Claims Euphoria creator Sam Levinson 'copied' show's initial look from a female director go viral after he took a new direction for panned third season
Daily Mail
Overall Assessment
The article centers on resurfaced claims by Petra Collins that her creative vision was used without credit in 'Euphoria', amplified by fan backlash to the show's third season. It leans on social media sentiment and past interviews but lacks direct responses from HBO or legal context on intellectual property. The framing favors controversy over clarity, with limited sourcing balance and contextual depth.
"Sydney Sweeney's 'degrading' OnlyFans storyline, which has been described as a 'humiliation ritual'."
Loaded Language
Headline & Lead 60/100
The headline emphasizes viral accusations of copying, which reflects the article's focus but uses slightly sensational framing by highlighting controversy. The lead introduces the core claim about Petra Collins but lacks precision on the nature of the alleged copying, leaning into drama rather than clarity.
Language & Tone 30/100
The tone is heavily influenced by fan outrage and loaded descriptors, undermining objectivity and leaning into moral judgment rather than neutral reporting.
✕ Appeal To Emotion: The article uses emotionally charged terms like 'deep depression', 'disturbing', and 'misogynistic' without critical distance, amplifying fan sentiment rather than maintaining neutrality.
"'Watching this season of Euphoria thinking about what this show used to be is giving me deep depression...'"
✕ Loaded Language: Describing storylines as 'degrading' and a 'humiliation ritual' frames the content judgmentally, suggesting editorial alignment with critics rather than objective reporting.
"Sydney Sweeney's 'degrading' OnlyFans storyline, which has been described as a 'humiliation ritual'."
✕ Cherry Picking: The phrase 'critically panned' is used without citation or aggregation of reviews, presenting a subjective assessment as fact.
"the third season - which has been critically panned - has seen Sam take a different approach."
Balance 50/100
The sourcing is imbalanced—giving weight to fan sentiment and one-sided denials—while lacking direct input from HBO or neutral experts on creative ownership.
✕ Vague Attribution: The article includes Petra Collins’ firsthand account and fan reactions but relies on an unnamed 'source close to Sam' to counter her claims, which undermines transparency and balance.
"At the time, a source close to Sam denied Petra's version of events to The Daily Beast, saying 'it's very widely known that Euphoria is a remake of an Israeli show'"
✓ Proper Attribution: The article quotes Sam Levinson and Sydney Sweeney defending controversial content, giving voice to the show’s creators, but does not include direct responses from HBO or legal experts on intellectual property, which would strengthen credibility.
"Sam told The Hollywood Reporter: '[Cassie] has got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humour...'"
Completeness 40/100
The article omits crucial background about the original Israeli series and the formal status of Petra Collins’ involvement, leaving readers without full context to assess the validity of the plagiarism claims.
✕ Omission: The article fails to explain the nature or extent of the 2012 Israeli series 'Euphoria' beyond naming it, leaving readers without meaningful context about how closely the U.S. version follows the original. This omission weakens understanding of authorship claims.
"The plot of the HBO programme, which chronicles the life of drug addict Rue (Zendaya) and her high school friends, is said to have been inspired by a 2012 Israeli TV series of the same name."
✕ Omission: The article does not clarify whether Petra Collins formally pitched a show to HBO, held a development deal, or merely consulted informally—key context for evaluating the strength of her claim. This lack of detail undermines clarity.
Sam Levinson framed as a creative adversary exploiting others' work
[loaded_language], [cherry_picking] — The article amplifies fan claims that the show was 'Petra Collins's Euphoria' and uses terms like 'copied' and 'humiliation ritual' without balancing defense, positioning Levinson as antagonistic to female collaborators.
"'Watching this season of Euphoria thinking about what this show used to be is giving me deep depression but it makes me believe that what we saw in that first season was really Petra Collins's Euphoria and not Sam Levinson's'."
Media portrayed as untrustworthy due to alleged creative theft
[loaded_language], [cherry_picking], [vague_attribution] — The article uses emotionally charged language and presents unverified claims of copying as central, while relying on unnamed sources to counter them, creating a framing of systemic untrustworthiness in media production.
"Euphoria creator Sam Levinson has faced resurfaced accusations that he copied the initial idea for the show from acclaimed photographer and director Petra Collins."
The show framed as being in creative crisis and losing audience trust
[cherry_picking], [appeal_to_emotion] — Describing the third season as 'critically panned' and linking fan 'depression' to its decline frames the series as unstable and failing, despite lack of aggregated review data.
"the third season - which has been critically panned - has seen Sam take a different approach."
Women's creative contributions framed as excluded and erased
[appeal_to_emotion], [omission] — The narrative centers on Petra Collins being dropped from the project due to her age, with emotional language ('I started crying') and emphasis on her having to abandon her aesthetic, framing women's creative work as systematically marginalized.
"I walked out of my apartment and saw this billboard [advertising Euphoria], and it's exactly what I am, as a copy of my work. I started crying. I was so shocked."
Explicit content framed as harmful and degrading, particularly to women
[loaded_language], [appeal_to_emotion] — Use of terms like 'degrading' and 'humiliation ritual' to describe Cassie's OnlyFans storyline frames sexual content as inherently harmful, especially when involving female characters.
"Sydney Sweeney's 'degrading' OnlyFans storyline, which has been described as a 'humiliation ritual'."
The article centers on resurfaced claims by Petra Collins that her creative vision was used without credit in 'Euphoria', amplified by fan backlash to the show's third season. It leans on social media sentiment and past interviews but lacks direct responses from HBO or legal context on intellectual property. The framing favors controversy over clarity, with limited sourcing balance and contextual depth.
Photographer and director Petra Collins previously claimed she contributed significantly to the visual development of HBO's 'Euphoria' before being excluded from the project. Sam Levinson and a source deny she had a formal role, stating the series is based on an Israeli format. Her claims have gained renewed attention as fans criticize the show's new direction and express preference for the earlier aesthetic.
Daily Mail — Culture - Other
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