Warning: This article contains spoilers for season three of Euphoria.
An actor who starred in the third season of Euphoria says he understands the mixed reactions to it, and the show's creator confirms it was the final season ever.
The hit HBO series explores dark themes, including drug smuggling, the making of erotic videos, and the loss of fingers in bloody revenge scenes.
Some fans also argue that the show's stars, Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi, have outgrown the drama series, whose first and second seasons premiered in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
However, Toby Wallace, who plays neo-Nazi drug dealer Wayne, says the tone of the final season was deliberately changed.
The British-Australian actor, who has joined the star-studded cast of the series, told BBC Newsbeat that he understands the fans' feelings as he is a fan himself.
«"I remember walking into the room and thinking, 'Okay, this is definitely a different show, it feels different,'" he says.
The wedding of Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi's characters became one of the most talked-about moments of season three [Patrick Wymore/HBO]
Following the third season finale on Sunday night, series creator Sam Levinson gave an interview to the New York Times, confirming that it was the show's final episode.
Wallace says he believes the showrunner was deliberately not trying to "repeat or do anything that had already been done.".
«"I don't think you can say the atmosphere here is exactly the same as the previous two seasons, because in many ways it is not," says the 30-year-old actor.
«"He [Levinson] always strives to recreate and create something original.".
When Euphoria first aired, it became one of the defining series of its generation, but after a five-year hiatus, it returned to a more controversial reception.
But despite the harsh criticism online, Wallace believes the overall reaction has been "really good.".
Tribute to Angus Cloud: "truly magnificent.".
London-born Wallace rose to fame in 2019 playing Moses in the film "Babyteeth," before starring in the Netflix teen drama "The Society.".
He says that even before he landed the role on Euphoria, he was a big fan of the show and "watched every episode three times from start to finish.".
Wallace says being on the show was "a total wild dream" and credits Levinson for bringing up themes of "youth, loneliness, sex and drugs.".
«"He created something that never seemed to judge people in his writing," he says.
Zendaya plays Rue, who in the series ends up working for a drug dealer at a strip club [Eddie Chen/HBO]
Euphoria helped turn actors like Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi into Hollywood stars.
Wallace says working with such big names was "incredible" and the actors were "very kind and welcoming.".
He describes Zendaya, who plays Rue, as "a total movie star, but also incredibly, incredibly sweet.".
«"She's incredibly professional, she's incredibly detail-oriented," he told Newsbeat.
«"The way she moves from one emotion to the next and how well she knows this character, it's just incredible to be around her.".
One of the final episode's highlights was the tribute to actor Angus Cloud, who died in 2023 from an accidental overdose.
The 25-year-old actor played drug dealer Fez in the first two seasons, and Levinson used old test footage of Cloud and Zendaya to include him in the final episode.
Wallace called the gesture "just wonderful" and said it was "definitely the right approach.".
«"For me personally, Angus's performance on the TV show was a real inspiration," he says.
«"He was himself on the show, and I felt like, especially in the second season, he carried a lot of the role, and I just adored him as an actor.".
[BBC]
Listen to Newsbeat live weekdays at 12:45pm and 5:45pm – or listen to the recording here.
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