When HBO’s Euphoria first hit screens in 2019, it was billed as a groundbreaking drama—raw, stylish, and unflinching in its depiction of suburban adolescence. The show’s neon-soaked visuals, pulsating soundtrack, and emotionally charged performances, particularly from Zendaya, quickly made it a cultural touchstone. But few viewers realized that the story’s origins lay far from Los Angeles, in a short-lived Israeli series that aired years earlier and vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.
The original Euphoria premiered in Israel in 2012 on the Hot 3 channel, running for just one ten-episode season. Created by Ron Leshem, who would later serve as an executive producer for the American adaptation, the Israeli version was as uncompromising as its successor—if not more so. According to Collider, the series opened not with addiction or heartbreak, but with a murder inspired by the real-life killing of teenager Ra’anan Levy. This act of violence shattered the community and propelled the narrative, centering on Kino, a traumatized boy who coped by imagining his dead friend was still alive. The show’s unsparing approach to teen sex, drugs, and violence sparked a conservative backlash, ultimately contributing to its early demise. Unlike its American counterpart, the Israeli Euphoria never enjoyed a streaming afterlife or the kind of global exposure that might have saved it from obscurity.
Yet, as fate would have it, this obscure Israeli drama became the unlikely blueprint for one of HBO’s biggest hits. When Sam Levinson adapted Euphoria for American audiences, he didn’t just translate the script—he reimagined it through a distinctly modern, American lens. The result was a show that, while sharing DNA with its predecessor, diverged in ways both subtle and profound.
In the Israeli series, the protagonist Kino serves as the narrator and emotional anchor, observing the fallout from his friend’s murder and the ripple effects on those around him. This outsider’s perspective gives the show a true crime edge, with trauma and guilt woven into the fabric of every episode. By contrast, HBO’s Euphoria places Rue at its center, inviting viewers deep into her psyche as she battles addiction and grief. The American version is less about a single tragedy and more about the relentless pressures facing today’s youth—compartmentalized pain, societal expectations, and the search for identity in a world saturated with technology and temptation.
Many beloved characters from the HBO version have loose counterparts in the Israeli series, but their arcs and personalities are often drastically different. Fez, played by the late Angus Cloud, becomes Deker in the original—a cold, manipulative abuser who experiments with drugs and ultimately meets a grim fate in the Israeli Defense Forces. Kat’s journey of body confidence is mirrored by Noy, whose story ends not with empowerment, but with an HIV diagnosis. The American show’s Ashtray is reimagined as Tomer, a menacing figure who commits murder on a live stream before fleeing the country. Some of HBO’s most iconic characters—Jules, Maddy, Cassie, Nate, and Lexie—are absent from the Israeli version altogether, narrowing the focus and placing more narrative weight on Hofit, the Israeli parallel to Rue.
The contrasts don’t stop there. Where the Israeli Euphoria is marked by its unsettling distance and refusal to comfort, HBO’s adaptation is all about immersion—pulling viewers into the emotional storms of its characters and making their struggles feel immediate and personal. Trauma in the American version is filtered through a lens of style and spectacle, with adversity transformed into something both consumable and endlessly discussed on social media. As Collider notes, the American show packages turmoil in glitter and meme-ready moments, sanding down the edges while keeping its core grit intact.
Despite their differences, both versions of Euphoria have courted controversy. The Israeli series faced intense criticism for its graphic content, which many felt was too raw and explicit for its audience. In the U.S., Euphoria has become HBO’s most controversial show, drawing fire for its unflinching portrayal of teenage sex, drug use, and violence. As Screen Rant reports, the show’s explicitness is particularly contentious because it centers on teenage characters, a fact that has led to backlash from parents’ groups and critics alike. Yet, unlike network teen dramas such as Gossip Girl or Dawson’s Creek, Euphoria is unbound by traditional television standards—giving its creators the freedom to push boundaries in ways that few others can.
Now, after a three-year hiatus, Euphoria is poised to return for its highly anticipated third season in April 2026. The break between seasons was extended by a perfect storm of factors: the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that brought much of Hollywood to a standstill, the tragic deaths of Angus Cloud and executive producer Kevin Turen, and the skyrocketing fame of the show’s young cast. Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi—once relative unknowns—have become some of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, making scheduling a new season a logistical feat.
Season 3 promises major changes, including a five-year time jump that will see the characters navigating life after high school and college. According to Screen Rant, Rue will be in Mexico working to pay off her debts to Laurie; Maddy and Lexi will be forging new careers in the entertainment industry; and Cassie and Nate will be engaged, living in the suburbs, with Cassie struggling with social media addiction. Several high-profile newcomers, including Natasha Lyonne, Danielle Deadwyler, Eli Roth, and Marshawn Lynch, are set to join the cast, adding fresh energy to the ensemble.
The show’s return also raises questions about how its controversies will evolve. With the time jump, the main characters will be in their early 20s, potentially shifting the focus—and the criticism—away from teenage behavior. Still, some of the core issues remain. Euphoria has long been accused of glamorizing trauma, mental health struggles, and dangerous behavior. As Screen Rant points out, the upcoming storylines for Cassie and Rue in particular are likely to keep these debates alive, even as the characters age out of adolescence.
Yet, for all the hand-wringing, Euphoria endures because it refuses to look away. Whether filtered through the stark realism of its Israeli origins or the stylized chaos of its American reinvention, the show continues to ask hard questions about pain, identity, and the price of growing up in a world that rarely offers easy answers. As the new season approaches, fans and critics alike are left to wonder: will Euphoria continue to shock, provoke, and captivate—or has its moment finally passed?
