Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the Euphoria season 3 finale, “In God We Trust,” now streaming on HBO Max.
“It’s always chess for Bishop.”
It’s an apt metaphor for Darrell Britt-Gibson’s deadly betrayal of his boss Alamo Brown (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaye) in Euphoria’s bloody series finale.
At the climax of the HBO drama starring Sam Levinson, Alamo kills Lou (Zendaya), an employee secretly working as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration, with a fentanyl-laced painkiller. Her mentor and sobriety sponsor, Ali (Colman Domingo), heads to the Alamo strip club to avenge Lou’s death, and the two engage in an old-fashioned duel.
Alamo breaks the cowboy rules and points his gun at Ali before the appointed time and tries to fire, but he does not fire. It is revealed that Bishop, Alamo’s mysterious and one-note right-hand man, removes the bullet, effectively sentencing Alamo to death. Ali kills a sex and drug lord by shooting him three times in the chest with a shotgun.
It’s a bold move by Bishop, a mild-mannered henchman whose twist is hinted at early in the episode. Once when he tells Maddie about his pet poodle, “I like to surprise people,” and another time when he stares at a snake kept in a strip club. Britt-Gibson told Variety the morning after the finale that Bishop’s betrayal wasn’t just a power move, but was rooted in Alamo’s treatment of Lou.
“Bishop didn’t agree with many of Alamo’s actions, but it was a job for him,” he says. “I think what Alamo did to Lou was the last straw for Bishop.”
Did you watch the finals last night?
I did that. I had a chance to see it in Brooklyn with a venue full of fans and it was amazing. There’s nothing like watching something that has this kind of impact and this kind of emotion with a group of people who are completely immersed in the show. It was an incredible moment.
What was it like seeing the fans’ live reactions?
It was surreal because I knew what happened and had expectations about how a group of people would collectively react to it. My expectations were exceeded as there is no way to explain all the emotions I am about to feel. I would like everyone to experience it as well. I wish people all over the world could have watched it together at the same time.
The way you play Bishop is fascinating. How was he described to you or written on the page and what did you bring to him?
Its beauty was never explained to me. Sam saw my audition for another part and wanted to build on what I brought to Bishop. Sam is so great at that. He is a “best idea wins” type of creator. I had an idea for a character who would move like a samurai in a cowboy world. People you don’t really understand until it’s time to understand.
I had an idea for these beads and his movement, and Sam was like, “I like it, so let’s do it.” Early on in the process, he saw my audition and wanted to build a character based on what I presented. Then he wrote this beautifully complex, nuanced, layered character.
Did you originally audition for the Alamo?
Well, I was too young for that, but he was like, “I need this person on my show.”
I read that Marshawn Lynch also auditioned for the role.
He did. I think the whole staff was like that, including Asante (Black, who plays Kid). Sam just knows. He’s one of those creators who sees something and knows what he wants to do with it.
Colman Domingo said in an interview with Variety that he wonders if Bishop is on the autism spectrum. Does that resonate with you?
Yes, it was. I don’t think black people can play it enough. I don’t like the way people talk about people who fall on the spectrum. There are many people in my life and in my family who fall on the spectrum, and they are some of the most beautiful, deep, soulful people. “If I was going to do this and play him like that, I wanted to do it justice and make it thoughtful and layered.” That was essentially what I was thinking. I wanted to give that kind of consideration.
What does Bishop have to do with animals? Obviously, he kills Laurie’s bird, but he also has a pet poodle named Snowflake.
he loves animals In the poker table scene, when Alamo says, “Bishop killed that bird,” Bishop says, “I didn’t want to kill it, but I had to.” And Bishop doesn’t know how to lie. So when Laurie said to him, “Do you like animals?” he looked at her and deadpanned, “I love them.” This is the truth. Killing the paladin was a job he had to do, but he didn’t want to do it at all. He probably has a deeper connection with animals than with humans.
Why does the show introduce Snowflake in the final episode?
I think this speaks to the idea that Bishop is like an onion. Every time I look at him, another layer is peeled away. I’m like, “Wait a minute, what? Does he have a dog now?”
Why does Bishop betray the Alamo?
Bishop didn’t agree with many of Alamo’s actions, but it was a job for him. I think what Alamo did to Lou was the last straw for Bishop. Even in the car, Maddie and I have this conversation. Lou was a bridge too far, so he’s like, “I promise I won’t let you go all the way to Muddy.”
It’s interesting because Bishop doesn’t seem to care about Lou all that much, at least in his attitude towards her.
There are a million different ways to look at it from a character perspective. She acts like she doesn’t care, but if you look deep enough, you’ll see there are moments when Bishop is like a tough older brother to her. You know people around you who say, “Don’t hang out with those people. They’re not good people. They shouldn’t be here.” How Sam wrote it is up to interpretation. He gives space for it to be seen as people want to see it.
Do you think Bishop’s betrayal was spontaneous, or do you think he has been waiting for an opportunity to remove him from the throne for some time?
he was waiting. He’s very calculating. It’s chess. For Bishop, it’s always chess.
Hence the name.
that’s right.
I’d like to ask about the colorful coat Bishop wears in the finale. It reminded me of the story of Joseph, and that the coat of different colors is a Biblical symbol of betrayal and being chosen by God. Was that something you discussed on set?
No, no. That’s our amazing costume designer, Natasha (Newman-Thomas). They had great coats in every episode, and when I got into the trailer for the finale, I thought, “Oh, Natasha, I’m obsessed with this.” Bishop wore a lot of plain clothes, but in the final episode he wears a patchwork jacket of cracked colors. It represents the multidimensionality of the character and the idea that the colors are starting to shine.
There’s a lot of religious symbolism in the show. I was intrigued by the way Bishop flashed his rosary beads at Kid, signaling him to put down his gun. What’s the story behind it?
Some people get it, some people don’t, but I carry those beads with me in every scene of the show. That was what I brought to Sam. I personally own a rosary, and I thought it was fascinating that this character, who lives in this dark world (of crime), would carry a rosary with him.
I also talked to Adewale about the finale, and he said that maybe Alamo is scared of Bishop because he seems to really enjoy the act of killing. What do you think about that?
Yes, but also no. I don’t think Bishop really enjoys killing. It’s like what I was talking about before. That scene where he’s trying to find a bouncer (with a chainsaw) and he’s asked, “How are you today?” He said, “I’m better.” This is something you should say very specifically, as opposed to “I’m good” or “I’m great.” Having to kill this man is not what he wants to do, but he is detached from his emotions. He seems like a psychopath, but he’s not. That’s why I love that character so much.
Was there anything you shot that didn’t make it into the final cut?
I can’t remember everything, but it’s not like there was a murder that no one saw. That’s not true. But there were very few snippets of conversation. He talks about beads in one scene at Laurie’s house. I think Wayne (Toby Wallace) saw the beads and said, “What are those, Muslim ones?” And the bishop looked at him and said, “That’s me.”
Where do you think Bishop is from? How did he come to work at the Alamo?
Sam gave me an idea for Bishop’s backstory. That’s very nice, but I don’t want to say it. I want the world to have their say.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
