‘Youth’ Episode 3 Release Date, Time, Preview, and Where to Watch

Sharon Horgan’s new HBO comedy ‘Youth’ is settling into its regular rhythm, and fans who devoured the two episode premiere are now counting down to the next chapter. The next episode will air on Sunday, September 27, 2026, and it will be available on HBO and HBO Max in the US.

The series follows Alex, Horgan’s character, a divorcee in her 50s juggling a career, aging parents and a teenage son. With the show narrowing its focus after a busy launch, viewers want to know exactly when and where to catch up with Alex’s unfolding story.

Youth Episode 3 Release Date and Time

Sharon Horgan’s HBO comedy has now started its weekly release rhythm after beginning Season 1 with two episodes. The third episode is set to arrive on Sunday, September 27, following the two episodes that dropped on September 20.

The episode is titled ‘Welcome to the Rat’s Nest.’ In the US, new episodes are scheduled for 10 p.m. ET/PT on Sundays, with streaming available on HBO Max.

Looking further ahead, the schedule continues with one new episode each week, with the fourth landing on October 4 and the fifth on October 11. The full season plan lists episode six for October 18 and episode seven for October 25, with the finale set for November 1.

One review noted that a different finale date had circulated elsewhere, so it is worth double checking closer to the end of the run. Given how closely HBO has kept to its Sunday pattern so far, a major shift seems unlikely, but the note is a fair reminder for anyone planning their week around the season’s close.

Where to Watch Youth Season 1

For viewers in the United States, the answer is straightforward. ‘Youth’ airs on HBO at 10 p.m. ET and streams the same day on HBO Max, so anyone who misses the live broadcast can catch up whenever it suits them.

Cord cutters have another route in as well. New Hulu subscribers can watch ‘Youth’ during a free trial when one is offered, though the HBO Max add on must be included in the Hulu plan, which is convenient for anyone already inside that ecosystem.

International audiences are not left out either. Australian viewers can stream ‘Youth’ on HBO Max, and the series is also available through the HBO Max Prime Video Channel in Australia. Those who want to download episodes for offline viewing can do so through the HBO Max app on a supported phone or tablet, as long as their plan allows offline downloads.

Availability windows can shift depending on region, so it is worth checking local listings before Sunday night arrives. The series carries a TV-MA rating, since the comedy drama deals with sex, dating, adult relationships and mature language, which makes it best suited to older audiences rather than family viewing.

What to Expect From the Episode 3 Preview

Details on the third episode remain fairly limited for now. The title, ‘Welcome to the Rat’s Nest,’ has been confirmed, but no official synopsis has been released for it, so much of what happens next is still speculation.

What is clear is where the story left off. In the first episode, Alex deals with an unexpected diagnosis, her son Ruari’s graduation stunt, her ex’s plans to move to Canada and a date with an older man, while the second episode has her meeting one of her literary agency’s most valuable authors, trying to get Ruari to open up and reconnecting with Patrick.

The next chapter has two immediate questions to address, namely what forced Ruari to leave university, and whether Alex can rebuild a relationship with Patrick while her son’s crisis occupies her home. Those threads give the season a clear emotional throughline heading into its more measured, one episode a week phase.

Alex’s arthritis diagnosis is also likely to remain part of that balancing act even if it does not dominate the next plot, since the locked jaw introduced earlier gave physical form to a larger idea, that she can no longer push through every problem by talking faster, working harder or pretending that time has not changed her. How much of that theme carries into episode three should become clear once it airs.

Inside Sharon Horgan’s HBO Comedy

‘Youth’ is a romantic comedy series created by Sharon Horgan that premiered on HBO on September 20, 2026, with Horgan serving as creator, writer and executive producer through her production company Merman. Dawn Shadforth directed the series and also serves as an executive producer, alongside Faye Dorn and Jim Kleverweis.

Rupert Friend plays Patrick, Sharlene Whyte plays Sam, Aran Murphy plays Ruari and Robbie Gee plays Frank, rounding out the household of relationships surrounding Alex. Damian Lewis also appears in a cameo as himself in the first episode.

Critics have generally responded warmly to the premiere. In its review, Variety pointed out how closely ‘Youth’ maps onto Horgan’s own life story, drawing comparisons to her earlier work on ‘Pulling’ and ‘Catastrophe,’ a quality Horgan herself has described as auto fiction y, a distinction the outlet explored in its own critical assessment of the series available at <a href=”https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/youth-review-sharon-horgan-hbo-1236866119/”>Variety</a>.

Other outlets have echoed that sense of lived in honesty. One recap described the premiere as bawdy fun for most ages, noting how Alex’s post graduation dinner with her ex husband, his new girlfriend and her aging parents sets the tone for the show’s mix of comedy and discomfort. The same piece highlighted how the title itself plays on the idea that a person’s fifties can be considered the youth of old age.

With the premiere already generating steady critical conversation and a clear set of unresolved threads heading into week three, ‘Youth’ looks positioned to hold its audience through the rest of its eight episode run. What do you think will break first for Alex, the truth about Ruari’s exit from university, or her chances with Patrick.