The 'Euphoria' Kids Aren't In High School Anymore, Get Over It

"One of the most common criticisms against returning for a third season after its long delays, unexpected deaths, and rumored creative differences was that the characters no longer looked like they could be in high school. Therefore, writer-creator Sam Levinson began Season 3 with a five-year time jump, showing us where the East Highland kids ended up after graduation."

"In the May 17 episode, for example, Hunter Schafer's Jules slapped the hell out of Zendaya's Rue after she chastised Jules' sugar-baby arrangement, reminding her that it probably won't end well. Yes, the moment made all of us feel sad for Rue, but it also prompted criticisms on Reddit that Jules has lost her optimism, charm, and "emotional depth." Readers, that's part of growing up."

"By this point, it's clear that Jules didn't have the art school experience she'd dreamed of and fell into escorting. After getting a reality check like that, you tend not to be as bubbly or hopeful as you once were. Now, she's living rent-free in her sugar daddy's spare high-rise condo and has all the time in the world to paint whatever she wants. Jules has made the best out of a bad situation, and when Rue points out that it won't last forever, it feels like a threat to her survival."

"Meanwhile, many fans have complained throughout the season that Jacob Elordi's Nate has lost his edge, no longer acting like a dangerously aggressive meathead who was violent to nearly everyone in high school. And for some reason, that's a bad thing?"

A five-year time jump places East Highland characters after graduation, addressing concerns that they no longer looked like high school students. Some fans criticize adult versions of characters for not matching their earlier optimism, charm, and emotional depth. In a May 17 episode, Jules reacts violently when Rue chastises her sugar-baby arrangement, leading to sadness for Rue and online complaints about Jules’s personality shift. The change is linked to Jules’s lack of the art school experience she wanted and her descent into escorting, which reduces her earlier hopefulness. Jules lives in a sugar daddy’s condo and paints, while Rue’s warnings feel like threats to Jules’s survival. The narrative also notes complaints that Nate has lost his aggressive edge, questioning why that change is treated as negative.

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