There’s already been a lot of talk about Sydney Sweeney in Season 3 of Euphoria, and we’re only two episodes into the long-awaited third and (maybe) final season of the series. A lot of this has to do with the time jump and the actress’ character Cassie making money in an OnlyFans capacity. Even some real platform stars have weighed in on the role in the NSFW HBO Max series, and it turns out, what the HBO show is portraying is even more complicated in real life.
I wouldn’t blame you if you aren’t super familiar with the ins and outs of the subscription platform Euphoria is portraying, but actually there’s a real-life wrinkle to Cassie's story in Season 3. The UK is cracking down on rules that may impact OF content, and this specifically ties in with a scene we’ve already seen on the show.
You probably can infer what I’m talking about, but I will be getting into minor plot spoilers in this paragraph. At one point Sydney Sweeney dons a baby-inspired outfit and sucks on a pacifier in a much-discussed TV moment. It’s a scene that drew controversy when it aired, and per new rules, it’s the type of content that may get completely banned.
That type of content is described as “Age Play” and (per the UK) it may soon have ramifications. The new laws would specifically crackdown on adults pretending to be younger than they and would lead that content to be criminalized. This will reportedly start with criminalizing possession with the UK government noting further amendments would “criminalize publication” of the materials, as well. OF is actually hosted in London and is subject to UK laws as part of its global audience. In the near future, Cassie would perhaps have to look at different types of content for her burgeoning gig.
Obviously, the scene in question was already controversial when it came out. Factions of the Internet have talked widely about it, and many don’t seem happy. Separately, even Sydney Sweeney herself has said that nudity sometimes overshadows the good work she’s doing in Hollywood, and it’s been a bit of an out-of-body experience for her.
Euphoria has obviously never shied away from tough subjects. The honest portrayals of addiction have not been easy to watch, and the way the entire series has played out has been uncomfortable from start to the present. It’s important to note the actors are not their characters, despite that being a battle Ms. Sweeney says she sometimes has to face. Yet, I still wouldn't necessarily have expected the stories on the show to translate to real-life bans.
New episodes of Euphoria hit the TV schedule on Sunday nights on HBO and for anyone with an HBO Max subscription. We've seen clips from Episode 3, which very much will have a focus on Cassie and her wedding.
With the cast going on to do bigger and bolder things (Zendaya has Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune: Part Three coming up while Ms. Sweeney has The Housemaid sequel and Gundam), it’s the end of an era, but it’s certainly an era that has a lot of people talking.
