Euphoria is back with a bang following a four-year hiatus – and as is to be expected, the popular but polarising show has prompted renewed controversy over its wild plotlines.
One such story arc follows Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie delving into the world of sex work, in the hopes of funding her and Nate Jacobs’ (Jacob Elordi) impending wedding.
The depiction of Cassie’s OnlyFans arc has spurred ongoing backlash from fans in the wake of this week’s season 3 premiere, with showrunner Sam Levinson, 41, now jumping in to hit back at the criticism.
Watch the video above.
Levinson had said the eyebrow-raising scene in which Cassie participates in a ‘sexy dog’ photoshoot was an intentional choice, meant to remove audiences from the “fantasy” world the character is trapped in.
“Cassie has got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humour,” Levinson explained to The Hollywood Reporter
But the added layer of absurdity, the director added, comes from Cassie’s housekeeper being the one to film her content – which is intended to ensure the audience sees beyond the character’s own delusions regarding her less-than-perfect life.
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“The gag is to jump out, to break the wall.”
This creative decision on Levinson’s part was not only present in the plotline itself, but in its stylistic choices and set design.
The showrunner aimed to enhance the scene’s absurdity through its gaudy backdrop, opting for the home Nate and Cassie share to be shown as “strange.”
“An obvious choice would’ve been something modern and very plain and fancy, but we ended up choosing this mid-century home, which is a little tacky, but also stuck in the ’70s,” Rév explained.
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“It’s probably a strange choice, but also it gives us possibilities.”
“OnlyFans has its own aesthetic and how you elevate that aesthetic to the show’s aesthetic is a challenge,” he admitted, “I’m not going to lie.”
Levionson revealed many of the scenes depicting Cassie’s sex work had also been strategically lit, with closeup shots illuminated by a warm glow from her camera ring light – intercut with wider, “depressing” shots where her surrounds are cast in darkness.
“We wanted to capture what she’s trying to show the audience and be inside of it,” he continued, “but then also pull back wider and see how depressing it is.”
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