Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi slammed for 'embarrassing' Euphoria scene of 'humiliation ritual'

Viewers of Euphoria have been left questioning one scene in the latest season of the hit show.

The latest season of the hit TV show has now been released, but one scene has already got some fans questioning what the script is putting the characters through, involving cast members Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney.

Euphoria is set in the fictional town East Highland, California, and has become known for its frank and sometimes uncomfortable depictions of sex and relationships as it charts the characters' struggles with addiction.

The scene in question sees Elordi's character Nate Jacobs holding Cassie Howard, played by Sweeney, on a leash, with her wearing a corset, a headband with animal ears, and makeup to look like a dog's nose.

This is engaging in 'puppy play', where one submissive participant takes on the role of a dog, including behaving that way and receiving praise or admonition from the dominant partner.

Jacob Elordi also features in the scene (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

Grasping the leash, Elordi says the line: "You've been a bad, bad dog", which Sweeney's character responds to by looking up at him and saying: "Woof woof".

The moment drew criticism on social media with one person writing: "This is so embarrassing even for Jacob. But, how Sydney Sweeney can agree to do something like this? It's like a humiliation ritual."

Another said: "Stop that whole scene gave me second hand embarrassment, I was cringing so bad just waiting for it to be over. Omfg."

But another person argued that this scene was in keeping with the chaotic character that Sweeney plays on the show.

"Girl, it's called acting," they wrote. "Sydney's playing a messy character on a show that's always been wild and unhinged.

"If it was too much for her she wouldn't have signed on People acting shocked like they haven't seen Euphoria before lol."

Season three of the show has seen the characters leaving high school behind and trying to carve out lives for themselves.

The scene in question involves Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for FIJI Water)

Set five years after where we previously left them, the first few episodes have seen Cassie trying to raise money to pay for her wedding by selling explicit content on OnlyFans.

Oddly, this is not the first time that Elordi has had to play in a scene involving puppy play.

One segment in Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights adaptation documents Heathcliff and Isabella engaging in a BDSM-relationship, with Isabella enjoying behaving like a dog for Heathcliff when Nelly visits them at Wuthering Heights.

This was markedly different from the relationship in the book, where Heathcliff physically abuses Isabella, who flees the relationship to save her unborn child.