Coleman) who grapples with drug addiction after an overdose. Then comes her new best friend Jules (Hunter Schafer), with whom Rue falls in love; some more high school drama—abusive relationships, drug dealing, substance abuse, etc.—and a bunch of equally messed up and horny teens. By the time the finale aired, we were left with a laundry list of questions.
- What’s actually going on with Rue? Is she alive or dead?
- Does Jules really love Rue?
- Why isn’t Nate in jail already?
- What will happen to Fez following his robbery?
- What’s next for Cassie after having an abortion?
- When will Maddy realize her worth and leave Nate alone for good?
- Again, why the hell isn’t Nate in jail?
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In late February, Storm Reid, who plays Gia, told Entertainment Tonight, “I have no information, other than my character is supposed to be developing and becoming her own. So I am very excited about that.”
She later told ELLE.com that the scripts she had seen for the show “are pretty incredible.” As for where Gia and Rue’s relationship heads in the second season, Reid said Rue has turned Gia’s life “upside down.” “I feel like this season we’ll really get to see who she is outside of just being Rue’s little sister,” Reid explained of Gia’s arc. “She will really become her own person and her own character and she really is growing up in the show, which I love.”
Will Euphoria address the pandemic?
The dark subject matter at the center of the show often mirrors real-life conversations surrounding sexuality and drug use. But will season 2 tackle COVID-19? According to Reid, not as far as she knows. “None of the scripts I read have the elements of being smaller or relating to the pandemic,” she told ELLE.com. “I think we’re just all waiting to see what’s going to happen. I know that Sam [Levinson, the show’s creator] is the only one who writes the scripts, so he’s very involved and puts his heart and his all into everything that goes into Euphoria. I can’t speak for everybody, but I think our hope right now is to get over this and be able to go back into production like we planned and do it safely.”
Who’s returning for season 2?
Hopefully, everyone! HBO left a lot of loose ends, so fingers crossed next season picks up right where we left off. Season 1 focused a lot on Rue, Jules, Nate, Maddy, Cassie, McKay and Kat. Fingers crossed Fez, Lexi, Gia, and Ethan get their stories told in the new season.
One new cast member joining the series: Waves tar Kelvin Harrison Jr. He confirmed his rumored casting in a recent appearance on Complex’s Watch Less podcast. “I wasn’t talking about it for a while but we’re in Quarantine, YOLO. Yes, I’m doing Euphoria. I’m excited,” Harrison told the outlet. “You know, right before quarantine we were about to start our first day, and then we got locked down, but the camera tests were sick, the fittings were sick, the table reads have been amazing. The scripts are so great and everyone is really excited for it. [Sam Levinson is] a great writer and a brilliant storyteller, and the aesthetic and world-building they do in that show is so unique and he really pushes boundaries, as well. So I’m excited to step into that space and do my part.”
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“I’ve never seen a character like this, period… I don’t think a character like this… I can almost argue that it has not been done,” Harrison said when asked about his secretive role. “It’s interesting, it is definitely a character of the time and that’s all I got. He’s interesting.”
Stream season 1 of Euphoria now
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