The latest season of Euphoria is finally here, and while fans are watching the new episodes of Euphoria Season 3, a familiar argument has come back stronger than ever. The show’s famous look—those deep blues, purples, sparkles, and dreamy yet painful visuals—is being credited to photographer Petra Collins instead of series creator Sam Levinson. Many viewers now believe that the heart and soul of the show’s style came from her, not the person running the show.
Euphoria Season 3 premiered on April 12, 2026, on HBO and Max in the United States. For viewers in the UK, the show became available on the same day on Sky Atlantic and NOW. Australian fans can watch new episodes weekly on Binge and Foxtel. In India, Euphoria Season 3 started streaming on April 15, 2026, on JioHotstar. The season will have eight episodes releasing every week, with the finale scheduled for June 3, 2026. This season jumps five years ahead, showing the characters as adults dealing with bigger problems.
Petra Collins’ Original Vision for the Show’s Aesthetic
The connection between Petra Collins and Euphoria goes back to before the first season ever aired. Collins, a well-known Canadian photographer and director, has a style that focuses on teenage girlhood, glitter, body image, and bright neon lights mixed with soft focus. When Sam Levinson was creating the show, he reached out to her team because he wanted to base an entire presentation on her work.
Collins flew to Los Angeles and spent four months working on a project for the show. She directed and helped shape what the world of East Highland would look like. But HBO told her she was “too young” to lead the production and dropped her from the project. She believed that was the end of it, and her ideas would not be used.
But a year later, she walked out of her apartment and saw a billboard for Euphoria. She told Hungarian magazine Punkt that it was exactly a copy of her work. She started crying right there on the street because she felt her art had been taken.
“I walked out of my apartment and saw this billboard [for ‘Euphoria’], and it’s exactly… a copy of my work. I started crying. I was so shocked.” – Petra Collins
Collins explained that this visual style was everything she had built her career on. After the show became popular, she felt she had to completely change her own art because her look had been taken from her and made famous by someone else.
Fans Notice the Difference in Season 3
Now that Euphoria Season 3 is airing, fans are doing a lot of comparing. The new episodes have a different feel. Without needing to stick to the high school setting, the lighting and camera work have changed. Some viewers say the magic is gone.
On social media, people are pointing out that the first two seasons had Collins’ fingerprint all over them. The glitter tears, the bathroom lighting, the messy but beautiful bedroom shots. Season 3 looks more like a regular HBO drama. The neon is still there, but it feels less personal.
One fan wrote on Twitter that watching Season 3 makes it obvious who really made the show special. They said the soul of Euphoria was Collins, and without her influence, the new episodes just feel like a different show. Another viewer commented that Sam Levinson gets all the credit for a look he did not create.
Sam Levinson’s Denial and the Behind-the-Scenes Tension
A source close to Sam Levinson told Collider that he denies Collins’ version of events. The source said Levinson was a fan of her work and hoped they could work together, but nothing was ever promised to her. The source also added that the final decision on who works on the show comes from the network, not just from him.
But the problems do not stop with the visual style. Euphoria Season 3 has had a very difficult road to the screen. There were four years between Season 2 and Season 3. Reports came out that Zendaya and Levinson had a falling out during the wait. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Zendaya was unhappy with Levinson spending time on his other show The Idol instead of focusing on Euphoria. She reportedly met with HBO leaders to ask why the third season was taking so long.
At the Season 3 premiere on April 7, 2026, eagle-eyed fans noticed a video showing Zendaya and Levinson on the red carpet. When Levinson tried to get her to come over for photos, her publicist stepped in and moved her away. Viewers on Reddit discussed the moment, saying it looked like she had planned an escape route.
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Tragic Losses and a Bittersweet Final Season
Euphoria Season 3 also carries a heavy emotional weight because of the people the show has lost. Angus Cloud, who played Fezco, passed away in July 2023 at the age of 25. His character’s storyline had to be changed for this season. Eric Dane, who played Cal Jacobs, died on February 19, 2026, after a battle with ALS. He was 53 years old.
Dane makes his first posthumous appearance in Episode 2 of the new season, titled America My Dream, which aired on April 19, 2026. In the episode, Cal visits his son Nate at home. The two share a conversation that is surprisingly calm compared to their fights in earlier seasons. Viewers noticed that Dane was mostly sitting down during his scenes, as the disease had already affected his health when filming took place.
The episode included a title card at the end that read, “In remembrance of Eric Dane. 1972-2026.” Levinson told Extra that he promised Dane no matter what shape he showed up in, they would make the scenes work.
This season is likely the last one. Levinson told Variety that he writes every season as if it is the final one, and he has no current plans for a fourth season. The show brought in new cast members for this final run, including Rosalía, Marshawn Lynch, Natasha Lyonne, and Sharon Stone.
For global audiences, new episodes of Euphoria Season 3 release every Sunday on HBO and Max in the US. UK viewers get episodes on Sky Atlantic on Mondays. Australian fans can watch on Binge. Indian viewers get new episodes every Wednesday on JioHotstar until the finale on June 3, 2026.
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