The host of HBO’s How To with John Wilson wants to start a conversation

It is not what it sounds like John Wilson: How to with John WilsonThis is one of the most terrible how-to programs ever produced. The HBO documentaries are a series of jokes that, while each episode is ostensibly devoted to how-tos, it quickly moves on to another topic. In the third and final season (which premiered on July 28), the first episode, “How to Find a Public Restroom,” eventually pivots to a rumination on diminishing public space, and later “How to Watch Birds,” well — you probably won’t believe what that one ends up being about.

Tying it all together is John Wilson, the show’s mostly unseen host. Each episode is a unique experience. How to:The episode is an odyssey of sorts into New York’s weird and unexplored corners. Wilson, both in front of and behind the lens, provides a nasal and ever-present narration. You may not find out what you were expecting, but you will certainly learn new ways to look at things.

Wilson spoke to Polygon recently about how hard it is to explain the show and how he hopes to alter how people view their city.

Polygon: How To?It has always been a personal piece, but now it feels that way even more. Was this your intention?

John Wilson Yeah, in making this the last season I was able to unlock a few things that I was worried about doing before or the show maybe hadn’t matured enough for. It was my belief that being able throw all of it at the walls and be as ambitious as possible in the third year would make me feel much better. The show had to come to an end, so I made sure it was a good one. After all, the best way to leave your audience wanting more is to have them want to see you again. It’s okay if people want to know more.

Are you more confident in describing this show after a few years of its existence?

I don’t think so. And, I mean, I personally haven’t even gotten better at talking about it. It’s a little like a calling-card for the show. If you see it you’ve got to be interested or compelled immediately, or you’re turned off by my voice and point of view and you move on. I’m amazed that we were even able to get the show greenlit with how strange of a concept it is.

This season, more so than any other, there are a number of people who tell you to get off your bum and leave. You’re told “This is a private space.”

Specially the incident in the public toilet. This was the main theme.

I love that episode; it’s very Jane Jacobs-y, exploring vanishing public spaces and cities hostile to people. From your point of view and the work you do, would you say that New York is becoming more hostile to people?

It is definitely moving that way. In a way it’s interesting because the sidewalk shack stuff in restaurants — that is a development I did not anticipate at all. It’s amazing to me that they fight and get approval for them to stay in the parking spaces. It’s not public, because it’s a restaurant, but you’re extending collective street life and not giving priority to machines as much. That’s what I find cool.

Money moves in so many other directions. You have a development like Hudson Yards, which — I’m not the only person that has noticed how kind of hostile it can be. It’s a bad model. They try to remove food vendors and the area around The Vessel. Even places that I haven’t been to, like Little Island, I don’t know—

This kind of makes me sad.

This feels like an overly stifled, monitored version of what public spaces should be. And sure, it might be a destination kind of spot for people that don’t know the city very well. But I don’t know anyone that hangs out there.

We’ve talked about New York City a lot and your show is kind of about NYC, but it frequently takes you far away — do you think that’s kind of the spirit of the show? That it’s a way to engage with any city?

I think you’re right and I hope people use this as a lens to look at their own cities and be critical, but also celebrate what their own cities are like. The article I read on the [subreddit] for the show, someone posted a rant about traffic cones in Japan — like why there are so many traffic cones in this one part of Japan, and what their function is, it was really cool. I don’t know if the creator has seen the show, but that kind of stuff, it’s just like candy to me.

This is something I would love to see more people doing. It changes our collective awareness and may affect change differently than normal politics. I’ve seen so much shit happen with like, scaffolding after that episode came out. I can’t take full credit for it, but it’s cool that a dialogue started, you know?