Since January 2021, the world has had one question on its mind: How did the Weeknd get stuck in that house of mirrors and lights? Well, the meme’s origins are about to be revealed in the upcoming Showtime documentary The Show. Following the production of the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, The Show will take viewers through the states of the gargantuan annual undertaking. “The halftime show is the most-watched 12 minutes in television,” executive producer Jesse Collins says in the trailer. “You just don’t want anything to go wrong.”
The Weeknd’s halftime performance was watched by 100 million people and became one of the year’s biggest viral moments. Within 24 hours of the Super Bowl’s airing, the clip of The Weeknd, whose real name is Able Tesfaye, lost in the mirror maze amassed more than 25 million views, with eager memers ready to share their spin on the video, like “7-year-old me when I lose my dad at Toys ‘R’ Us” and “me looking the Cheesecake Factory menu.” It’s just unfortunate that we never got to see Wendy’s take on such a fresh meme. But as the documentary’s trailer shows, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into making that meme possible. Obviously, there’s more to the show than that moment. The Weeknd’s performance of several hits, including “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” was incredibly intricate, requiring a fleet of dancers, technicians, and fireworks—lots of fireworks.
“This documentary is a unique glimpse into the passion, work, and cinematic mindset that went into the creation of the show,” Abel Tesfaye said in a statement. “It extends the narrative for fans and viewers who like to get lost in how the historic show we all grow up watching is built.”
The Show premieres on September 24 on SHOWTIME.