Already one of the most controversial shows on cable and streaming, The Idol made a splash. Lily-Rose Depp received raves, but the rest of the series struggled. The talent is all over the ensemble. The problem seems squarely on Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye. While the show continues their aesthetics and interests, it’s a lot for most audiences. Episode 2 of The Idol – “Double Fantasy” further exploits pop stars in every way you can imagine.
The Recap – The Idol – “Double Fantasy”
Nikki (Jane Adams) walks into Jocelyn’s house. She’s upset that she’s “been summoned.” She joins the rest of the team and tells them that Jocelyn needs to get over her mother’s death. Meanwhile, Jocelyn (Depp) texts Tedros (The Weeknd) upstairs, nervous about the meeting. Jocelyn has remixed “World Class Sinner” and wants her team to hear it.
When she plays it, her team seems extremely unsure of its quality. Nikki tells her it’s not happening. When Jocelyn threatens to release it on her own, Nikki reminds her that everything has already been paid for. She then runs through a list of issues she covered up for Jocelyn after the tour was canceled. Jocelyn had a full mental break and was talking to aliens. Nikki tells her it’s too late to change it.
Jocelyn thanks everyone for being a coward while Nikki screamed at her. Jocelyn then marches upstairs and starts calling Tedros. He does not answer. Chaim (Hank Azaria) talks to Jocelyn after the fallout. He tells her he believes in her, no matter which version she puts out.
Jocelyn goes into the recording studio and continues to work on the single. She fantasizes about Tedros. Suddenly he calls, and they talk about the song. As Tedros lies about being alone, his associate Izaak (Moses Sumney) calls Leia (Rachel Sennott). At the same time, each guy works to draw the women into their orbit. Tedros tells Jocelyn she should get a new team that believes in her vision.
The next morning Jocelyn works out and begins scrolling Instagram. She sees her picture online and eats breakfast. She then gets ready for the music video shoot. When she walks onto the soundstage, she becomes unsure about the stage.
Jocelyn and the team watch the playback, and she hates it. She asks for a second go. Nikki and Talia (Hari Nef) discuss the shoot and Jocelyn’s mother’s death. At the same time, the third and fourth takes go poorly. The video continues to shoot over and over again, to the point that Nikki begins asking if the background dancers can sing. They’re stealing the show while Jocelyn flounders.
Chaim and Jocelyn talk about pushing back the shoot. Jocelyn wants to move it, but Chaim points out the cost is too high. He gives her a “pep talk,” telling her she has no choice. She has to nail the routine.
Chaim and Destiny (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) talk about Tedros. His name is “Tedros Tedros,” and his last residence was Hawaii. Other than that, all they know is that he owns the club. Jocelyn messes up the routine again, causing Xander (Troye Sivan) to check on her. Chaim asks Leia about Tedros. They find out about the broken glass on Jocelyn’s thigh from the club, which caused her to be in makeup for 3 hours to hide it under makeup.
Nikki and Kim get more upset with Jocelyn as she continues to bomb the routine. Nikki has Dyanne (Jeannie Ruby Jane) audition, and when she can sing, she sends her out to record tracks. Jocelyn gets another pep talk from Destiny and finally gets a good take. During the take, the camera focus goes out. They need to get another take, but Jocelyn’s feet and legs are bleeding.
In Tedros’ club, he works with Izzak on a routine. As he grunts and thrusts, standing over women as he does it. Tedros tells Izzack he’s going to be a star.
Jocelyn has a breakdown on set. She begins asking for her Mom, and Destiny tries to comfort her. Instead, she has a full breakdown. She begins to pull it together, but Nikki tells her she’s not fine. She asks to go tomorrow while Xavier and Leia help her out of the soundstage. Nikki brings Dyanne back into the soundstage to shoot the music video.
Chaim tells Jocelyn that she needs to put out music. He has been floating half her mortgage but cannot do it if she does not put out anything. Jocelyn repeats her need to write better music, but Chaim tells her she’s barely hanging on, let alone providing any alternatives. She asks Chaim to not give up on her.
Jocelyn calls Tedros and asks him to come over. He agrees. When he hangs up, we can see Dyanne sitting at his table. She asks if Jocelyn’s better in bed, but Tedros tells Dyanne no one is. When Dyanne says Nikki wants to sign her, Tedros says that’s a good thing. He tells Dyanne to have Nikki call him.
Tedros and members of his entourage, Chloe (Suzanna Son) and Izaak, come over to Jocelyn’s house. Leia notices as they walk into the house. Chloe asks if she can go for a swim, and when Jocelyn says yes, Chloe strips. She jumps into the pool while Izaak goes to meet with Leia.
Over the night, everyone drinks and parties. They do drugs while Chloe plays piano (still nude). Chloe runs through the house while the couples split off. Jocelyn and Tedros drink while she worries about her career.
Izaak tells Leia how he met Tedros at a church. Izaak mentions that Tedros is a manager. Tedros signed him after he heard him sing and then brought him back to Los Angeles.
Tedros and Jocelyn talk about her career and future music. They also begin hooking up while Chloe watches from the closet. They begin with foreplay and eventually begin having sex. In the other room, Leia and Izaak also have sex.
After sex, Tedros and Jocelyn share a cigarette. Tedros pitches moving in so they can work easier. As Chloe plays piano, her voice carries through the house. She plays piano, and Jocelyn comes to listen. Izaak and Leia also come out to listen. Izaak sings with Chloe. Leia stares at Tedros, still unsure of him.
Episode Breakdown – The Idol – “Double Fantasy”
The name of the episode, “Double Fantasy,” appears as a motif across every storyline. Both Leia and Jocelyn finally sleep with their men. Tedros fulfills his fantasy of making headway with both Jocelyn and Dyanne. Nikki finds a backup option if Jocelyn should fail. Jocelyn comes to the realization that changing the song and having her mother on set are both fantasies. The list goes on and on throughout. It makes “Double Fantasy” an apt name.
We now know that Tedros is making big moves against Jocelyn. Whether she realizes it or not, he’s clearly using her. What this means for her future is still up in the air, but for all the talk, Tedros seems like a dangerous hanger-on for her career.
In fact, Tedros has everyone working for him in a pseudo-cult. He’s convinced Izaak to do his bidding, even coaching him through sex. Whether this is an acknowledgment that Izaak is gay or not, it helped him distract Leia. Nikki has played directly into his hand at the same time, pursing Dyanne as a performer. Even if Nikki strikes it big with Dyanne, she has to pay Tedros. At the same time, she took her eyes off the main attraction while alienating Jocelyn further. So far, Tedros’ plans put him steps ahead of the pack. The rest of Jocelyn’s entourage do not even realize they’re playing a game.
“Double Fantasy” pushes the limits of the Sam Levinson experience. The nudity and sex get far more graphic than in episode one, officially putting it back in Euphoria status. At the same time, the physical abuse suffered by Jocelyn comes across as excessive. Even as some elements further the “this industry is disgusting” narrative, it needs to begin throwing punches. Otherwise, it feels pointless (one might say Babylon-esque).
On the whole, this lost a lot of momentum from the previous episode. The sex felt more exploitative than meaningful, and many sequences served little purpose beyond pure visuals. The humor also disappeared. Still, there’s enough visual splendor, and Depp’s performance remains in must-watch discussions.
