Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is a broken woman. If thefirst episode ofThe Idolonly gave us glimpses of her inner turmoil through mentions of a dead mother and a subplot about a leaked intimate photograph, Episode 2, “Double Fantasy,” revels in the pop star’s physical and emotional bruises. Shots of Jocelyn’s bloody feet and inner thigh are interspersed with images of smeared make-up, washed away by tears. None of them, however, are as interesting as the moments in which the show’s protagonist is allowed to show her emotions through her own actions, whether by calling out her dead mother in the middle of a video shoot or by insisting on doing the same take over and over again. It soon becomes clear to everyone around her that Jocelyn needs a support system — she needs a surrogate family now that her mother is gone. But the family that she will choose will certainly not be the one that her managers have set up for her.
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Jocelyn Struggles to Balance Work and Her Feelings
Most of the action in “Double Fantasy” takes place during the shooting of the music video for Jocelyn’s new single, “World Class Sinner.” But before we move on to the set — a gigantic strip club filled with neon lights — our protagonist has something to take care of. Picking up from shortly after where last week’s episode dropped off, Jocelyn calls an emergency meeting with her inner sanctum: managers Dee (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Chaim (Hank Azaria), record label rep Nikki (Jane Adams), and friends-turned-employees Xander (Troye Sivan) and Leia (Rachel Sennott). She’s excited to show them her and Tedros’ (Abel Tesfaye) new mix for the song.
Jocelyn and Tedros’ version of “World Class Sinner” is, uh… interesting. The beat sure is gripping, but no radio station would be caught dead playing it, not with that amount of moaning. As most of Jocelyn’s team look for the right words to let her down easily, Nikki bluntly says that the song is not commercial. Completely unaffected by the hardships that Jocelyn has been facing over the past year — the death of her mother, the downfall of her past relationship, and her mental breakdown — the label exec isn’t coy about rubbing Jocelyn’s shortcomings in her face. To her, things are quite simple: Jocelyn is broke and on the verge of losing her entire career. She must put out a bankable song, and she must do it fast if she wants to ensure ticket sales for her upcoming concert.
Jocelyn is upset, of course, but she eventually agrees to do as her team tells her and record the video for the original version of “World Class Sinner.” This, however, is where her problems truly begin. The first signs that things are not going down smoothly appear just as Jocelyn arrives on set. First, she has to spend three hours on make-up to hide bruises on her inner thigh, where apparently a glass broke against them (possibly courtesy of Tedros). Then, she feels uneasy about the strip club setting and tries to get Xander to change it. As the day goes by, she gets into fights with the video’s director and insists on redoing the same shots over and over again in order to make everything as perfect as possible. The stress escalates until it reaches a breaking point when Jocelyn, unable to do things to her liking, starts crying and begging Chaim to move the shoot to the following day. She assures him that she will pay all the expenses out of her own pocket — even though Chaim, as is later revealed, is paying for a good chunk of her mortgage.
After a pep talk that basically consists of “yeah, feelings are hard, but you better swallow them and make us some money,” Jocelyn gets back up on stage only to break down all over again. She calls out for her mother, later confiding in Dee that this is the first video shoot she’s done without her. With her feet utterly wrecked by the dancing and the high heels, she’s unable to stand up on stage. The camera lingers on the bruises on her feet and her thigh as if telling us that they’re both the same, that Tedros is only hurting her just as much as the rest of the industry.
Confused and hurting, Jocelyn breaks into tears, and it comes to a point where even Nikki has to accept that it’s time to stop. She tells Jocelyn to go home and rest. They will resume on another day. What first looks like an act of kindness is soon revealed to be Nikki giving up on Jocelyn as she spots Dyanne (Jennie Ruby Jane) outdancing everyone in the video and begins to prep her to become a new popstar. This might’ve been a wasted day for others, but not for Nikki.
“The Idol” Shows Us the Extent of Tedros’ Control Over Jocelyn’s Life
Jocelyn’s PR teamisn’t that concerned about her well-being, though they sure like to believe they are. As Jocelyn overexerts herself, Chaim and Dee talk about being her surrogate family now that her mother is gone. They also talk about Tedros — whose name is apparently Tedros Tedros — sharing intel on what they know and still don’t know about him. He came from Hawaii. He owes a lot of people a lot of money. He owns a club in Hollywood and a record label, perhaps? They don’t know for sure. And they also don’t know how far into Jocelyn’s life Tedros’ tentacles actually reach. Jocelyn’s dancer-turned-friend Dyanne? She’s actually working for Tedros. Izaak (Moses Sumney), the man that’s been hitting on Leia? Also one of Tedros’ minions.
“Double Fantasy” gives us some idea of what Tedros’ business actually is. His deal seems to be gathering talented young musicians around him with promises of fame and fortune. Tedros acts as a mentor for these aspiring stars, coaching them into becoming better singers and dancers. His methods, however, are unorthodox, to say the least. It’s pretty clear that sleeping with him is not an option for his female mentees, and in one scene we see him giving Izaak electric shocks in order to get him to perform in a sexier manner.
This could all be very compelling, but, just like in Episode 1, from the moment Tedros appears on-screen,The Idolgets a lot more boring to watch. As soon as Jocelyn brings her into her life — this time, alongside some friends — the show devolves into a succession of gratuitous nudity scenes that feel forced and tiresome, almost as if they were included as an afterthought. Some, such as the one in which Tedros commands Jocelyn’s movements in bed, seem to be trying to say something, but it’s hard to even focus when everything looks so unwarranted and exploitative. Still, “Double Fantasy” ends on an interesting scene: allowing herself to be embraced by Tedros, Jocelyn joins Chloe (Suzanna Son) and Izaak in singing a song about dysfunctional families. Once again, becauseThe Idolloves to see its protagonist cry, a single tear runs down her face. Out of the corner, Leia watches with concern. It seems like her friend has chosen a new surrogate family, and she’s not a part of it.
