The bulk of Jocelyn’s pivot happened in “Stars Belong to the World,” a bizarre, kitchen-sink fourth episode that includes tears, torture and tension between Jocelyn and Tedros (Tesfaye). (Levinson and Tesfaye have giddily hinted at this during The Idol’s press cycle.) But it’s hard to buy a change so sudden. The show wants us to believe she was never a pawn - that the first couple of episodes, in which her fragility is most apparent, were part of a broader con. Instead, Jocelyn’s transformation feels like a cheap thrill. If this were a different show, the moment would land with a clever shock, upending The Idol’s premise to say something about the machinations of celebrity. This is Jocelyn’s reintroduction: She’s always been in control - of her image, her life and her body. Her voice stretches each lyric and her eyes hint at a dormant defiance. With her hands clasped around a standing mic, the singer croons the lyrics of her latest single, a sultry pop song that is supposed to reflect her recent experiences. The invasive photographer barking commands, the diffident intimacy coordinator, the label executives and the crew of production assistants have been replaced by a producer (Mike Dean playing himself), a songwriter (the artist Ramsey playing herself) and the other artists who’ve been living in Jocelyn’s mansion for who knows how long. They look a little different now, though. The camera zooms in on Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), surrounded by a team tasked with remaking her image. Take the finale, the faux-ominously titled “Jocelyn Forever.” Mirroring the pilot, the episode opens with our star at the center of a room again. Each episode searches for a tone none manages to feel less clumsy than the last.Īnd yet the season contains some inspired bits - glimmers of what The Idol could have been. There’s an unintentional aimlessness to the series, which contradicts its projected confidence. The acting leaves much to be desired, as does the haphazard pacing. The show is suspiciously incurious about its gallery of maladjusted personas. Storylines are blithely picked up and discarded, their remains haunting attentive viewers. The show is dogged by a thin plot and an incoherent narrative. The Idol’s problems aren’t limited to its gratuitous nudity or juvenile eroticism. Critics' Conversation: Despite Heartening Inclusions, Emmy Voters Struggle to Broaden Their Horizons
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