Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Idol. Please read at your own discretion.
Ever since The Idol premiered, people have been going quite crazy over what the series’ promising themes have in store for them, including Lily-Rose Depp’s performance as the protagonist Jocelyn.
Sadly, it turned out to be bad luck for the showrunner, Sam Levinson, as the episode, “Double Fantasy,” with a seemingly powerful concept, failed to strike a chord with many people. Some of them even made their harsh opinions on the subject known on social media, especially Twitter.
A quick glimpse into Twitter reactions is enough to grasp the intense disdain toward the show with many users blaming the script and a lack of chemistry between the characters for this disastrous delivery.
Here are some of the reactions protesting for the show to end.
The Idol is horrendous stuff. Embarrassing the amount to which it thinks itself to be a very sexy show but the charisma and chemistry between the two leads is akin to two Giant Pandas a zoo is struggling to breed.
— John (@WhatJohnSed) June 12, 2023
Writing and acting is dogshit. Sam Levinson must be stopped.
I wanna like The Idol a lot but some of these choices they’re making with the writing and the dialogue is just.. ??
— Edward Elohim (@deezydothis) June 12, 2023
All blame the writing and performances.
Lmao haven’t seen the second episode yet but the show feels like the producers got some of the most talented writers in LA then opted for their less talented siblings because they were cheaper.
— Existential Crisis Actor (@tmtisclutch) June 12, 2023
And, of course, bad choices of actors.
im pretending like the idol never existed in abels career
— خزيمة ✿ (@trilxogi) June 12, 2023
Y’all I had so much hope for the idol but that shit is gonna be the worst series of the year
— Jimmy Eats Brains (@mcgangster420) June 12, 2023
Words have not been minced in declaring it as the worst show in recent years.
The second episode after its release has acquired a lot of media coverage for its storyline and the themes it chooses to cover in particular. It features pop star Jocelyn’s (played by Lily-Rose Depp) struggles to get her addition to her album accepted by her manager as it lacks the potential to appeal to a vast majority of her fans and be a commercial success.
This led to her psychological breakdown and meltdown in public, thus reflecting the hardships that an artist goes through in the industry to make their voices known to the public irrespective of their fame. As gripping as the concept sounds, going by the popular verdict, it can be said that the faults lie in its execution, which also includes a convincing delivery of severe issues such as an artist’s psychological disintegration, erratic behavior, and the mental pressures causing her meltdown.
Going forward, it can only be hoped that an improved performance and a better approach to the story would see a shift in the ongoing opinions.
The Idol is currently streaming on Max.