Controversial series The Idol slammed Kanye West for his anti-Semitism scandal in its shock finale on Sunday.
The series mentioned West’s admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and vile ant-Semitic rants in a scene which saw Lily Rose Depp‘s character Jocelyn put on a showcase for her management team to convince them she was ready to tour.
In the scene, her agent, referencing Jocelyn’s relationship with The Weeknd‘s character Tedros, said: ‘You know, f*****g Kanye was filling arenas until he decided to start following Adolf Hitler.’
Ye last year was banned from Twitter and lost a series of lucrative sponsorship deals after he made a variety of anti-Semitic statements.
He wrote: ‘I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.
Career-ending: Controversial series The Idol slammed Kanye West for his anti-Semitism scandal in its shock finale on Sunday
Scene: The series mentioned West’s admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and vile ant-Semitic rants in a scene which saw Lily Rose Depp’s character Jocelyn put on a showcase for her management team to convince them she was ready to tour
‘The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black-ball anyone who ever opposes your agenda.’
He courted widespread criticism but later doubled down on the remarks.
In December 2022 West said he ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ Hitler’, defended Nazis and denied the Holocaust during an unhinged appearance on Alex Jones’ podcast Infowars that many viewers described as a live on-air mental breakdown.
Wearing a fabric mask to cover his entire face, West ranted: ‘I see good things about Hilter… every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.’
Later, he said the Germans ‘had a really good leader at one point’, and denied that Hitler had ordered the deaths of six million Jews.
‘He didn’t kill six million Jews. That’s just factually incorrect,’ West said in what were by some measure, his most anti-Semitic remarks to date.
‘I’m not trying to be shocking. I like Hitler. The Holocaust is not what happened… Hitler has a lot of redeeming qualities,’ he said.
The show followed Jocelyn (Depp – who recently said she was excited to perform the sex scenes in the show), a pop star whose life is turned upside down after meeting bizarre night club owner Tedros.
Ye last year was banned from Twitter and lost a series of lucrative sponsorship deals after he made a variety of anti-Semitic statements
In December 2022 West said he ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ Hitler’, defended Nazis and denied the Holocaust during an unhinged appearance on Alex Jones’ podcast Infowars that many viewers described as a live on-air mental breakdown
It doesn’t take long for Tedros to move in and fully take control of her life, much to the protest of her friend and assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott).
The finale finally found Jocelyn standing up to Tedros and rightfully booting him out of her life, as she gets her tour back on track… though in a rather surprising development, she lets him back into her life… but this time she’s using him the same way he used her, while we learn more about her manipulative past.
Fans did not hold back their thoughts after the finale on social media, with @Kai365247 perhaps summing it up best on Twitter: ‘This bulls**t a** show is over.’
Over: HBO’s controversial sexually-charged TV series The Idol has come to a close with Sunday night’s season finale, and, like they have all season long, many fans took to social media to bash the show
Over: Fans did not hold back their thoughts after the finale on social media, with @Kai365247 perhaps summing it up best on Twitter: ‘This bulls**t a** show is over’
The episode begins with Jocelyn putting the finishing touches on her new songs, when she finally has had enough with Tedros, telling him to leave, though he won’t, calling himself her ‘inspiration’ while he continues to drink heavily.
She tells him that he ‘served his purpose’ but now she has no use for him and tells him to go, though it finally takes her manager Chaim (Hank Azaria) offering him a ton of money to get him to walk away, though he initially refused his first offer of $500,000.
Chaim then tracks down the journalist Talia (Hari Nef), telling her everything about Tedros to use in her story.
Meanwhile, Jocelyn held a showcase with her team including Nikki (Jane Adams), LiveNation’s Andrew Finkelstein (Eli Roth) and her managers Chaim and Destiny (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) for her new music and all of Tedros’ artists – Chloe (Suzanna Son), Izaak (Moses Sumney), Ramsey (Ramsey) – who Jocelyn now says are ‘her’ people, not Tedros’.
She announces that they are all going on tour with her as everyone is impressed with their talent, while Tedros is escorted out of Jocelyn’s house by security.
The episode cuts to six weeks later, just before Jocelyn’s tour stop at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, as Chaim, Destiny and Andrew casually chat about how Tedros’ life was ruined.
His nightclub got shut down and he was being investigated by the IRS, though at the same time, Tedros shows up and asks if there is an artists pass for him.
While there isn’t one for him under Tedros, there is one under his real name – Mauricio Jackson.
Showcase: Meanwhile, Jocelyn held a showcase with her team including Nikki (Jane Adams), LiveNation’s Andrew Finkelstein (Eli Roth) and her managers Chaim and Destiny (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) for her new music and all of Tedros’ artists – Chloe (Suzanna Son), Izaak (Moses Sumney), Ramsey (Ramsey) – who Jocelyn now says are ‘her’ people, not Tedros’
Pass: The episode cuts to six weeks later, just before Jocelyn’s tour stop at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, as Chaim, Destiny and Andrew casually chat about how Tedros’ life was ruined
Tour: She announces that they are all going on tour with her as everyone is impressed with their talent, while Tedros is escorted out of Jocelyn’s house by security
Why: @danasflxapl tweeted, ‘Why is Tedros still here when Jocelyn told him she’s done with him?’
He’s let in to see Jocelyn, who says she misses him, as Tedros learns that the hairbrush Jocelyn’s mother supposedly beat her with was actually brand new, likely hinting that she made everything up about her late mother’s abuse.
We also learn that Jocelyn was likely behind her label pulling the song they gave her former dancer Dyanne (Jennie Kim) that would have been her first single.
These revelations either show that Jocelyn has always been this manipulative all along, or perhaps that she just learned it from Tedros himself, turning from victim to villain in one fell swoop.
The final shot was quite surprising for many fans, as Jocelyn tells her fans that she wants to introduce them to the man who, ‘pulled me out of my darkest hours,’ as she brings Tedros up on stage, much to the shock of Chaim, Destiny and Andrew.
She kisses Tedros on stage before whispering her final words of the series: ‘You’re mine. Forever. Now go stand over there,’ as a stunned Tedros obeys as the series comes to an end.
They also showed a number of behind-the-scenes shots of the cast and crew seemingly having a grand old time, likely an effort to offset reports of a toxic set environment that were reported in March.
Many fans were surprised that the show was ending after just five episodes, since, when it was first announced back in 2021, it was given a six-episode order.
‘The Idol Season 1 ending after tonight,’ tweeted @danasflxapl, with a GIF of a woman covering her mouth.
Jocelyn: The final shot was quite surprising for many fans, as Jocelyn tells her fans that she wants to introduce them to the man who, ‘pulled me out of my darkest hours,’ as she brings Tedros up on stage, much to the shock of Chaim, Destiny and Andrew
Manipulative: These revelations either show that Jocelyn has always been this manipulative all along, or perhaps that she just learned it from Tedros himself, turning from victim to villain in one fell swoop
Tonight: ‘The Idol Season 1 ending after tonight,’ tweeted @danasflxapl, with a GIF of a woman covering her mouth
Others were quite confused with Jocelyn going back to Tedros, with @anyiahszn tweeting, ‘OK… so what was the point of her going back to him in the last ep? Matter of fact wtf was the whole point of the show since the ending is like this. Horrible and boring waste of time because of that ending…’
@Al_YourPal tweeted, ‘All that controversy and #TheIdol really just turned out to be 5 episodes of The Weeknd dressed up like a vampire Jedi from Spirit Halloween and saying some freaky boi stuff.’
@danasflxapl tweeted a GIF of Tyra Banks screaming, adding, ‘Jocelyn getting back together with Tedros??’
@toxictrl tweeted, ‘Is Jocelyn pimping him out now??’ along with a GIF of a confused lady.
Other fans like @percpapii was happy to see the downfall of Tedros, tweeting, ‘Tedros being distressed / ignored and not being the center of attention is so funny. I love seeing his downfall sm.’
@percpapii also tweeted, ‘Hold on, I think it was some reverse psychology… Jocelyn now owns Tedros and his people. When she told him to go stand, he was baffled. She’s in control now.’
@PharaohRMA tweeted, ‘Jocelyn talked all that s**t about Tedros just to get back with him in this f***ing ending.’
@urinternetgay tweeted a meme of Spongebob Squarepants character Squidward adding, ‘Jocelyn getting back with Tedros at the end…’
Point: Others were quite confused with Jocelyn going back to Tedros, with @anyiahszn tweeting, ‘OK… so what was the point of her going back to him in the last ep? Matter of fact wtf was the whole point of the show since the ending is like this. Horrible and boring waste of time because of that ending…’
Controversy: @Al_YourPal tweeted, ‘All that controversy and #TheIdol really just turned out to be 5 episodes of The Weeknd dressed up like a vampire Jedi from Spirit Halloween and saying some freaky boi stuff’
Back: @danasflxapl tweeted a GIF of Tyra Banks screaming, adding, ‘Jocelyn getting back together with Tedros??’
Pimping: @toxictrl tweeted, ‘Is Jocelyn pimping him out now??’ along with a GIF
Downfall: Other fans like @percpapii was happy to see the downfall of Tedros, tweeting, ‘Tedros being distressed / ignored and not being the center of attention is so funny. I love seeing his downfall sm.’
Owns: @percpapii also tweeted, ‘Hold on, I think it was some reverse psychology… Jocelyn now owns Tedros and his people. When she told him to go stand, he was baffled. She’s in control now.’
Jocelyn: @PharaohRMA tweeted, ‘Jocelyn talked all that s**t about Tedros just to get back with him in this f***ing ending’
End: @urinternetgay tweeted a meme of Spongebob Squarepants character Squidward adding, ‘Jocelyn getting back with Tedros at the end…’
Troye: Other fans praised Troye Sivan, who played Jocelyn’s creative director Xander, with @troyeshair_ posting, ‘Goodbye goodbye goodbye. You were bigger than the whole show,’ adding, ‘#TheIdol we’re not gonna miss you’
Only: @ethanscyrus added, ‘The only good thing about #TheIdol was Troye Sivan’s performance.’
Jocelyn: @NOTURSTAN tweeted, ‘So Jocelyn manipulated everyone, kicked Tedros out, just to end up with Tedros in spite of everything her team did to get rid of him? Hmm OK’
IDK: @spaceykelsie added, ‘IDK how to feel… jaw is on the floor’
Other fans praised Troye Sivan, who played Jocelyn’s creative director Xander, with @troyeshair_ posting, ‘Goodbye goodbye goodbye. You were bigger than the whole show,’ adding, ‘#TheIdol we’re not gonna miss you.’
@NOTURSTAN tweeted, ‘So Jocelyn manipulated everyone, kicked Tedros out, just to end up with Tedros in spite of everything her team did to get rid of him? Hmm OK.’
@ethanscyrus added, ‘The only good thing about #TheIdol was Troye Sivan’s performance.’
@spaceykelsie added, ‘IDK how to feel… jaw is on the floor.’
