(Courtesy of HBO)
“The Idol’s” first season has concluded after five episodes. Many people on the internet had their views on the new HBO series, ranging from harshly negative to charitably positive. In the end, the show was trying to shed light on the gruesome reality of being in the entertainment world.
After watching it with an open mind, I can honestly say that the show left a lot to be desired.
In the final episode, we observe Jocelyn meeting with the record label executives to go over the tour and performance. It essentially ends up being a showcase for the new artists that Tedros brought to Jocelyn a few episodes ago as part of his cult. Tedros has lost a lot of influence and power over Jocelyn since Episode 4. It’s clear now that Jocelyn does not want Tedros in her vicinity and effectively used Tedros for his talented cult members. During all of this, the last trick up Tedros’ sleeve from the previous episode makes waves. There is a rape accusation surrounding Rob, Jocelyn’s ex who showed up at her request at the end of episode. This accusation is legitimized with photographs taken by Xander which shows Rob with Sophie, who is one of Tedros’ disciples. This frame job was orchestrated by Tedros out of jealousy for Rob. This causes Jocelyn to deal with a social roadblock as she is significantly linked to Rob.
After the record label executives discover this new issue, there is an effort made to remove Tedros from the equation. Chaim, Jocelyn’s label rep, offers Tedros a big money offer to leave Jocelyn alone. Along with a large check, Chaim offers to keep quiet about Tedros’ real identity if he complies with Jocelyn’s conditions. Tedros is reluctant to agree, mainly due to his criminal record. Chaim takes another route, which includes exposing Tedros’ past of being a human trafficker.
Six weeks later, Jocelyn and her team are preparing for the first tour show in Los Angeles. Tedros shows up to visit Jocelyn, but isn’t allowed in under his false name. Rather, he is given a guest pass under his real name, Mauricio Jackson. Mauricio sees Jocelyn for the first time in a while and is seemingly forgiven by Jocelyn. However, Mauricio is no longer arrogant due to the worldwide coverage of Jocelyn and Tedros. This time, it is Jocelyn who is controlling Tedros. Jocelyn knows she can make use of Tedros because she was able to get the talented artists from his cult to open for her tour, so he clearly has some utility.
My feelings about this show are mixed. After 5 episodes that felt so different from each other, I can safely say that there were only two decent episodes that had some kind of substance. There are so many plot holes that make me believe that the show was rushed. I don’t like how many stones were left unturned. There was a ton of potential for the show to be worth watching.
From interesting tropes to wonderful acting, The Idol simply could not capitalize on what it had due to poor writing and controversy. The finale gets a 3/10 from me. The entire season gets a 5/10.
Noumaan Faiz, (he/him) is a journalist and entertainer from Hayward, CA who covers culture and entertainment.
Edited by Nykeya Woods