The Idol Episode 3 Recap: Carte Blanche
A deep dive into Jocelyn’s past places the character in a new light. Too bad the rest of “Daybreak” leaves the audience very much in the dark.
What is with this show and ending every episode with some of the most unsettling moments in recent television history? Every week, The Idol has dropped fans off with increasingly hard-to-watch scenes, and if the final five or so minutes of “Daybreak” didn’t ruin your night, you must have a much stronger disposition than I. Because damn, I needed a minute after that.
But let’s start at the beginning when things were only mildly perturbing as Tedros ate Jocelyn out in the back seat of a Leia-driven convertible. Now, one of the issues I’ve had with The Idol is I feel it’s too unclear whether or not the show is in on the joke. And while watching the first scene of episode three, I found myself wondering: Is this supposed to be hot? I honestly cannot tell. In his now-numerous recent interviews in which he seemingly feels forced to over-explain his character, Abel Tesfaye has insisted that Tedros is not supposed to be admired in any way by the viewer (“The guy’s a douchebag,” he told GQ). That’s fair enough—Tedros has been deeply unlikable from the jump, but when I watch the show, there’s this feeling of expected voyeurism, though I have a hard time believing anyone is enjoying this. Instead, I feel like Leia, with a front seat to the action: none too pleased about it.
Anyway, Tedros and Jocelyn arrive at none other than Valentino for a little shopping spree. Clearly, Tedros wants to go somewhere with high status that is obviously impressive, and while Valentino might fit that bill for him, we all know Jocelyn is much more of a GCDS or Ludovic de Saint Sernin gal. Immediately, the pair seems out of place in the luxe store, as Tedros accosts a salesman he believes is eyeing up Jocelyn. And while normally, I’m a sucker for a shopping montage of any kind, the one that follows proves joy is not always a given when it comes to quick cuts of a pretty girl putting on gorgeous clothes set to music. Tedros and Jocelyn end their outing with a quickie in the changing room that would have ended up on TMZ by lunchtime had this been the real world.
Back at home, Tedros continues to move in on Jocelyn’s life as his family of misfits moves into the mansion. With every episode I do find myself liking Jocelyn more and more, and that continues in “Daybreak,” as we learn more about her backstory and motivations as an artist. Tedros, though, remains a mystery, and I think that’s another weak point in the show. Tesfaye is speaking to the media about his character, but I wish I saw more of that playing out on screen as opposed to in the press. His is still a complete mystery to me, and not in a good way, but a hole-in-the-plot-way. We’re halfway through the season and the character of Tedros still seems half-baked—all sex and no substance.
Jocelyn and Tedros have a little dinner party, and despite the purchases made earlier in the episode, Jocelyn tosses aside any newly acquired Valentino for a completely see-through lace dress. Honestly, this is an extremely convincing pop star look—Dua Lipa has basically worn a version of it, and you can totally see a star like Jocelyn posting a photo of the look on Instagram, perhaps haphazardly leaning on the beautifully set table with the pool behind her, hard flash, maybe a shot with Chloe in the mix. Her teenage followers would like the post and share it on their fan pages, completely oblivious to the scene that went down at that very table. Because after Jocelyn makes a toast to her new “family,” Tedros manipulates the pop star into revealing an awful story about her mother, who physically abused her for years.
The revelation is terrible, but it also helps to contextualize the Jocelyn we see in front of us. Now, her embrace of Tedros makes sense, as does her struggle to reenter the music industry—she’s unsure if she can do it without the abusive motivation tactics her mother employed for years. It actually seems therapeutic for Jocelyn to admit this out loud, and for a second, I was naive to feel happy, like she’d had a breakthrough. Then, Tedros looks up at her with those dead eyes and mumbles, “You still got that hairbrush?” sending Jocelyn to retrieve the implement of her mother’s abuse.
If you watched the episode, you know what takes place next, and we don’t have to relive it here. If you didn’t watch the episode, skip to minute forty-two at your own risk. In that moment, Tedros completely replaces Jocelyn’s mother, and as Jocelyn looks up at him with vacant eyes and exclaims, “Thank you for taking care of me,” it becomes clear that she is now in deep. There will be no more leaving Tedros to masturbate alone in the Valentino dressing room, no more questioning his dubious life philosophies, and likely no more entertaining Leia’s concerns. It’s a terrifying shot, and it could have been a powerful one, if the rest of the show supported Jocelyn and her character in the way she deserves. Instead, the ending of “Daybreak” leaves you feeling disturbed, unfulfilled, and cheated. Because, like Jocelyn, we deserve better.
