Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Idol.There is no shortage of problems when it comes to The Idol.
From its troubled production to co-creator Sam Levinson’s history of exploitation of female pain to boring and unnecessary sex scenes, there are many issues to be taken with in HBO’s new show about stardom.
But perhaps The Idol’s greatest drawback is its over reliance on one of its main characters, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s Tedros.
More specifically, the show has a problem with how it portrays Tesfaye’s character, an alleged super charismatic cult leader who doesn’t seem to have that much charisma.
Instead, Tedros and his rat tail exude creepiness and sleaze, and it’s hard to understand why a powerhouse like Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn would fall for his act, no matter how broken the series tells us that she is.
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