'Euphoria' Is Getting A Pandemic-Themed Episode Before Season 2 Arrives; Still No Plans For More 'Watchmen'

Euphoria, HBO's sex- and drug-fueled teenaged drama, won't start shooting its second season until sometime next year. But the news isn't all bad: fans will get a stepping stone before the second season drops.

HBO president Casey Bloys confirmed that a Euphoria pandemic episode, what he's calling a "special COVID episode," will air before the second season premieres on the premium cable channel. Meanwhile, Bloys and Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof also doubled down on the idea that there won't be another season of the superhero show...at least, not any time soon.

Details are still scarce about what exactly the Euphoria pandemic episode will entail. But in an interview last night to coincide with the Emmy Awards, where Euphoria star Zendaya surprised everyone by winning in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, HBO head Casey Bloys confirmed that this episode will happen. Zendaya herself had previously talked about this possibility during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, saying, "We might end up doing a little bridge episode. I don't really know how to describe it, but an episode that we can do with a limited amount of people in a safer environment...so we have something to live on until we are able to go into Season 2."

Meanwhile, Watchmen – which pulled in a whole host of Emmys last night, including Best Limited Series, Lead Actress in a Limited Series, and Supporting Actor in a Limited Series – hovers in a state of flux befitting a show about time and physics. "It would feel like a huge betrayal of winning limited series to come back and say 'it was only a limited series'," Lindelof told Deadline, echoing his hesitation to return for more episodes of the comic book sequel series. "Watchmen is something I've loved since I was 13 years old. Someone else created it, and this was my run on it. I've invited any other artist who wants to take the baton."

While a greedier, more short-sighted network might push the show's creator to the side and greenlight a new season immediately to capitalize on season one's success, Bloys is in Lindelof's corner on this one. "There are no plans to do anything," he said when asked about the possibility of more Watchmen. "It's hard to imagine doing it without Damon. It seems unlikely, he told a pretty complete story. Never say never, but there are no plans for another installment."