Euphoria fans don’t have much to be euphoric about. Barbie Ferreira has announced that she won’t be returning for the show’s upcoming third season, and neither will her fan-favorite character Kat.
Ferreira shared the news on her Instagram story. “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character, Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” Ferreira wrote. “I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did, and that [it] brought you joy to see her journey into the character she is today.
“I put all my care and love into her and I hope you guys could feel it,” she continued. “Love you Katherine Hernandez.”
Barbie Ferreira announces via IG Stories she is leaving EUPHORIA. pic.twitter.com/rIsJRYHuGH
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 24, 2022
The message was accompanied by Ferreira’s “first Kat fan art,” a drawing by her co-star Hunter Schafer, who’s also been in the headlines lately. Not a great week for the Euphoria crew.
Unfortunately, plenty of people saw Ferreira’s departure coming after her character’s presence on the show was massively reduced from Season 1 to Season 2. There were rumors that Kat’s plotlines for the season were cut after Ferreira had disagreements with creator Sam Levinson, including an incident where Ferreira walked off set. Ferreira never confirmed those suspicions, but now that she’s off the show, maybe we’ll get more behind-the-scenes tea.
Kat went from having a whole episode about her to 4 lines in euphoria s2 like baby I knew something was coming
— HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@keyon) August 24, 2022
Regardless, cutting Kat from the show is just another messy element to a supremely messy show. Euphoria’s second season got mixed reviews for its lack of narrative structure and massive unresolved plotlines (What is Rue gonna do about those drugs she was supposed to sell? And does she even care??). Ferreira’s departure doesn’t bode well for Season 3 being any better.
kat is now gone, nate’s still alive, rue ain’t never sell those drugs like she was supposed to, ashtray is dead, fez in jail and cassie is a loser…the vision for euphoria’s third season is just so- pic.twitter.com/ESSDt2R6jC
— austin (@austinstwt) August 24, 2022
Maybe Ferreira’s lucky to have gotten out of Euphoria when she did before it inevitably goes even further off the rails. Anyway, she’s booked and blessed, appearing in Jordan Peele’s Nope this summer and Apple TV+’s Afterparty earlier this year. Hopefully, whatever she does next will have a little less drama and a little more thought put into its writing.
sam levinson offered no resolution for any of kat’s struggles. instead he made her a teenage camgirl, had her emotionally manipulate her boyfriend, then he practically turned her into a nonspeaking background extra. now she’s gone completely yeah that makes sense
— tia witcher extraordinaire (@cursedhive) August 24, 2022