3 months ago
SPOILER ALERT: This communicative contains spoilers from nan 2nd section of HBO’s “The Idol,” titled “Double Fantasy,” now steaming connected Max.
The sophomore section of “The Idol” has arrived, and pursuing past week’s arguable and divisive bid premiere, nan stakes wrong nan show person been raised. Troubled popular phenom Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) has a tortured video shoot, and past later invites her emotion interest, cult leader Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye) and immoderate of his followers to her location for a nighttime of debauchery. The sex, narcotics and manufacture play is amped up compared to nan first section successful an hr of tv judge to commencement online discourse.
This section is difficult to watch without considering reports of behind-the-scenes play that astir derailed nan show. Notably, head Amy Seimetz left nan series successful April 2022 amid reshoots and shifts successful imaginative direction, including a report that Tesfaye believed that nan bid was focusing excessively overmuch connected a “female perspective.”
“Double Fantasy” originates pinch Jocelyn summoning her business entourage to her location to perceive nan very intersexual and breathy remix of “World Class Sinner / I’m a Freak” that she’d recorded caller vocals for pinch Tedros. Unfortunately nan squad does not stock her vision, and she is overruled by fiery grounds exec Nikki Katz (Jane Adams), who reminds Jocelyn of her canceled tour, intelligence wellness struggles and nan money nan squad has invested into a radio-friendly comeback. Jocelyn past useful connected her remix much alone, masturbating pinch a solid of crystal while remembering her nighttime pinch Tedros.
After that, nan section documents nan euphony video sprout for “Freak,” pinch Jocelyn sporting a look that recalls Britney Spears astatine her imaginative peak. The sprout is brutal, and shows a tense Jocelyn moving difficult but breaking down pinch each run-through her squad demands, arsenic good arsenic her ain dissatisfaction pinch nan imaginative imagination and disagreements pinch nan video’s head (Kimberly Hunt). Her intelligence authorities decays each clip she’s yelled at, and her power is further dampened by nan representation of her precocious mother, who was astatine her erstwhile activity engagements.
Jocelyn begs to hold nan sprout to revise nan concept, saying that she’ll salary for it retired of her ain pocket, but Jocelyn’s co-manager Chaim (Hank Azaria) convinces her to stay, different nan squad mightiness see her excessively erratic to tour.
She winds up crying and successful pain, contempt different head Destiny (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) trying to amp her up and support her going. Meanwhile, Nikki approaches standout backup dancer Dyanne (Blackpink prima Jennie Ruby Jane) during 1 of Jocelyn’s breakdowns and asks her whether she tin sing, trying to foster Dyanne’s talent connected nan broadside successful lawsuit Jocelyn flames out.
Jocelyn yet nails nan regular — only to study that nan camera was retired of attraction and nan return was unusable. After a squirmy segment successful which she inspects her bleeding and blistered feet and thighs, Jocelyn is sent location by Nikki, successful good-cop mode, urging her to return a break arsenic she’s disintegrating. Unfortunately, Nikki besides scraps nan euphony video and appears to beryllium filming it alternatively pinch Dyanne, who she besides hopes to sign.
Elsewhere, Tedros is successful nan club, and it becomes progressively clear that not only is he a business owner, but he’s besides nan leader of a pain-forward, orgy-focused cult. Jocelyn calls Tedros post-video sprout and invites him complete to her house. He asks if he tin bring a fewer friends, and soon a activity and drugs-fueled statement is taking spot astatine her mansion.
This is wherever nan show takes a move that will apt animate plentifulness of discussion. Jocelyn’s individual assistant/BFF Leia (Rachel Sennott) cuts loose, doing coke for nan first clip and having unsmooth activity pinch Izaak (musician Moses Sumney), her look a operation of regret, joyousness and fear. Meanwhile, Jocelyn and Tedros are successful nan bedroom, wherever he is directing her to execute intersexual acts connected herself while he’s sitting successful a chair, narrating his imagination acquisition (“I want to drawback you by nan ass while I suffocate you pinch my cock. I want you to choke connected it.”).
The segment is filled pinch definitive nudity, intersexual speech and immoderate X-rated foley activity erstwhile Jocelyn audibly gags while performing oral activity connected Tedros. Meanwhile, there’s besides an constituent of voyeurism erstwhile 1 of nan cult followers, nan mostly-nude pianist Chloe (Suzanna Son), gets stuck successful nan closet and watches Jocelyn and Tedros’ activities.
Beyond being graphic, nan intersexual activity successful nan second half of nan section revolves astir Jocelyn performing for Tesfaye’s Tedros, focusing connected his pleasure. It’s wholly believable that nan real-life singing superstar sewage his measurement connected set, moreover if it was a prime that costs nan show captious acclaim.
When they aftermath up nan adjacent morning, Tedros tells Jocelyn it would beryllium amended if he moves in, and she readily agrees. As Chloe plays soft downstairs, she sings a opus successful which nan refrain is “That’s my family/We don’t for illustration each different much,” arsenic they each stitchery astir her, and subordinate in. Only Leia looks worried astir what’s to come.
