(Sebastien Nogier/Pool via Getty Images)
And I thought “Velma” was bad …
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s new HBO show “The Idol” debuted on Sunday where it was panned by the critics and currently sits at a whopping 26% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, making it the lowest scoring HBO series currently, with it drawing 913,000 viewers which is a 17% drop from the premier of season 2 of “Euphoria.”
Honestly, we should have seen this bomb coming.
A few months ago,”Rolling Stone” wrote an article describing the hell that was creating, writing and acting in the show. One of the smoking guns was how the original director and executive producer, Amy Seimetz for the show, exited due to Tesfaye focused on his own character, rather than the more feminist angle Seimetz wanted. Another point of contention is also the “sick and twisted mind” of the show, Sam Levinson, the infamous writer of HBO’s “Euphoria.” While “Euphoria” has sex and drugs a plenty, it is nothing compared to “The Idol” which is Levinson unhinged with Tesfaye as his partner in crime.
The plot of the show revolves around Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp), the biggest pop star in the world, spiraling downward and falling into a cult run by seedy nightclub owner, Tedros (Played by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye). This cult is based on the NXIVM cult, which instead of demonizing it, glamorizes it in a sea of style, drugs and sex. Even Levinson’s own “Euphoria,” while still having a distinct and somewhat glamorizing style, still takes the culture of drug use seriously through showing the main character, Rue, and her journey to achieve sobriety.
Due to the screening at Cannes, many plot points have been revealed such as, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, having the main character’s revenge porn picture be the cover for her comeback album. If you need a shower in OxiClean, I do not blame you for it. This show is purely disgusting, reprehensible and feels like it was made only to appeal to the male gaze as there was only female nudity in the first episode. HBO has a bomb on their hands and I do not think that even having BLACKPINK’s Jennie as a guest star will save them. We went from “The White Lotus,” to “The Last of Us,” to “Succession,” to this.
“The Idol” is on Max. You have been warned.
Zipporah “Zipp” Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @zippzapps
Edited by Nykeya Woods