Season 1 |
Episode Guide
Episode 1 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 – | Review Score – 1.5/5
Episode 3 – | Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 4 – | Review Score – 2,5/5
Episode 5 – | Review Score – 2.5/5
The Idol is truly the most talked about HBO show right now. In a year that saw us bid adieu to Succession and Barry, this reality seems harsh. But Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim, and The Weeknd leave no stone unturned to make The Idol as controversial as can be. There must be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this controversy is anything but intentional. The creators definitely had the foresight of what they were doing and what the reactions to their series would be.
Such deliberate inclinations to make the show excessively provocative spoil the show. At its core, The Idol is a vacuous tale of deceit and betrayals told in a convoluted and meaningless manner. It is difficult to accuse the creators of intentionally sabotaging their own project. But as many characters in the course of the season said, “Sex sells.” That seems to be the motivating ideology behind every technical aspect of The Idol. Every visual cue, every representation and characterization points towards that disappointing certainty.
Jocelyn is a young pop star who is struggling after her mother’s death. She has mental health issues which are compounded by the gaping hole in her heart and life which remain unfilled. This impacts her marketability and professional life, which hangs in the balance.
Despite having a stellar supporting cast, Jocelyn is unable to overcome the expectations of others. That’s until she meets Tedros at a club. Although it is not clear what he really does, Tedros has a knack for spotting and training musical talents like no other. His methods are questionable and his rattail is stupid. But Tedros yields results and Jocelyn falls head over heels for him. Tedros and his “followers” move into her house to inspire Jocelyn and bring her back on track.
Somewhere along the way, the distinction between what is real and what is fictitious becomes blurred, leading to extravagant realities. This brief plot summary can only profess to represent part of what The Idol is about. Over its five episodes, the show changes its narrative tunings as many times, if not more. In each different episode, The Idol pretends to be something different but is in equal parts pretentious. The jarring switches fail any cohesiveness in the storytelling, which is itself directed to titillate the viewers rather than stir them.
Every creative choice relating to dress, makeup, and camerawork seems to realize The Idol’s inherent vanity and sexuality. None of its extravagant appendages is exciting beyond the moment. Once it has gone by, it has no bearing on what comes next. The entire show feels like a motley of mediocre set pieces that have zilch interconnectedness.
The Idol represents the increasing yearning of mass media to grab as many eyeballs as possible without having an underlying vision for content. That sentiment is captured through the many senseless “sensual” scenes involving Lily-Rose Depp, the raging star of The Idol, and The Weeknd. And not just that but Suzanna Son’s representation as a 17-year-old is utterly irresponsible and adds to the series’ woes.
As a viewer, The Idol tests your patience. You keep waiting for something to unfold and to connect the dots. All you get in return is “t*its” and “a**” right in your face. That being said, the show does have some good moments. These are small in proportion but they must be lauded nonetheless. Lily-Rose Depp really gives her all to make her role as authentic as possible. Her indelible mark as Jocelyn will be enough evidence to rate her acting talent as the Hollywood standard. She has all the trappings of becoming a real star, just like her famous father, but she must carefully navigate what she chooses to do next from the slew of projects that will be offered to her after The Idol.
Sadly, the creators of the show do not do justice to what she could have brought to Jocelyn, with both her acting and singing talents. However, the soundtrack is inspirational which is what you might expect when The Weeknd is involved. The tunes have become a hit with the viewers and there is no denying that they are musically excellent. “Family” stands out as the best single from The Idol’s album but you might have your own favourite.
The Idol also features amazing camerawork that captures the beauty of Jocelyn’s house in its true essence. The use of vignette-like filters also gives the impression of yearning and romanticism that reflects Jocelyn’s own state of mind.
Hank Azaria, Suzanna Son, Moses Sumney, Troye Sivan, and Rachel Sennot are some of the other cast members in the ensemble but they don’t get enough attention. They make the most of what little screen time they do have, however. The Weeknd, on the other hand, is an outrage. He gets the same attention as Depp but doesn’t perform as well. His stupid rattail and vamp-like makeup are remarkably unconvincing and insignificant. This smashing musician should stick to singing as that is his calling.
Ultimately, The Idol fails to impress. It can best be described as a musically imbalanced soft-porn drama that is less interesting than it sounds.
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Verdict - 4/10
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