Euphoria Fans Criticize Sydney Sweeney's Cassie Arc as Repetitive Humiliation

Fans criticized HBO's "Euphoria" after its latest episode for turning Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie Howard into a repetitive cycle of humiliation that stalls her storyline.

The backlash built after viewers called the first few season three episodes shocking and disturbing. Following Sunday's fourth episode, complaints focused on Cassie's repetitive, excessive and directionless scenes. In the episode, Cassie paused her marriage to Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi, and dove into her OnlyFans career. She attended an influencer party, kissed another girl and used drugs to boost her online attention.

"Is anyone else getting kinda bored with the Cassie humiliation ritual?" one user asked online. "Like what else honestly? What is going to happen with her character outside of this? Where is her character gonna go?"

"Cassie rubbing coke and on her p---y," another user wrote, sharing a video captioned "Really? classless."

One commenter reacted to Sweeney's influencer party outfit: "What in the f---? This was not on my bingo card for what she would wear. As hideous as it is she does look f---ing incredible."

"Everyone in euphoria is acting in the sense they couldn't get out of that contract except for sydney sweeney she seems excited which's worse," a user said.

Some fans praised Sweeney's portrayal of Cassie as compelling. "Can't lie sydney can act down! i genuinely thought cassie was about to overdose for a sec," one wrote.

"I hate how likable sydney sweeney is in this season of euphoria," another said. "she's eating that role up."

"Cassie chewing these only fans scenes up no shade," an X user added.

Sweeney has drawn weekly criticism since the season premiered April 12. Her Cassie fixates on launching an OnlyFans account to fund an extravagant wedding.

"I've no words for Sydney, this scene [is] actually terrible," one user said of a scene where Cassie poses as an adult baby for OnlyFans content.

Viewers accused show creator Sam Levinson of humiliating Sweeney through the OnlyFans plot. "Sydney Sweeney in season 3 is literally just humiliating her," one X user wrote. "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. They dress her like a baby, pretending to be a baby with a pacifier for what?"

"Euphoria," which premiered in 2019, boosted careers of cast members including Sweeney, Elordi and Zendaya. The dark teen drama also stars Colman Domingo, a two-time Best Actor Oscar nominee, and the late Eric Dane. It brought recognition to Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow and Barbie Ferreira. Breakout performer Angus Cloud died in 2023.