The controversial HBO series wrapped up its first season on Sunday.
Warning: the article contains spoilers for 'The Idol' episode 5.
The first season of The Idol has taken its final bow.
The controversial HBO series -- written and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson -- wrapped up its five-episode run on Sunday, with a jaw-dropping finale titled "Jocelyn Forever."
The episode began with Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) calling out Tedros (Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye) as a "con man and a fraud," claiming he had been obsessed with her for years before they met at his club. Despite telling him to leave and saying the other members of their group can stay, Tedros remains at her estate and attends a meeting with her record label to discuss her tour.
With the meeting and tour in jeopardy, the label agrees to listen to performances from other members of the group and it's a success. However, the label is torn on who they believe brought the talent together -- Jocelyn or Tedros.
In the middle of the meeting, news breaks that Jocelyn's former boyfriend, Rob Turner (Karl Glusman) allegedly raped a woman in their group. This was something that Tedros and Xander (Troye Sivan) orchestrated after Jocelyn slept with Rob in episode 4.
Fed up with his antics, Jocelyn gets her manager Chaim (Hank Azaria) to throw him out and offer him $500,000 to leave her life forever. Tedros rips up the check, saying Jocelyn is worth more than that.
Going to what Chaim calls "Plan B," he has a Vanity Fair writer (Hari Nef) write an expose on Tedros, outing him as a serial pimp.
With the full support of her record label, Jocelyn's former backup dancer, Dyanne (Jennie Kim), who was recruited to replace her on tour is taken off the roster. As she's leaving the meeting she questions "It was Jocelyn, wasn't it?"
The show then flashes forward six weeks later. With his reputation in shambles, the IRS investigating him and losing his nightclub, Tedros goes to Jocelyn's opening night of her sold-out tour. When he goes backstage, Jocelyn surprisingly says that she "misses him" and "doesn't like being apart." She notes that the tour and fame don't mean as much without him.
While Jocelyn is fixing her makeup, Tedros notices that the hairbrush Jocelyn had told him her late mother would beat her with was brand new. He appears to come to the understanding that Jocelyn was more manipulative than he may have previously thought.
Jocelyn goes onstage at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and before her concert she brings Tedros out in front of the crowd, calling him the "love of my life."
Completely shocking her record label, Jocelyn and Tedros begin making out onstage. "You're mine forever. Now go stand over there," Jocelyn orders him.
The series' stars have been outspoken throughout the first season about viewer backlash to the show's explicit content and controversial characters.
"We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that. That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning," Depp told Vogue Australia in an interview for the July cover story. "I was never interested in making something puritanical. It’s OK if this show isn’t for everyone and that’s fine — I think all the best art is [polarizing]."
For his part, Tesfaye said he expected the criticism and was not bothered by it.
"It's almost educational, that this is what comes with being incredibly famous," the performer told Variety of his show's treatment of fame. "You're surrounded by people who you're not sure what their true intentions are, even if it seems like they're good. You just never know. But of course, I've been very fortunate to have people around me that I've known almost my entire life, which is important, and is a gift."
The Idol is streaming now on Max.
RELATED CONTENT:
