Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Idol.There is no shortage of problems when it comes toThe Idol. Fromits troubled productiontoco-creatorSam Levinson’s history of exploitationof female pain toboring and unnecessary sex scenes, there are many issues to be taken with in HBO’s new show about stardom. But perhapsThe Idol’s greatest drawback is itsover reliance on one of its main characters,Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s Tedros. More specifically, the show has a problem with how it portrays Tesfaye’s character, an alleged super charismatic cult leader who doesn’t seem to have that much charisma. Instead, Tedros and his rat tail exude creepiness and sleaze, and it’s hard to understand why a powerhouse likeLily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn would fall for his act, no matter how broken the series tells us that she is.
Three episodes intoThe Idol, it’s pretty safe to say that we have seen the core of Tesfaye’s character. We have gone through the initial phase of his cult indoctrination, and we have seen him at his most menacing, torturing the members of his inner sanctum. And, three episodes intoThe Idol, it’s pretty safe to say that Tesfaye just wasn’t cut for this role, at least not in this stage of his acting career. Many pieces have been written about how his acting just isn’t selling the kind of character that Tedros is supposed to be, whether because it is too lackluster when it’s supposed to be magnetizing or because it emanates some serious creepy uncle energy when it’s supposed to be sexy.
However, it isn’t fair to place all the blame for how unconvincing Tedros is as a cult leader on Tesfaye’s acting. Writers Levinson, Tesfaye, andReza Fahimalso fail to convey Tedros’ appeal. The way the show frames him, he’s either openly controlling or openly threatening. It’s almost as if the writers are afraid of making Tedros a charming, believable cult leader lest we forget that he is supposed to be one of the bad guys. This can only lead to confusion, for as the show constantly tells us that Tedros is extremely powerful and alluring, it fails miserably to show us this power, leaving viewers to guess as to why on Earth anyone would choose to become his follower.
Related:‘The Idol’s Worst Sin Is That It’s Boring
Abel Tesfaye Fails To Sell Tedros as a Charismatic Cult Leader in ‘The Idol’
Tedros is introduced in thevery first episode ofThe Idol. After an extraordinarily stressful day at work, Jocelyn accepts an invitation from one of her dancers, Dyanne (Jennie Ruby Jane), to visit a nightclub that he owns. Later in the series, we learn thatDyanne is actually working for Tedros. From the moment that Tedros lays eyes on Jocelyn, he begins to try to seduce her through flattery. The idea is that he comes off as suave, a man of the world who knows what women want and isn’t afraid of using it against them.
However, Tesfaye’s monotone portrayal of Tedros doesn’t come off as gallant or seductive. Instead, he comes off immediately as a dirtbag, one of those guys that women try desperately to avoid and protect their friends from when having a night out. The day after her trip to the club, Jocelyn tells her friend and personal assistant Leia (Rachel Sennott) that she wants to invite Tedros over to her house. Leia is immediately taken aback and remarks that he looks “rapey.” This is a perfect encapsulation of the first impression that Tesfaye’s character makes on anyone who isn’t Jocelyn, and that includes viewers. This creates a strange dissonance: instead of being a show about a broken pop star who falls for the lies of a charming cult leader, as it is obviously meant to be,The Idolbecomes a story about a misguided pop star who fails to see the con that is right in front of her eyes. Tesfaye seems to have failed to understand that his character is supposed to be a fraud. He knows very well that Tedros is seedy and dangerous, that part is there, but he forgot that he is supposed to hide these awful traits under an alluring facade.
The problem persists when we see Tedros interacting with the other members of his cult. Instead of walking a fine line between loving and abusive, the character carries himself in a way that is constantly unappealing. When he tells a jealous Dyanne that “no one is a better f*ck” than her, he doesn’t say it with an inviting tone or expression, but in a way that we immediately see the sweat pooling in the palms of his hands. It is hard to understand how talented people like Dyanne, Izaak (Moses Sumney), Chloe (Suzanna Son), and even Jocelyn allow themselves to be controlled by such a repulsive figure, especially when he doesn’t seem to have all that much power in the entertainment business.
‘The Idol’ Never Gives Us Any Reason To Believe Tedros Is Charming
To be fair, Tesfaye may not necessarily be a terrible actor. In the scenes in which we get to see Tedros’ insecurities, such as when he arrives at Jocelyn’s house, he can be pretty compelling to watch. However, this early on in his acting career, taking on a character as layered as Tedros has definitely proven to be a mistake. But another mistake is to blame Tesfaye’s performance alone for Tedros’ shortcomings.
The writing ofThe Idolalso fails to give us insight into what makes Tedros such an attractive figure to his followers. The first problem that arises is that the show simply doesn’t give the cult leader and his inner circle enough screen time for viewers to understand what exactly makes them tick. Sure, we get scenes of Tedros torturing Izaak and allegedly seducing Dyannein Episode 2, but these aren’t enough. Whenever we watch documentaries about cults, we get moments in which the leader inspires his followers, showing that they lead not through strength alone, but also through charisma. HBO’s ownThe Vowis full of scenes and interviews that center the persuasiveness of Keith Raniere. The same goes for Netflix’sWild Wild Countryand Osho, just to name a few examples. InThe Idol, on the other hand, we never get to see how Tedros uplifts and inspires his followers — we only see him humiliate them and beat them down.
Another issue is that the few scenes we get between Tedros and his followers also include Jocelyn, who immediately becomes the center of attention. This means that we also don’t get to see his followers treat him as the Sun God that he supposedly is because he’s never the focal point of these scenes — Jocelyn is. To add insult to injury, no one apart from Jocelyn and his inner circle seems to see Tedros as a powerful figure. Everyone, from Leia to Chaim (Hank Azaria) is immediately repelled by him.
In order to make clear why these things are an issue, let’s take a detour to another problematic HBO series:Game of Thrones. Speaking ofmany problems that afflicted the unairedGame of Thronespilot,Mark Addy, who played King Robert Baratheon, remarked that no one kneeled when the king arrived at Winterfell the first time they shot the scene. The actor remarked that this was an issue because a king’s power comes not from telling people that he is the king. “People have to give you that by showing subservience. It has to be afforded to you by others,” he said. InThe Idol, Tedros and his court are constantly telling others that he is a powerful king. However, no one is kneeling when he passes by.
