After almost three years of waiting, Euphoria returned for its second season in January 2022. HBO's critically acclaimed teen drama – with a first season that aired in 2019 – quickly became an audience favorite, so it's not surprising that Euphoria's second season was welcomed with a larger audience rating. Viewers were anxious to accompany Zendaya's Rue as she struggles with addiction in the middle of a tumultuous high school.

However, the excitement with the new season was quickly substituted by confusion when most of the season one plots, which were left unresolved in the last episode of that season, were forgotten or left aside – some in more obvious ways than others. In this way, Euphoria season 2 felt somewhat disconnected from the unknowns and questions that the end of season 1 left open. Despite this, season 2 of the show continued to maintain the overwhelming success of the first season. So much so that Euphoria season 2 was acclaimed by both fans and critics, despite its obvious problems in continuing some of the most interesting storylines of season 1.

Euphoria has been so successful that season 3 is already confirmed, although fans will have to wait until early 2024 to see the new episodes of their favorite show since the cast and crew will start filming in 2023. Perhaps, the next season will answer the unknowns that the series has dragged on since the end of season 1.

So, let's take a look at the season one Euphoria storylines that need to be resolved in season three.

Updated: August 2022 by Raquel Morales: If you love Euphoria, you’ll be happy to read this updated article that provides all the storylines that the show left open at the end of season 1 and must resolve in season 3.

Euphoria Season 1 Recap

Zendaya as Rue Bennett in Euphoria
Max

Based on the homonymous Israeli miniseries, Euphoria follows a group of teenagers dealing with experiences of trauma, abuse, love, friendships, identity, and more. The show stars Zendaya as the main character and narrator Rue, earning the actress her first Emmy Award and making her the youngest two-time acting nominee in Emmy History. The ensemble cast of classmates and friends consists of Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney, Barbie Ferreira, Maude Apatow, and Angus Cloud, while Eric Dane, Nina King, and Colman Domingo star as the show's major adult characters.

Related: The Most Brutally Honest Films About Addiction

Created and written by Sam Levinson, son of film director Barry Levinson, Euphoria has some famous people on its producer's board, such as rappers Drake and Future and actresses Zendaya and Hunter Schafer. The soundtrack is also star-studded, with Labrinth heading the score and making appearances in some scenes, too.

As anyone can see, it was destined for stardom since its creation, and, based on the audience rating and viewership, it will continue like this. But there are some loose ends with the storyline that, despite what fans expected, were not resolved in season 2 and remained pending for season 3.

Kat's Life Without Ethan

Barbie Ferreira in Euphoria
HBO

Barbie Ferreira's character Kat was one the most interesting in season one. As the inexperienced "fat girl" of the group, she achieves a new level of self-esteem after the traumatic experience of having a recording leaked, which led to the discovery that plenty of people are interested in the content. With some clients offering a lot of money, she refuses one, who then does everything possible to become a client, even buying her entire Amazon list. Kat eventually accepts the person as a client, only to find out they don't want to show their identity. Kat's plot in the first season ends with Ferreira's fearful face while performing in front of a black screen.

The storyline was left aside in season 2 for a not-so-interesting focus on Kat's relationship with her boyfriend, sweet and good guy Ethan (Austin Abrams). In the few scenes Kat has had in season 2, she barely does anything unrelated to Ethan and even had her lines muted during Cassie and Maddy's fight in episode five. Despite the speculation about backstage issues, Barbie Ferreira clarified that her lack of screen time in season 2 had nothing to do with any problem on set.

At the end of season 2, Kat and Ethan broke up, which, despite the sadness of the situation, may once again open the door for Euphoria to show Kat's life beyond Ethan as they work to get back together.

Nate's Lost Brother, Aaron

Euphoria
HBO

The Jacobs family can be problematic enough, but there's always something to make them look worse. In a Nate-focused episode, it's shown that there's a third Jacobs brother who is somehow missing. There's no other mention of the youngest Jacobs. Since only Nate's (Jacob Elordi) older brother Aaron makes an appearance in the family household, the audience believes that something bad happened with the child in the family portrait.

Related: Moments That Made Euphoria Season 2 So Memorable

But the story was abandoned in season 2, even with the storyline focused on Cal Jacobs, Nate's problematic father. Maybe fans can expect some news about the lost child in season 3.

Cassie's Trauma

Sydney Sweeney in Euphoria
Max (formerly known as HBO Max)

Cassie, played by the remarkable Sydney Sweeney, had such a tough time in season 2 that it is easy to forget her season 1 storyline was also pretty dark. She became pregnant by Chris McKay (Algee Smith) and had an abortion in one of the most memorable scenes of Euphoria so far.

However, Cassie's story in season 2 focused on a nowhere relationship with her friend's ex-boyfriend Nate Jacobs, and a rollercoaster of emotions emerged from there. Even with the hilarious scene of Rue telling Maddy about Cassie's relationship with Nate, something was missing in Cassie's story in season 2. But maybe what happened was a way for the character to deal with the trauma.