Ahead of its release, here’s everything you need to know — because a lot has happened, and beyond Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, it’s easy to forget the details.
Where did we leave off?
Stay with us — it’s complicated. Season 2 was particularly chaotic, featuring drug dealers, conflicts with parents, legal troubles and tensions among the characters themselves. In the finale, a play written by Lexi (Maude Apatow), loosely based on her life and those of her friends — prompting the iconic line, “Wait, is this fucking play about us?” — sparks confrontations. Nate (Jacob Elordi) breaks up with Cassie (Sydney Sweeney), Cassie clashes with Lexi on stage, and Maddy (Alexa Demie) joins in, physically attacking Cassie.
Nate reports his father Cal (the late Eric Dane) to the police for his sexual misconduct, including encounters with underage partners that he filmed, effectively turning him in. The season’s most tragic moment comes when Ashtray (Javon Walton) is killed in a shootout with police, despite Fez’s (the late Angus Cloud) attempts to defuse the situation.
By the end of the season, Rue once again attempts to get clean and embarks on a path of apologies, including to Ali (Colman Domingo), Lexi and Elliot (Dominic Fike). The episode closes with Rue’s narration: “I stayed clean through the end of the school year. I wish I could say it was my decision. In some ways, it was just easier.”
But is that where the story ends? Of course not.
What can we expect in the new season?
The plot jumps forward five years, moving beyond high school. Rue is now in Mexico, trying — in creative ways — to repay her debt to drug dealer Laurie. Cassie and Nate are married and living in the suburbs, Jules (Hunter Schafer) studies art, Maddy works at a Hollywood talent agency and Lexi is an assistant to a showrunner played by Sharon Stone.
Who returns, who joins and who leaves?
Returning cast members include Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, the late Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow, Colman Domingo and Dominic Fike. New additions include singer Rosalía, Sharon Stone and Natasha Lyonne.
Dane, who portrayed Cal Jacobs, died this year after battling ALS, making this his final on-screen appearance. Angus Cloud, who played Fez, died in 2023 before filming began; it remains unclear how the show will address his absence. Barbie Ferreira left the series due to creative differences.
Will there be another season?
Zendaya, speaking this week on The Drew Barrymore Show, suggested the upcoming season may be the last. “I think so — it feels like we’re nearing a conclusion,” she said.
Her remarks echoed earlier comments by HBO’s head of drama, Francesca Orsi, who suggested the third season is expected to conclude the series, noting the possibility has been discussed and that viewers are likely to be satisfied with how the storylines are wrapped up.