Nobody joins a cult because they enjoy being deceived, manipulated, and stripped of their most basic humanity.
People join cults because they are vulnerable and find solace in participating in a group of like-minded individuals.
But, more often than not, the warm embrace of a cultish community eventually dissolves into something much more sinister.
And, in “Stars Belong to the World,” the fourth episode of HBO’s The Idol, the real price of joining Tedros’ (Abel Tesfaye) family of talented musicians becomes clearer than ever.
Viewers have already known since Episode 2 that Tedros is a big fan of electrocuting his followers to get what he wants out of them, but, for the first time, The Idol shows us how he can use this tool to break someone and force them into submission.
The victim, this time, is Xander (Troye Sivan), tortured to the brink of losing consciousness for a perceived…
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