Premiere of 'The Idol': Breaking Down Explicit Moments

Premiere of 'The Idol': Breaking Down Explicit Moments

Everyone has been waiting for this show. It should come as no surprise that the HBO series "The Idol," which stars Lily-Rose Depp and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, had plenty of racy moments during its Sunday night premiere. After reshoots and allegations of Sam Levinson's toxic conduct, the series has been dogged by controversy, but the cast has stood by the director.

"Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input, and opinions more valued," Rose-Depp said in a statement released in March in response to allegations. Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every sense of the word since he cares deeply about our experience while performing the piece as well as the opinions of his performers. He selects employees whose work he values, and he consistently fosters an atmosphere in which I feel seen, heard, and valued.

Pop star Jocelyn, who Depp plays, is in the pilot while recording a music video. After opting to postpone her tour in the wake of her mother's passing, she is presently working on a return and could be on the verge of breaking down. Nevertheless, there's no need to panic, as one of her handlers quips: "Mental illness is sexy." She is depicted on her cover image sporting a hospital bracelet, apparently for that reason. (There's also the strange parallel to Simone Biles, who likewise gave her mental health a top priority.)

She expresses to the photographer during the shoot her desire to go entirely topless but her unable to do so because of her condition. By locking the intimacy coordinator in the restroom and paying a staff member $5,000 to keep the door closed, her manager (Hank Azaria) comes up with a workable solution.

While filming, she struggles while seeming confident for her team; yet, the team watching is proud and compares her to Britney Spears. Everyone learns that a selfie she took with her face covered in bodily fluids that were released online features her.

She becomes unhappy when she learns about it, but she recognizes that things might be worse, so she goes to a bar to unwind. She has a hallway connection with club owner Tedros (Tesfaye), a contemporary cult leader, there. When she gets home, she chokes herself while masturbating.

The following day, she confides in her closest friend and personal assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott) that she doesn't like her new song and is even ashamed of it. She also claims that Tedros is appealing to her, but Leia objects and calls him "rapey." I actually kind of appreciate that about him, Jocelyn replies.

She then extends an invitation to him and expresses her dissatisfaction with the album's progress. She performs her upcoming song, which she believes to be superficial, for him down in her studio. While massaging an ice cube up her calf, he offers to assist, telling her that she needs to "sing it like you know how to fuck."

Then, after telling her to trust him and claiming that she doesn't, he is allowed to remove her robe and completely wrap it around her head. She starts to choke as he uses the belt to secure it and wraps it around her neck. As he pulls out a knife and makes a hole in her mouth with it so she can breathe again, he tells her not to be afraid.

 

He continues, "Now you can sing."