HBO’s Euphoria is missing one prominent cast member for Season 3. Barbie Ferreira, who plays Kat, revealed on her Instagram story last month that she won’t be returning for the next season. “After four years of getting to embody the most special and enigmatic character, Kat, I’m having to say a very teary-eyed goodbye,” captioned the actress with a fan art of her character made by co-star Hunter Schafer. “I hope many of you could see yourself in her like I did and that she 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. Love you Katherine Hernandez,” she added.
Rumours were already abuzz that there was a fallout between the actress and the creator of the show, writer-director Sam Levinson, over the character arc of Kat. Ferreira’s absence from the show’s premiere only added to the speculation.
As for Season 2 that ended on a dizzying note, fans were left with a bunch of questions. Did Ashtray (Javon Walton) really die? What does the future hold for Fez (Angus Cloud)? Will Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddie (Alexa Demie) ever make up after that horrible betrayal?
One big question persisted. Why was Kat barely present in
Season 2? Ferreira’s character felt disarmingly different from the Kat in Season 1, where she was one of the main characters. In Season 2, she was surprisingly downgraded to a supporting act.
KAT KOOL
In Season 1, Kat had one of the most compelling character arcs among the ensemble. Euphoria charted the generic high-school transformation of Kat to ecstatic new heights. The metamorphosis from an insecure and shy girl (who is also the lone virgin among her friends) to her sharp contrast to her corset-clad, online alias Kitten Kween was one of the smartest turns in Euphoria. She even made her way through the online maze to fulfil her Amazon wishlist, steadily transforming her attire and lifetsyle back in school. When Ethan (Austin Abrams), her classmate and eventual love interest comments, “You look different,” she instantly replies, “I changed.”
The big Kat highlight? Kat making the local mall her own runway with a confidence to die for. “There’s nothing more powerful than a fat girl who doesn’t give a f***!” she says. With Kat, Euphoria presented a thrilling take on the subject of plus-sized representation on screen, where the character breaks free from any stigma and shame pertaining to her body and her choices.
SUPPORTING ACT
Cut to Kat in Season 2, when all Ferreira is made to do is to play second fiddle to the sour relationship between Cassie and Maddie, with the writing never really giving us any scope to look at Kat’s perspective on all of this. The scene that did leave a mark, did so for all the wrong reasons. Restless and unhappy with Ethan, she feels stuck and lonely in her quest to truly understand what is keeping her from being happy. So she eventually decides to break up with him in one of the most ridiculous bits of the show, where Kat tells Ethan that she has a “terminal brain disorder”, which is why they need to spilt. Worse, she tries to put the blame on him for doing so.
Ferreira’s departure from the show certainly is a big blow to Euphoria’s fate for Season 3 that is currently in production. The rest of the cast — Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi — are all slated to return.
According to reports, Ferreira stated her disappointment to Levinson in the way her character was treated, and didn’t agree with where her storyline was headed. Along with this, there were also reports of an unhealthy work environment with long hours of shoots. Whatever might be the reason (carefully kept under wraps), all we know is that Euphoria won’t be the same without her. Kat was one of the most compelling characters in the show and Ferreira made her shine bright. She deserved better.
