HBO’s gritty drama Euphoria has finally returned to our screens after four years – but unfortunately, not all of the cast and crew lived to see its third run.
The Sam Levinson series paid tribute to its late stars, Angus Cloud and Eric Dane, as well as producer Kevin Turen, at the end of its season premiere on Sunday (12 April).
Cloud starred as loveable drug dealer Fezco in Euphoria’s first two seasons. He died aged 25 from an accidental overdose in July 2023.
Grey’s Anatomy star Dane, who played Nate’s dad Cal on the HBO show, died in February from respiratory failure after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND), last year. Dane appears in the current season of Euphoria, having filmed his scenes before his death.
Euphoria’s new episode pays tribute to the two actors at the end of the credits, with a black screen reading “In Memoriam” alongside each of their names.
The show also remembers Turen, an executive producer on the show, whose credits include the 2018 film Assassination Nation, the 2020 film Pieces of a Woman, the slasher film series X, and the upcoming David Oyelowo drama Newborn. The film and TV producer died in November 2023, aged 44, from multiple heart issues.
While Dane reprises his role as Cal in the show, Cloud died before production began on the current series. However, Euphoria is keeping its character alive, with last night’s episode revealing that he was imprisoned after the events of the season two finale.
We last saw Fez as his home was raided by a SWAT team, with the episode ending in a dramatic shootout between him and the armed officers. With season three picking up five years on, viewers quickly learn that he survived the shower of machine gun bullets.
In the episode, Zendaya’s character Rue tells Fez’s ex Lexi (Maude Apatow): “You know, you really should call Fez.” When Lexi says that she’s too busy and argues that their hours don’t line up, Rue adds: “Just pick up the phone and call him. It’s not like he’s going anywhere. He’s in prison for 30 years.”
The show creator Levinson previously said that he wanted to “keep [Cloud] alive” through his character after the actor’s tragic death. He told Variety earlier in April: “Losing Angus was really hard for us as a production. I loved him very deeply.
“I wanted to deal with that. I wanted to deal with questions about faith, about a power greater than ourselves.”
While airing on HBO in the US, Euphoria is available to watch in the UK on Sky and NOW.
