As “Euphoria” fans trashed the show’s “incoherent nonsense” online, Sydney Sweeney emerged as the one bright spot viewers couldn’t stop praising.
Sweeney as Cassie Howard wrangled a python while nearly nude as she filmed content for her OnlyFans account in Sunday’s episode of the hit HBO show. The 28-year-old actress also posed for bikini photos at a strip club. “so what do you mean there’s a deadly snake that cassie takes pictures with and that its right next to her on the poster?” a viewer questioned on social media.
Sweeney’s character later makes the decision to delete her OnlyFans account after landing a role on a TV show.
The episode’s over-the-top scenes quickly sparked backlash online, where frustrated viewers questioned the season’s direction and piled on criticism of the HBO drama.
SYDNEY SWEENEY’S RISQUÉ ‘EUPHORIA’ WEDDING SCENE SENDS SOCIAL MEDIA INTO FRENZY
“what even is the plot for euphoria this season wtf,” one X user wrote.
“whole season of euphoria has just been some incoherent nonsense,” another added.
“euphoria isn’t even a fun entertaining kinda bad anymore it’s just a snooze fest,” one critic wrote.
“The decline of this show is honestly unbelievable,” a user wrote on Instagram.
“worst season ever,” another added.
Still, even some of the show’s harshest critics admitted Sweeney continued to stand out amid the season backlash.
“SYDNEY SWEENEY THIS EMMY IS YOURS #euphoria,” one user wrote on X.
“People can say what they want but you have to admit Sydney Sweeney kinda has done some good work on #Euphoria this season and that’s not a glaze,” another wrote.
“Like how is Sydney Sweeney out acting most of these people,” one social media user wrote. “this is tragic.”
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The majority of the criticism stemming from the last season of “Euphoria” comes from Sweeney’s character. Critics have accused HBO of reducing Cassie to a repetitive cycle of “humiliation” that stalled her storyline.
Sweeney has faced criticism each week since the show’s premiere on April 12. Sweeney’s portrayal of Cassie has focused largely on the character’s desire to start an OnlyFans account in order to pay for an extravagant wedding she planned to have.
“Sydney Sweeney in season 3 is literally just humiliating her. I don’t get how they don’t see that it’s not about this, her role is reduced to basically HUMILIATING HER, she’s not gonna win any awards like that,” one user wrote on X, before referencing a future scene. “They dress her like a baby, pretending to be a baby with a pacifier for what?”
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Premiering in 2019, “Euphoria” is the show that helped launch and solidify the careers of many cast members – including Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Zendaya.
The dark suburban teen drama has also featured more established figures like Colman Domingo, who has received two Best Actor Oscar nominations in the last few years, and the late Eric Dane. And it’s given visibility and recognition to other actors: Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow and Barbie Ferreira. Angus Cloud, another of its breakout performers, died in 2023.
