‘The Idol’ – a must-see!

The Idol: A Salacious Chronicle of Stardom and Betrayal

The Idol—HBO and A24’s captivating series—chronicles the rise and fall of sexpot pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) and her tumultuous relationship with lover/muse/abusive cult leader Tedros Tedros (The Weeknd, né Abel Tesfaye). This show has managed to stir controversy, drawing criticism from high-minded critics, the Parents Television Council, and even puritanical Gen Z scolds. Despite its imperfections, The Idol serves as both a nostalgic throwback to HBO’s origins and a scathing critique of the entertainment-industrial complex’s obsession with manufacturing and sustaining stardom.

A Provocative Opening

The knives were out for The Idol from the start. The series opens with Jocelyn pushing the boundaries of her nudity rider during an album cover photo shoot. A comically squeamish “intimacy coordinator” attempts to intervene, but his complaints seem unfounded. Jocelyn herself is the one pushing the envelope, and if the show couldn’t show her nipples, each episode would be significantly shorter. Co-manager Chaim takes matters into his own hands, locking the adviser in a bathroom to ensure a peaceful nude scene.

A Personal-Professional Vendetta

One admirable quality of Sam Levinson, the executive producer and director of The Idol, is his willingness to work out personal-professional beefs through his work. This was evident in his previous project, Malcolm & Marie, where he took a jab at a film critic who had criticized his work. It’s easy to imagine Levinson’s frustration with intimacy coordinators on the set of Euphoria. The outrage expressed by an intimacy coordinator, who felt “appalled” and “betrayed” by being used as a joke, only adds to the amusement.

A Tale of Two Shows

The Idol is a show that can be mildly frustrating because it feels like two separate entities. The more intriguing aspect revolves around Chaim, Destiny, Nikki Katz, and Andrew Finkelstein as they navigate the complex world of pop stardom. Manipulating the public and steering the whims of the singer are crucial, and the dynamics between these characters provide compelling storytelling.

The second half of The Idol focuses on the relationship between Jocelyn and Tedros, which presents a significant problem. The show portrays Tedros as an incredibly charismatic figure, but this doesn’t translate onscreen. While the character is interesting, the lack of magnetism makes it hard to believe that Jocelyn, played with captivating dead-eyed sensuality by Lily-Rose Depp, would fall under his sway.

Despite this flaw, the final two episodes of The Idol are borderline great. Watching Jocelyn turn the tables on Tedros while he manipulates the press is darkly alluring. The interactions between Finkelstein, Chaim, and Nikki in the last episode provide laugh-out-loud moments. However, a smoother journey leading up to these episodes would have been preferable.

Sonny Bunch is culture editor of the Bulwark, where he hosts the podcasts Across the Movie Aisle and The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, and is a contributing columnist at the Washington Post.