Everything You Need to Know About ‘Euphoria’ Season 2

In the midst of a remarkably difficult year, Euphoria has touched down and blessed us with some random cheer: the second of the show's two special "bridge" episdoes will appear on HBO this very weekend. Thank—I cannot stress this enough—god.

Since season 1 ended, fans have been absolutely itching for more of the dark drama, which follows the life of Rue, a drug-addicted high school student who’s navigating friendships while trying to stay in recovery. It stars every young actor you’re obsessed with right now: Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Barbie Ferreira, Maude Apatow, Hunter Schafer, and, duh, ZENDAYA.

While details on the second season are still pretty scarce, there’s still plenty to get you hyped. Here’s all the info we have so far.

First of all, it’s HAPPENING.

HBO confirmed the show was officially renewed for season 2, which is major, major news. The streamer announced the new season on its social media channels, much to the joy of Zendaya’s many rampant stans.

 

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#EUPHORIA has been renewed for season 2 ? pic.twitter.com/5QvRZKfLAr

— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) July 11, 2019

 

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YAAAAAAAAAS pic.twitter.com/BJ0kD77Bib

— hailey ? (@WaywardHailey) July 11, 2019

The two special episodes will serve as “bridge episodes.”

On October 20, HBO confirmed that two special episodes had already been produced during the coronavirus pandemic and both would serve to “bridge the gap” between seasons 1 and 2, per Deadline. The first bonus episode, titled “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” followed Rue at Christmastime and starred Zendaya and season 1 castmate Colman Domingo. Zendaya herself confirmed the episode will air at 9 p.m. ET December 6 on HBO.

The second bridge episode focuses on Jules, and it doesn't have a name, but it does have a trailer:

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part two: jules
stream it early friday at 9pm et/6pm pt on @hbomax. pic.twitter.com/DOpixn4itM

— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) January 19, 2021

And it hits HBO Max tonight and regular HBO later this weekend! Hunter Schafer co-wrote the episode, so that's incredibly exciting. It looks like it might take place partially in a therapist's office, but it's not totally clear.

Back in August, Zendaya had hinted at the possibility of bridge episodes during her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “We might end up doing a little bridge episode,” Zendaya said. “I don’t really know how to describe it, but an episode that we can do with a limited amount of people in a safer environment…so we have something to live on until we are able to go into season 2.”

Zendaya also mentioned the idea to InStyle during her cover interview. “There is an idea to do a couple of bridge episodes that can be shot safely but aren’t necessarily part of season 2,” she said. “So hopefully we will be able to do those in the coming months. I can’t wait.”

Zendaya isn’t going anywhere.

The day the news of the second season originally broke, Zendaya tweeted to say how excited she was. She wrote, “Literally just got the call. Can’t say thank you enough for the support we’ve seen, wow….”

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Literally just got the call. Can’t say thank you enough for the support we’ve seen, wow... https://t.co/XJtdQaWaL9

— Zendaya (@Zendaya) July 11, 2019

Maude also posted the news on her Instagram Story, so it looks like she’s just as thrilled as we are.

A bunch of other cast members commented on the actual Instagram post, including Storm Reid (who plays Rue’s little sister), Hunter, Barbie, and Alexa Demie (who plays Maddy). Basically, everyone is pumped, but that’s not a natural guarantee that the entire cast will return.

The cast has already started preproduction on the second season.

Per the official Euphoria Instagram account, the cast of the show has already conducted their first (?) table read. A picture of Zendaya and Angus Cloud was posted with the two of them reading through their official season 2 scripts!

 

“Here we go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the caption of the photo said. AH, WE CAN’T WAIT.

 

That said, the bridge episodes will have to tide us over for a while.

Unfortunately, production delays caused by COVID-19 mean we have a ways to go before we see the actual debut of season 2. HBO teased the new season as a 2020 release but quietly removed the announcement later on.

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we’re pausing production, for now, to make sure everyone on our cast and crew stays safe.

don’t worry.

we’ll be back stronger than ever before?

— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) March 16, 2020

 

“We were supposed to go back to work, I believe, on March 16. And three or four days before that, they were shut down,” Zendaya told MJ Rodriguez during Variety’s Actors on Actors interview. “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. I think all we ever wanted was for people to feel seen through our work. And so that’s all I want to continue to do, to show the human side of what addiction does to a person. Hopefully, I get to get back into my Chucks and do it again.”

 

The first season took eight months to shoot, so TBD on when we’ll see new episodes.

 

We have no idea what the plot of either the bridge episodes or season 2 will be yet.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last August, a reporter asked Jacob what the deal is for season 2, and he said he had no idea. “I know nothing about season 2. When we were making season 1, I knew nothing about season 1,” he said. “We kind of just go for it."

If we’re lucky, though, it’ll include more One Direction fanfic and Nate abs appearances.

In that same interview, the reporter asked Jacob if he wants Nate to have a redemption arc in the new season.

“Whatever it is, I want him to have a life and I want it to be honest,” Jacob said. “I truly don’t have any qualms about which direction it goes. I mean, obviously, it would be a lovely story if he turned out to be a real sunflower and lit up the world. But I definitely want it to be just true and real to his experience and I want it to kind of make sense. And I’m not sure what that looks like.”

 

We’ll see the ramifications of Rue’s relapse.

There was some confusion after the finale about whether Zendaya’s character did, in fact, relapse, but Hunter confirmed it to Entertainment Weekly. In talking about Rue’s decision to leave Jules at the train station, she said, “And while she does relapse, I think that that decision can sort of be seen as a glimmer of hope, maybe, and that she’s not making decisions around this sort of toxic idealization of Jules.”

The second season will probably deal with the consequences of that decision.

There probably won’t be too many seasons total.

While the show was renewed for a second season, it definitely won’t be one of those shows that goes on forever. The characters are high schoolers, obviously.

“Well, [the characters] are in high school, so there are only so many seasons it can go,” HBO president Casey Bloys told TVLine. “There’s a time limit.”

HBO is planning on letting the creator, Sam Levinson, make the call on that. “We’ll follow [Sam’s] lead on that,” Bloys said. “There is no set plan. But I don’t think you want 30-year-olds playing [high school students].”

So yeah. Get pumped for season 2, but maybe prepare yourself for that to be the last season ever. Sorry!