Breakdown and recap of The Idol season 1, episode 2: Double Fantasy

On the second episode of HBO’s drama series about modern fame, The Idol, Jocelyn fights with her team over the changes in her new single. Meanwhile, she falls deeper under Tedros’ spell, even as she pushes herself to her breaking point at the shoot of the single’s music video.

At her house, Jocelyn summons her management team to hear the reworked new single that she was working on with Tedros. The song, “World Class Sinner”, much of anything innovative in pop music but at least it was the kind of catchy you could dance to in the club.

The rework is more Aphex Twin meets D’Angelo. Her team hates it, or at least the ones that count do.

Nikki, her liaison with the record label, is a big no on the reworked track, especially since all the multi-platform marketing and promotions have already been set. All things that cost a ton of money with a single that is no longer that commercial.

The Idol season 1, episode 2 recap – Dump your team

Obviously, Nikki is calling most of the shots here, since her company put up most of the money for Jocelyn’s rehab and the refurbishing of her image after her breakdown. Jocelyn rage quits her own meeting and holes up in her room.

A call with Tedros later puts her right, but he cajoles her to dump her team if they don’t seem to believe in her. A few days later, they’re at the shoot for the music video of “World Class Sinner” and though the set and the atmosphere look great, she can’t seem to nail the feel of the choreography.

It’s running on multiple takes and Jocelyn is obviously getting exhausted, but she insists on pushing on until she gets it right. Eventually it’s revealed that her inner thighs, almost near her groin, have small cuts from where Tedros and her had some kinky sex.

Make-up had a hell of a time covering the wounds up but now they’ve opened. Jocelyn’s feet also begin to bleed heavily from the high heels.

Eventually she starts to hallucinate from the fatigue and calls out for her dead mother.

The Idol season 1, episode 2 recap – All bad takes

When asked, she denies calling out to her mom. She’s weeping openly when they finally pull the curtains on the delirious pop star and two of her team help carry her to the car because her feet are a bloody mess.

Meantime, while Joss has been struggling on-set, her management team has been digging up all they can on the sketchy Tedros. Turns out he last lived in Hawaii and owes people a ton of money.

Record label exec Nikki Katz has also been busy arranging a Plan B in case Jocelyn has another meltdown. She’s recruited Jocelyn’s Dyanne, the main backup dancer played by BLACKPINK’s Jennie Ruby Jane, and asked one of the producers to have her lay down vocals for the original version of “World Class Sinner.”

The Vanity Fair reporter was there to see the whole shoot pickle, too.

The Idol season 1, episode 2 recap – A night with Tedros and friends

The next day, Jocelyn finds out that Nikki has scrapped the new shooting day Jocelyn asked for. In conversation with her manager Chaim, we find out that he has been floating her money for almost a year, including half the mortgage for her mansion.

At Tedros’ club, he speaks with Dyanne even as she accuses him of using her to set the meetup with Jocelyn. Dyanne reveals that Nikki will sign her to the same record label as Joceyln.

Turns out Dyanne is one of Tedros’s proteges and he tells her to have Nikki call him to negotiate. “Was she a better fuck than me?” Dyanne asks Tedros about Jocelyn.

That night Tedros and two of his hangers-on slash students go with him to Jocelyn’s house. Izaak is a big black guy with a blonde Afro, while Chloe is a young and upbeat girl who likes to go nude.

Chloe takes off her clothes right in front of Jocelyn and goes for a swim buck naked. Izaak explores the house but is really looking for Leia, whom he met at Tedros bar and made out with.

They have a party with shots and coke. Chloe plays piano naked and discovers Jocelyn’s wardrobe. She goes and tries one some costume-y stuff.

Izaak successfully seduces Leia.

The Idol season 1, episode 2 recap – “We don’t like each other very much”

Tedros and Jocelyn get it on too, albeit with some BDSM in the mix requested by Joss herself. Later that night they all gather in the lounge room.

Turns out Chloe is very talented and can both sing and play the piano adeptly, sounding like a blues torch diva of yore. Or a better Joss Stone.

Checking out the song, it turns out Chloe is played by real singer songwriter Suzanna Son. You can listen to the bittersweet, very kick-ass original song, “Family” in a duet with The Weeknd on The Idol’s OST.

Aside from the beautiful song by Ms. Son aka Chloe, there isn’t much to recommend this second episode. It’s mostly routine narrative we’ve seen before about the “perils of fame.”

Certainly nothing that any VH1’s Behind the Music docu or 8 seasons of Entourage hasn’t done in a more entertaining fashion. It’s unfortunate that not even all the gratuitous sex and nudity here, that includes masturbation with a glass of ice and a mandatory club scene ala Dan Bilzerian with barely clad women and topless men, can make this series even slightly more interesting.

Or any less boring. If you’re still watching this catastrophe, please oh please tell us why in the comments.

You can stream The Idol on Max.