Sam Levinson’s HBO series ‘The Idol’ is now streaming, with two episodes out! It received heavy traction even before its release for the alleged perpetuation of p****graphy under the garb of satirization of the twisted pop industry. It required a bombshell Rolling Stone article to let the entirety of the narrative snowball into another controversial Sam Levinson piece. But there is something more than the series is aiming to offer, which is evident in the two episodes.
In episode one of ‘The Idol,’ Sam Levinson introduces us to the ensemble. It contains some terrific talents, but the first episode spans all of an hour and defocuses them. The episode shows how miserable Lily Rose-Depp’s Jocelyn is and how the mystic Tedros lures and impresses our damsel in distress. However, the second episode has taken the audience into a surprising depth that cleanses the taint that the show carried with it. We see humans and their flesh bared open—the bruised body in the pursuit to attain artistry, the overused arch to establish the seriousness of the craft. However, Jocelyn’s bruised body and her quest to attain that seriousness with Tedros are leading to something bigger than the craft itself.
Jocelyn’s Call For Help Turns Into A Nasty Play Of Power
he first episode of ‘The Idol,’ ‘Pop Tarts & Rat Tales,’ ended on a sultry note! We see Jocelyn and Tedros working on her single ‘World Class Sinner,’ but the latter pushes her into untapped territory to enhance her song. In a bondage-esque scene, he asks her whether she knows how to f**k and asphyxiates her to, ironically, give life to the single.
The second episode takes forward the result of Tedros and Jocelyn’s studio session. She remixes the single, and the pop star gets excited to make her entourage listen to the new song that she created. However, the remix contains Jocleyn’s moaning and panting noises, which are like Megan Thee Stallion meets young Britney Spears.
But Jocleyn’s manager, Nikki, played by Jane Adams, pulls her down by rejecting the idea of redoing the single, citing the reason that it will not work as no one is doing it and it is not commercial enough. They have a back-and-forth, which results in Jocelyn storming out after the brutal oral history of how they got there. In the episode, we see some human moments, one of which is Hank Azaria’s Chaim consoling and cheering up. Despite the ruthlessness that the nature of work entails, we experience certain moments of stillness until we descend into chaos again.
Jocelyn gets ready to shoot for her music video for ‘Freak’ in a strip club among male strippers that Nikki thinks are very gay! Jane Adams’ character trivializes Jocelyn’s mental breakdown and commercializes it to repurpose her entire career, but when the pop star experiences it in real time, the approach changes.
Hollywood has harped on mental health to cover up the real problem that talent experiences. But, like Jocelyn’s concealer on the bruises near her vagina, it comes off as affecting the entire foundation. Jocelyn becomes too vulnerable and calls for help from her mother, who is no more. She gets consolation from Destiny, who claims to become her family after her mother passes away. However, Nikki is constructing a power play by getting Dyanne, played by Jennie, on board to shoot the music video for Jocelyn’s song.
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A House Party Brings Many Secrets On Surface
There is a beast behind the charming, mystic persona of Tedros. He has created a cult behind the closed doors of the LA club he owns. Abel’s character feels very distracting, but it serves the purpose of showing how gruesome the process of becoming a pop icon can be. Jocelyn, after the failed day, invites him and his friends to the house for a party.
After the phone call, we come to know that Dyanne is part of the cult that Tedros is running along with Chloe and Izaak. But Tedros’ method of creating a cult of bruised and hardened pop stars is queer! He uses taser shocks on Izaak to teach him a sensuous stance. But Izaak’s closeness to Tedros helps Jocelyn’s best friend and manager, Talla, learn more about the suspicious LA club owner.
Levinson has some luck with Chloe in his series. In ‘Euphoria,’ Chloe helps Fezco and Ashtray try to get away from getting murdered. But in ‘The Idol,’ Suzzana Son’s Chloe brings harmony to the erratic nature of the series. However, the juxtaposition of the raunchy, fetish-driven sex scene between Jocleyn and Tedros and Chloe’s piano scene seems wrong. However, it harmonizes the truth and reality that will unfold with the progression forward.
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