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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everbody wants to drag sam levinson, but there wouldnt be a tv show without the actors who accepted the roles ...
I’m scrolling through these comments and my god, why these Euphoria stans are crying bloody murder everywhere lol?
I want to know WHAT HAPPENED TO MAGICK!!
He is very insightful. A really good commentary on Gen Z (spoken as a gen z)
I really appreciate the thought that went into the entire show, this season, and the finale. As someone who has lost someone very close to me to the same sort of overdose Rue experienced, it felt very tastefully done with a lot of heart. Thank you!
The way he is speaking like he did the greatest thing ever is whats funny asf gave the characters no development just beyond shit writing
Him saying Jules is loving an easy life with no “risk”.. he thinks sex work is easy!
The fact that he's implying it was almost Sydney Sweeney's idea to get that naked is hilarious.
This feels like spinoff talk 1:07:21
The reason the military cannot download Tiktok is because people can track the IP location and can see a large group of the military moving at one time and it would give away strategic positions.
He’s actually very intelligent and has a perfect grasp on HIS art and what HE chose to make. I think a lot of people are mad
Hope we get a new fresh start of a new Euphoria with a new cast with the same vibe,the lovely blue'pink and music quality of the first season
Thanks for your work Sam <3 it touched my life. May its memory be a blessing.
A temporada foi muito boa mesmo, é a minha favorita, me deixou muito impactado e muito reflexivo, realmente é uma obra, drama, ação, morte, e uma mensagem muito importante pra quem entende o que ele quer passar, a fotografia e as cores estão impecaveis. Sem duvidas é uma das melhores series que ja vi...
"Addiction and its consequences"... SPOILER: She was murdered and didn't even die from her addiction. Someone let Sam know! Hearing him talk about the show here, makes me realize he was not nearly as symbolic, smart, or intentional as the average viewer gives him credit for. This season was the personification of a film snob who jumps at any opportunity to say The Godfather is their favorite movie ever with no understanding of why. Him being a nepo baby makes so much sense!
How he has the courage to show his face after that fucking shit show
Kind of a frustrating contradiction in his views at around the 28:00 mark? He speaks earlier about depicting so many of his characters spiralling into s** work because of 'the messed up times we are living in'. But then he proceeds to reject all the views on younger gens facing a bad situation left for them, and talking about all the optimism he wants to draw people towards? I mean which one is it? I don't think he is engaging with his own material well enough. Yes a different writer could say 'you see it is both' - but he explicitly rejects that there is anything especially bad about the times we are living in; after pretty much saying that very thing earlier.
Only these guys could make a discussion about a dorito pretentious
I never felt so deeply connected to a show until Euphoria. I know Sam has a lot of haters but I truly give all my heart to this man and the love he put in. Thank you Sam, and thank you to the actors who sown their souls in these incredible characters.
I cannot believe how hard I cried at the end. What an amazing show! I love that we got to see Fez and Rue together in happier times. Incredible acting by the entire cast.