REVIEW: ‘The Idol,’ Episode 2 — “Double Fantasy”

The Idol Episode 2 isn’t just obscene but voyeuristic and vapid. The Idol promises to focus on the underbelly of the music industry; episode one glossed over it but Episode 2 attempts to explore it. Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is in the middle of restructuring her music career after the death of her mother, her ex cheating on her, and canceling a world tour.

I wish The Idol Episode 2 let Jocelyn speak about these key life events. Instead, viewers hear this information through supporting characters like Talia (Hari Nef) who is writing a Variety profile on Joss and her manager Chaim (Hank Azaria). While these tidbits are dished out, the suffering of Jocelyn takes center stage while she is recording a music video for her studio-created hit, “World Class Star.” There is a very clear disconnect from the story of Jocelyn to who The Idol is about and with those two pieces of information, it’s visually clear that Jocelyn is a vehicle for suffering and loss of agency in the music industry. However, it’s detrimental to the glimmers of talent bubbling beneath this showcase of suffering.

Sam Levinson has captured a very raw exploration of grief that made me feel sick. We witness Jocelyn struggle to have any semblance of control on set. She’s treated like a child while flaunted around as “The sexiest thing.” She’s sewn an outfit that is digging into her skin. She has cuts, presumably from her first sexual encounter with Tedros, that are airbrushed over. It’s a plot point that’s half-investigated by her manager and assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott). They wonder if she’s self-harming out of grief for her mother and theorize why she may be hurting but no one ever asks if she’s okay. The narrative and direction from The Weeknd and Levinson is not directly invested in a perspective outside of the male gaze.

Jocelyn’s feet bleed, tear apart, and re-bleed as she continues to take the stage to film her music video. Time and time again, the takes are not good enough for her manager or she doesn’t believe she’s giving enough. It hurt to watch her struggle through not just physical pain but the emotional anguish of not having any agency in this creative endeavor while everyone chides her for wasting time and money. She breaks down, understandably. Through lazy writing, the people circulating her only offer their support because she clearly has nothing left to give. Jocelyn collapses from exhaustion and all anyone can do is ask if she’s okay., not because they care, but because their employment is riding on her emotional well-being. This pain is painted in the glitz-and-glamour of the over-sexualization of Jocelyn. Her body is tied to her emotional wellbeing but there appears to be no throughline connecting the agony of stardom with the story they are telling.

Tedros (Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd) seems to be the only character who listens to Jocelyn. He is a dangerous figure who becomes her only ally as she feels her world crashing around her. He is using her to get his hands in the music industry. Jennie Kim plays Dyanne who is working with Tedros. The Idol Episode 2 fails to continue utilizing Kim in its narrative. Her only spoken lines are about whether or not she is a better sexual partner to Tedros compared to Joss and how Joss’s manager wants to sign her to their label. It’s fascinating that someone who is directly involved in the music industry as one of the biggest Idols is an afterthought in this project.

The voyeurism takes the cake on deeply uncomfortable, sadistic sex scenes that attempt to frame Tedros in a position of power over Jocelyn. We see Jocelyn act and move according to Tedros’ direction. The words he uses to describe her body feel right out of a hardcore porn video. It’s shocking but for no reason other than further painting Tedros as the antagonist and for Levinson to get up close and personal with Joclyn. There have been stories that have utilized sex and the arts to explore the dynamics of power, jealousy, and agency, but it seems this show is invested in showing pain for the male gaze.

The Idol Episode 2 is uncomfortable, and if that’s the point, it flounders in its storytelling. Pain, anguish, and sex are the main components of Jocelyn’s story but The Weeknd and Sam Levinson are more invested in stripping her agency to exploit those ideas. There is a semblance of horror underneath what’s presented but those small glimpses aren’t enough to save this project if it continues down this path.

The Idol Episode 2 is available to stream now on MAX with new episodes premiering every Sunday.