By: Zixian Huang

A little more than a month ago, the show “The Idol”, starring the Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, started airing on HBO Max. The Weeknd portrayed Tedros, a self-help guru and nightclub owner, and Lily-Rose Depp was Jocelyn, an aspiring pop idol.

Audience demand for the show was up to 20 times as high as the demand for average TV series, making it more popular than 99.5% drama titles in the States.

However, the Weeknd’s questionable acting skills and poor plot caused the attention on the show to be negative. There was harsh criticism on the clunky writing. Additionally, countless jokes were exchanged on online forums about the Weeknd discussing his “painful line readings and laughable facial expressions in the role of Tedros.” (Los Angeles Times)

This brings the question: will the negativity received by the show impact the Weeknd’s career in music?

Well, the show has been teased as “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood.” On Rotten Tomatoes, it was also rated “rotten” by a solid nine percent of all reviews.

After the first episode was released, PEOPLE’s review said Depp’s character lacked substance. TV critic Tom Gliatto wrote that no one had “bothered giving Jocelyn any psychology at all — she’s merely been loaded up with perverse impulses, no more meaningful than bags of groceries shoved into the trunk of an SUV.”

All of this may have been the result of Sam Levinson replacing Amy Seimetz as show director though, in April 2022. Rolling Stone reported on “clashes and alleged toxicity on set” after Seimetz’s departure, and many crew members left. Levinson also insisted on changing the plot from a troubled singer (Jocelyn) involved in a predatory relationship to a love story involving more sexual content and nudity. According to People.com, “New scripts reportedly contained “disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between Depp and Tesfaye’s characters.”

Even so, HBO denied the accusations, stating, “The initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change.”

Sources: ‘The Idol’ is hot garbage. Will its stench cling to the Weeknd_ – Los Angeles Times.pdf

‘The Idol’: Everything to Know About The Weeknd’s Controversial HBO Series

Why The Idol was filmed at The Weeknd’s LA mansion. (mamamia.com.au)