Sam Levinson, the writer, director and creator of “Euphoria,” sat down with Joe and Jon to explain why he felt it was time to end HBO’s juggernaut series. With its third season in seven years, “Euphoria” concluded a thrilling, provocative and tumultuous run with a cast of the defining young actors of the 2020s: Zendaya, who won two Emmys for her portrayal of Rue, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer and more. In this wide-ranging conversation, Levinson, himself a former addict, described staying true to his vision, his approach to shooting sensitive subject matter and the limits of empathy. 0:00 Intro + SPOILER ALERT! (watch the finale first?) 2:17 Why Sam decided to end the season this way 8:54 Does Sam identify with Ali’s character? 13:42 Rewriting the show for practical and personal reasons 14:33 Why was sex work a focus of this season? 19:48 The characters’ (and Sam’s) relationships to the internet 23:38 Generational divides and Sam’s optimism for the future 33:11 Why Sam thinks some viewers misunderstand his comedic writing 36:12 Sam addresses the show’s controversial language & imagery 40:22 Glamorization of drug use vs. the consequences 45:04 Sam responds to complaints of over-sexualization 47:25 Working with Sydney Sweeney 49:39 Did the cast’s busy schedules influence the storylines? 54:46 Sam’s film influences 58:47 What influenced the negative reception of Season 3? 1:06:15 Is this the official end of the show? 1:08:32 Snack time! 1:09:00 Working with Drake Follow Jon: https://twitter.com/joncaramanica https://www.instagram.com/joncaramanica Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/joecoscarelli https://www.instagram.com/joecoscarelli/ Listen to every Popcast ever https://www.nytimes.com/popcast Every episode of Popcast (Deluxe) on YouTube https://tinyurl.com/PopcastDeluxe Popcast Discord! https://tinyurl.com/PopcastDiscord Popcast Facebook! https://tinyurl.com/PopcastFacebook Popcast t-shirts & stickers http://itsthepopcast.myshopify.com Subscribe: http://bit.ly/U8Ys7n More from The New York Times Video: http://nytimes.com/video
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never let this man direct or write anything ever again
I think one of the most tragic things about Rue’s death is that she’d been abusing drugs the whole series but when she actually had a legitimate reason to take them it’s what ended up killing her.
Sam talks like he painted the monalisa
I know Euphoria and Sam Levison deserve criticism for its one dimensional and oversexualized and even mysoginistic portrayal of women in general in several moments. But I also think he deserves to be recognized for the amazing portrayal of addiction he did. Also as a director I think he was great this season despite all the writing problems so many people have already pointed out. The fact that he's also been an addict and clearly has his own view on it, drug trafficking and other issues who are often intertwined with it (prostitution, exploitation, very degrading situations) from experience is also something that made me empathize with him alot more. And this is coming from someone who was absolutely disgusted by many scenes from the first episodes this season. He's flawed but talented and can definitely tell good stories. I don't think him being cancelled or disappearing in Holywood is fair tbh and genuinely hope he can take the actual constructive criticism and grow and make future projects taking that into consideration. The Idol was a mess but he did alot of good work and has shown his talent and potential in several moments of Euphoria.
I love how there isn't a single woman in the room, which is honestly also how the show felt with how they wrote the female characters.
Did they ask about Labrinth/the changed sonic direction of the show and I just missed it? Come on music podcast!!
Rue overdosed yes. But why is no one talking about how she was also intentionally murdered?
I loved this season except for Nate's storyline. Felt kind of lazy. You could tell Jacob Elordi had moved on. Zendaya, on the other hand, did the damn thing. Hope she's nominated for an Emmy!
By far the best season, and finally a show with permanent consequences.
I feel like he’s not ok…that aside his sexism is def showing in this interview, like he sees women as one dimensional.
i never got the hate on this season i thought it was phenomenal
So many haters watch this show and that’s so depressing to me 😅 just trying actively to belittle the meaning of someone’s art instead of exploring ideas just because someone you’re not 100% in love with presented them… yall can’t minimize the impact, relevance, or realism of ALL THREE seasons of this generationally influential show. Shout out to Sam Levinson I can wait to see what you make next man ❤ (I loved the idol too, you guys need to really get into the characterization and dialogues in these shows bc they’re golden)
In the end, the American Dream ending up being enjoying time with your family and people you love sharing a meal while being self-reliant and off the grid and having a personal relationship with God was not at all how I saw Euphoria ending, but I dug it. There was a little bit of everything in there, with a lot of surprising Biblical themes and overtones.
No question about Labyrinth? The tea on that?
I may be one of the rare ones to say this, but I genuinely want to see what he's going to do with his career now that euphoria is over. You may make fun of his writing choices, but you can't deny that he isn't one hell of a director, like every frame of euphoria being wallpaper material.
As messed up as some scenes were for shock value. Tell me where Sam lied about what society is like? People don’t like him cuz he doesn’t give clear villain and hero stereotypes and people can’t handle that in tv cuz it makes them confront real life not provide escapism.
Sam is a very divisive character himself. He can be very passive aggressive, but he also has a heart. He’s a pretty hard egg to crack. I really cannot figure him out. I think he very much has a good side. I think he very much has a bad side as well like most of us, but his reality isn’t as hidden. It’s like his duality is very laid out for everyone to see. Very interesting guy.
The speech by Coleman Domingo at the end of the last episode was a direct condemnation of the fentanyl epidemic in this country by mainly in California, where people smoke crack and fetty wap right outside Whole Foods
this man has a drama with zendaya, barbie, labrinth, petra and many others. he’s not reliable nor trustworthy. no one can convince me otherwise. he ruined something that i love deeply and i will never forgive him. rip rue
Loved this interview. Haven’t heard Sam talk about euphoria that much so I like hearing his pov.